Din Thomas, the popular UFC analyst and longtime coach, used the UFC 330 Post-Fight Show to reveal he’s stepping away from cornering fighters for good.
Thomas was in Gillian Robertson’s corner for her co-main event bout against strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern, which Robertson lost by unanimous decision. Shortly after, Thomas made the announcement.
“I do have an announcement for you guys,” he said during the UFC 330 Post-Fight Show.
I told myself I would continue to do this until I took Gillian as far as she could go,” Thomas said.
He explained that he felt Robertson may have reached her ceiling under his guidance, and pointed to the demands of the job — being away all fight week and not personally handling his fighters’ weight cuts — as reasons he no longer felt he could give his corner work the commitment it required.
It’s a lot of work. It’s a lot of stress. You gotta be there all week. And again, like I’ve been slowly telling you, I don’t cut weight with them. And it’s not fair to them. They need somebody who’s gonna really put that type of work in with them.
The announcement apparently came as news to Dana White, who is close with Thomas through their work together on “Lookin’ For A Fight.” Told about the retirement by a reporter, White seemed genuinely surprised.
That’s weird. He didn’t say anything to me,” White said.
He added that he’d never before heard of a cornerman formally announcing a retirement from the role. White speculated that years of working with fighters may have simply worn Thomas down, calling it possibly a case of burnout..
I didn’t know about that. I’ve never heard about retiring from cornering. That might be a first. That’s the first I’ve ever heard of it.
“Maybe he’s just tired of the grind. You know, he’s worked with so many fighters over the years. Maybe he’s just burnt out.
Thomas has been a fixture in MMA broadcasting and coaching circles for years, and his exit from cornering marks the end of that chapter of his involvement in the sport — even as his media career continues.
