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Gillian Robertson vs Michelle Waterson-Gomez Preview
The main attraction to the UFC 303 event was dealt a monumental blow when they cancelled the headline. Conor McGregor pulled out of the fight because of an injury. Many UFC fans had already made their peace that the fight probably wasn’t going to happen. Instead, we can focus on Canadian fighter Gillian Robertson as she fights Michelle Waterson-Gomez.
All things considered, it’s not a terrible card. The early prelim strawweight bout between Robertson and Waterson-Gomez is only one of two female bouts featuring on Saturday. While a bumper range of sports betting markets is available this weekend, the UFC will always attract some keen interest. So let’s have a look and see what this strawweight bout has to offer.
Gillian Robertson vs Michelle Waterson-Gomez Head-to-Head and Key Stats
Strawweight might not be the most glamorous division in any combat sport, but for the MMA purists, we know all too well that there can be a lot of hidden gems in these lower-weight divisions. It’s fair to say that Robertson and Waterson-Gomez are at different stages in their careers.
A decade ago, Michelle was the number one atomweight fighter in the world. She was a formidable force in the lower-weight divisions. However, as “The Karate Hottie” reaches the twilight of her career, she has lost some of her fleet-footedness and has focussed on other ventures in film and TV since.
If we compare the two women head-to-head, the most significant difference is the age gap. Robertson is 29, and Waterson-Gomez is 38. This is a wealth of difference in combat sports. In UFC terms, Waterson-Gomez isn’t a young 38, as she has been on the receiving end of some heavy defeats. It’s the first time the two women have faced each other. While it might have the air of a classic crossroads fight, the UFC rankings have Gillian in 15th and Michelle in 14th.
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While there isn’t too much between the two women. Robertson is marginally bigger, has a better height and weight advantage, and has a higher win percentage. The Canadian is no stranger to the bright lights of Vegas, where the fight will take place this weekend. However, considering Waterson-Gomez is a stunt double and appears in films in her spare time, she definitely doesn’t shy away from the limelight, either.
This fight could receive less attention following the cancellation of McGregor’s fight. There was a raft of social media posts from disappointed UFC fans who had paid top dollar to see the face of the sport in action, perhaps for the last time. It’s becoming increasingly likely that McGregor does not have the motivation to compete at the top level. Going by his regular intoxicated ramblings on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Irish legend is a lot further away from a return than people think.
Many analysts and fans don’t blame him, considering he has made upwards of $100 million in his career. It appears his activities outside the sport could land him in some difficulty. Either way, the rest of the 303 card is now under more intense focus.
Gillian Robertson vs Michelle Waterson-Gomez Predictions
Prediction: Gillian Roberston to win by submission in round 2
Our MMA prediction for this fight is for Gillian “Savage” Robertson to win by submission in round 2. The younger fighter has the technique and energy to beat Waterson-Gomez on the mat or her feet. She will look to tire the Karate Hottie before going in for some takedowns.
It’s hard to ignore their current form. A loss against Robertson would be the 13th of Michelle’s career and could be the last time we see her on a UFC card. Robertson is coming off a good knockout win against Polyana Viana, which earned her the $50,000 performance of the night bonus at UFC 297. Michelle is coming off four straight defeats, including a fairly nasty TKO loss last September against Marina Rodriguez.
It’s a good time to pit them against each other, as Robertson has powerful grappling skills. Her exceptional BJJ and more lethal ground game will give her the edge. While she goes into the fight behind The Karate Hottie in the UFC rankings, she has the groundwork, technique, and freshness that comes with being nearly a decade younger, which gives her the edge.
We imagine Gillian and her team will focus on getting Michelle down and onto the mat as early as possible, perhaps not right out of the traps. The Karate Hottie has the experience to keep her at bay in the opening few minutes. A submission win for “Savage” should see the Canadian leapfrog over Michelle. If she can win emphatically, it could propel her into contention with some bigger money fights at strawweight. At 29, Robertson would fancy having another shot at some of the higher-ranked fighters. She will be in contention if she can get an impressive win against Waterson-Gomez.
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Gillian Robertson vs Michelle Waterson-Gomez Betting Picks
If you want to participate in the betting action on this weekend’s UFC card, you can use our welcome bonus to supplement your initial deposit. While many of the wagers will focus on the main event, there’s plenty of action across the card.
We think Savage will win by submission against Waterson-Gomez. While the odds can vary, especially this close to fight night, there will also be a host of live betting markets you can look at. Whether you have your eyes on an over/under bet this weekend or a moneyline, there’s a host of markets to weigh up. Currently, Robertson is around -198, and you’ll get around +160 on Waterson-Gomez.
These are outright win markets, but you can explore the full range of markets for Robertson vs Waterson-Gomez if you’re looking for more specific markets. We like the look of Robertson via submission at +230 or +650 in round 2 if you want something with a potentially bigger payout.
As there are plenty of exciting fights on the UFC 303 card, you can look at parlay betting. This is where you can combine multiple picks into one high-paying wager. To receive a payout, you need every leg of your parlay to hit. However, given there are over ten fights at the event, you can end up with some fantastic returns.
Betting on Robertson is your best option this weekend. However, it also offers the lowest returns. Placing a bet on the underdog is not worthwhile during this fight, so you must consider other options. Remember, if the odds are not rewarding enough, there are plenty of other fights to choose from.
Gillian Robertson vs Michelle Waterson-Gomez Outcome
It’s hard to see how Waterson-Gomez wins this one. She’s up against a fresher fighter, eager to crack into the top ten at strawweight. Robertson will already have dreams of earning a position where she can get a shot at the title, whereas the American is looking at retirement. Zhang Weili is number one at strawweight, and it’s hard to see anyone beating her. She currently sits at number two on the P4P female rankings as well.
However, this shouldn’t deter other women in the division. While the Chinese strawweight Queen is the one to aim for, there are other good fights out there for Robertson if she can breeze past Waterson-Gomez. UFC fans know all too well just how detrimental and costly it can be for a fighter if they overlook their next fight. Anyone who starts eyeing up more potentially lucrative options further down the line often falls at the first hurdle. Robertson can’t get too complacent.
It’d be a surprise to see any outcome besides a Robertson win. It’d be a surprise to see this one go the distance. Waterson-Gomez is on the slide of her career, and four bad back-to-back losses in your late 30s can be much more difficult to recover from than at the early stage of your career.
In UFC terms, Savage Robertson is no spring chicken either, but she has a considerable age advantage and better height and reach. We think this is a case of how Robertson will win more so than if.
Gillian Robertson vs Michelle Waterson-Gomez Full Fight Card
It’s a big weekend of MMA betting action. Although some fans may have had their spirits dampened that McGregor and Chandler aren’t locking horns at the top of the bill anymore, there’s more than enough for fight fans to get excited about.
Top of the bill is crowd-pleasing fan favourite Alex Pereira in a rematch against the number one-ranked Czech contender Jiří Procházka. While the Brazilian won their first matchup last year in straightforward fashion, Jiří is fresh from a Performance Of The Night knockout win in April at UFC 300 against Aleksandar Rakić. We agree – it does not have the aura of a McGregor fight night. But this is not a bad main event by any stretch of the imagination, with Pereira being the favourite to win.
Some fans believe the UFC 303 card is cursed, and to be fair, it’s difficult to remember a card with so much bad luck. They cancelled the main event and postponed the co-main fight between Hill and Rountree Jr. because the latter tested positive for a tainted supplement. Carlos Ulberg stepped up, only for Hill to pull out injured and Anthony Smith to replace him. Dolidze then replaced Ulberg! At this rate, we expect three more names to get hoovered into this light-heavyweight merry-go-round before the action begins on Saturday. Here’s how the rest of the card is shaping up:
Main Card
- Alex Pereira x Jiri Prochazka – Light Heavyweight
- Brian Ortega x Diego Lopes – Featherweight
- Anthony Smith x Carlos Ulberg – Light Heavyweight
- Mayra Bueno Silva x Macy Chiasson – Bantamweight
- Ian Machado Garry x Michael Page – Welterweight
Preliminary card
- Joe Pyfer x Mac-Andre Barriault – Middleweight
- Charles Jourdain x Jean Silva – Featherweight
- Cub Swanson x Andre Fili – Featherweight
- Payton Talbott x Yanis Ghemmouri – Bantamweight
- Michelle Waterson-Gomez x Gillian Robertson – Strawweight
- Andrei Arlovski x Martin Buday – Heavyweight
- Rei Tsuruya x Carlos Hernandez – Flyweight
- Ricky Simon x Vinicius Oliveira – Bantamweight
