The message from Canadian flyweight Jillian (Savage) Robertson was simple following her TKO win over Marina Rodriguez in May.
“I want Amanda Lemos next,” Robertson said.
She got her wish on Saturday in Las Vegas, although the road to the match against the fifth-ranked Brazilian was rocky.
Robertson, ranked 10th among the UFC's 115-pound contenders, was originally scheduled to face No. 7 Yasmine Lucindo on Fight Night at the UFC Apex. But the Brazilian dropped out of the list after failing a drugs test that her camp said was the result of “contamination rather than deliberate use.”
Lemos (15-5-1) was the next woman out.
“Obviously it's meant to be. This is the fight I wanted,” said Robertson, who was given about eight weeks' notice to change opponents. “I feel like it's a bigger name. It will put me in a better position. Everything happens for a reason.”
Robertson (16-8-0) says another strong result on Saturday will put her in “the perfect spot to challenge for the title.”
That would mean a date with American Mackenzie Dern, who won the vacant title with a unanimous decision over No. 3 Virna Jandiroba of Brazil in the co-main event of UFC 321 in October.
Lemos, 38, was the last fighter to defeat Dern, winning by unanimous decision at UFC 298 in February 2024. Lemos has lost two of three since then, with the win over Lucindo sandwiched between losses to American No. 2 contender Tatiana Suarez and Jandiroba.
Dern's victory follows Lemos' loss to then strawweight champion Weili Zhang of China at UFC 292 in August 2023.
Last time out, Lemos stopped nine of Suarez's 12 takedown attempts, but still spent more than nine minutes on the court controlled by Suarez. Lemos didn't get to show off her striking skills until late in the fight when she hurt Suarez, but by then it was too late.
“I'm comfortable staying on my feet with Amanda Lemos and just working on my game there. But if we get on the floor, it will definitely be in my favor,” Robertson said.
In Saturday's main event at the Apex Arena, American Brandon (Raw Dawg) Royval, the No. 2 ranked flyweight contender, will take on No. 6 Manel (Starboy) Kape of Angola.
The final UFC show of the year will feature three more Canadians.
Bantamweight Melissa (Scare) Croden will face Brazil's Luana Santos, the 15th-ranked 135-pound contender, while Jamie-Lyn Hort will face Czech flyweight Teresa Bleda.
Lance Gibson Jr. was a late addition to the card Wednesday. The 30-year-old from Port Moody, British Columbia will face American (King) Bobby Green at a catchweight of 160 pounds.
Gibson's father, Lance Sr., competed at UFC 24 and 29 back in 2000, meaning that on Saturday the Gibsons will become the third father-son duo to compete in mixed martial arts, following Randy and Ryan Couture and Gilbert and Elijah Smith.
Robertson, 30, is in good form, having won four in a row and six of her last seven. Her UFC record is 13-6-0 and she is 5-1-0 since moving down to strawweight.
“It's definitely still a struggle,” Robertson said of losing weight. “But I have the best nutritionist in Dawn Kelly. She helps me every step of the way down to 115 (pounds).”
“Every camp has its own struggle. Sometimes it's easier to stay focused. Sometimes I want these snacks even more,” she added with a laugh.
A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Robertson's seven submission wins are the most in UFC women's history. She is tied with Hall of Famer Amanda Nunes for most finishes (10) among UFC women.
“Honestly, I feel like I'm the only girl who gets into these fights a lot to get them to the end,” Robertson said. “I want to show that they are interesting and I’m here to bring attention to the women’s side of the sport as well.”
In addition to submissions, Robertson can throw strikes on the ground. After beating Rodriguez early in the second round, Robertson outshot the Brazilian 31-2 until the referee intervened at 2:07 of the round.
“I feel like because I have so many rear chokes, girls don't want to give me their back anymore. So they're more willing to just lay there. So I'm like, if you're not going to move, I might as well start doing some damage,” Robertson said cheerfully.
Rodriguez retired after the loss, putting her gloves to the canvas.
Robertson was seven years old when her family left Niagara Falls for Florida so her mother could take a job as a nurse in the Miami area. She is currently fighting in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2025.
