The fallout from the UFC 330 co-main event has been brutal for Gillian Robertson, and things have only gotten messier since. The Canadian suffered a lopsided unanimous decision loss to Mackenzie Dern after five grueling rounds, coming up short in her bid to capture the strawweight title.
“The Savage” struggled to find her rhythm throughout the fight and was unable to execute her game plan of securing top position and controlling the champion. Unfortunately for Robertson, the loss was followed by another major blow. Her longtime coach, Din Thomas, announced his retirement from cornering fighters immediately after the bout.
Thomas had been working the UFC broadcast on Paramount+ before stepping away to corner Robertson for the title fight. Once the event wrapped up, he returned to the analyst desk and revealed that UFC 330 would be his final night as a cornerman.
Din Thomas announced that he is retiring from cornering fighters
📺 @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/zdkW27eVxk
— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) August 16, 2026
The timing of the announcement, coupled with Thomas not publicly backing his fighter after such a crucial title loss, drew plenty of criticism from around the MMA world. Some accused him of making the moment about himself and abandoning Robertson when she needed her coach most.
One of the loudest voices was Sean Strickland, who went after Thomas and questioned his decision to walk away following a tough title-fight loss.
The 185-pound champion wrote, “Din Thomas is a fucking cunt. I’ve had my ass kicked in multiple weight classes through my career and won two titles. You’re a dickhead. It’s probably better you retire. You’re a shit coach. You only lose when you quit. Din sounds like you’re a fucking loser.”
While much of the MMA world appeared to side with Strickland, Tyron Woodley was not having it. The former welterweight champion has been a longtime friend of Thomas, and he seemingly decided to defend him after Strickland’s comments.
Strickland, unsurprisingly, appeared more than happy to welcome Woodley into the argument, sharing an alleged DM exchange between the two on Instagram. Woodley allegedly wrote, “Watch your mouth talking about Din. You have no clue wtf you talking about. We laugh all the time when you have no filter, but you a habitual line crosser. I’m ride or die about him. Don’t cross that line.”
Strickland replied, “Bro, what are you gonna do?? You ain’t gonna do a damn thing lmao. Din can suck my c*ck. Weak ass bitch.”
Bro let the CTE get to him and forgot his record is a red line… pic.twitter.com/e6hf0fCsmQ
— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) August 18, 2026
The middleweight champion then took things a step further, sharing a screenshot of Woodley’s recent record, which includes seven straight losses across MMA and boxing dating back to 2019. Strickland added the caption, “Bro let the CTE get to him and forgot his record is a red line.”
However, there is still some uncertainty surrounding the alleged exchange. Woodley has not publicly addressed the DMs on his social media accounts. The only recent post connected to the situation was an Instagram Stories post in which he shared Thomas’ apology.
For the uninitiated, Woodley and Thomas have a relationship that goes back years. Their professional partnership took root during their time at American Top Team, with Thomas serving as Woodley’s primary head coach and cornerman during the former champion’s peak years.
Thomas was in Woodley’s corner when he defeated Robbie Lawler to capture the welterweight title at UFC 201 and remained involved during his subsequent championship run. When Woodley began split-training at Roufusport in Milwaukee, Thomas continued traveling with him during his camps, helping maintain continuity in his preparation.
Now, the longtime friends have found themselves caught in the middle of a very public MMA feud. As for Woodley, he is set to take on UFC welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley in a wrestling match at RAF 12 in Cleveland this Saturday in his promotional debut. Strickland, meanwhile, is waiting for his next middleweight title defense, which is expected to take place before the end of the year.
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Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
