UFC 330 Cage Locks: Canada’s Robertson faces tough road to history

Gillian Robertson looks to make MMA history by becoming the first-ever Canadian women’s champion in UFC if she can dethrone strawweight titleholder Mackenzie Dern at UFC 330 on Saturday.

Dern vs. Robertson is a true grappler's delight, featuring two of the most accomplished submission specialists in strawweight division history. Both fighters have built their careers around elite groundwork, aggressive submission hunting and the ability to finish fights rather than simply control positions. And that’s just the co-main event!

Headlining UFC 330 is a welterweight title clash between reigning champion Islam Makhachev and rising contender Ian Machado Garry. Few fighters have matched the consistency of Makhachev, who brings a 16-fight UFC winning streak into his welterweight title defence. Makhachev enters the bout as one of the sport's pound-for-pound elite fighters, while Garry looks to complete his ascent to championship status after a series of impressive performances against top competition.

Philadelphia's Xfinity Mobile Arena will showcase two title fights and a lineup filled with established veterans and emerging contenders. But for Canadian fans, the spotlight shines brightest on Robertson, whose long journey through the UFC could culminate in a historic championship moment.

Here is the event card for UFC 330 (subject to change) plus predictions from our panel.

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— Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Machado Garry — Mackenzie Dern vs. Gillian Robertson — Jalin Turner vs. Kaue Fernandes — Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Dustin Stolzfus — Edson Barboza vs. Esteban Ribovics

— Chidi Njokuani vs. Joel Alvarez — Charles Johnson vs. Eduardo Henrique — Donte Johnson vs. Eric McConico — Vincente Luque vs. Tresean Gore — Rafael Tobias vs. Lucas Fernando — Neil Magny vs. Ramiz Brahimaj — Jeremiah Wells vs. Myktybek Orolbai

Ahead of the big UFC events, UFC reporter Aaron Bronsteter ( @aaronbronsteter ) and producer Dan Fernandes ( @DanFernandes__ ) will peruse the odds and make four betting predictions using fantasy dollars: one best bet, one favourite, one underdog and one dart throw wager. REMINDER: Sportsnet is committed to promoting and educating audiences about the importance of betting responsibly. Sources for responsible gambling can be found HERE .

Cage Lock: Joel Alvarez -325 Favourite: Mackenzie Dern -215 Underdog: Kaue Fernandes +130 Dart Throw: Ramiz Brahimaj wins by decision +475

I do not see many paths to victory for Stoltzfus against Abdul-Malik. Short of Abdul-Malik making a drastic error, I think that he has Stoltzfus beat wherever the fight goes.

As much as it would be great to see Robertson become the UFC’s first Canadian women’s champion, I cannot overlook how difficult of a matchup Dern is stylistically.