Michelle Eileen Waterson (born January 6, 1986) is an American

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

and model who competes in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(UFC). She is the former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion. Between 2013 and 2014, she was ranked the No. 1 women's atomweight fighter in the world. As of August 23, 2022, she is #11 in the UFC women's strawweight rankings.

Early life

Born in

Colorado Springs Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...

and raised in

Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

, Waterson is of European and Thai descent: her father is American and mother Thai. She began her modeling career in 2004 after she graduated from

Aurora Central High School Aurora Central High School is a high school in Aurora, Colorado. It was originally named Aurora High School and was the first high school in Aurora Public Schools. When Hinkley High School was built in 1963, this school was renamed to its prese ...

. She then attended the

University of Denver The University of Denver (DU) is a private research university in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1864, it is the oldest independent private university in the Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univ ...

until she realized she wanted to pursue a career in fighting.

Early martial arts career

Her early interest in

Gymnastics Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, s ...

, and inability to pay for classes, led her to

Karate (; ; Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fuj ...

at the age of ten. Waterson holds a

black belt Black Belt may refer to: Martial arts * Black belt (martial arts), an indication of attainment of expertise in martial arts * ''Black Belt'' (magazine), a magazine covering martial arts news, technique, and notable individuals Places * Black B ...

in American Freestyle Karate and has also trained in

Wushu Wushu may refer to: Martial arts * Chinese martial arts, the various martial arts of China * Wushu (sport), a modern exhibition of traditional Chinese martial arts * Wushu stances, five key stances utilized in both contemporary wushu and traditio ...

Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterise ...

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting ( ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

Boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermine ...

and

Wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

. Waterson rose to fame as a contestant on the Muay Thai-themed '' Fight Girls'' reality show on the

Oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as we ...

television network. She was also featured as one of the fighters in the MTV/

MTV2 MTV2 (formerly M2) is an American pay television channel owned by the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. The channel launched initially as an all-music video service, once the original MTV had started to shift its programmin ...

reality show '' Bully Beatdown''.

Professional mixed martial arts career

Waterson made her MMA debut on February 16, 2007, at Ring of Fire 28: Evolution against Andrea Miller, winning the fight by unanimous decision. She made her debut without having any amateur fights. She faced Freestyle Cage Fighting champion Lynn Alvarez at Ring of Fire 31: Undisputed on December 1, 2007, but lost by submission in the first round. Waterson made her Strikeforce debut against Tyra Parker at Strikeforce: Payback on October 3, 2008. She won the fight by rear naked choke submission in the first round. Waterson faced Karina Taylor at Duke City MMA Series 1 on March 1, 2009. She won the fight by armbar submission in the first round. There was some controversy with this fight because Taylor did not tap out to the armbar. On April 11, 2009, Waterson fought former WIBA and IFBA Flyweight Boxing Champion

Elena Reid Elena A. Reid (born November 1, 1981) is an American former boxer and mixed martial artist. She is a former WIBA and IFBA Flyweight Champion. Early life Reid was born in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1981. Reid attended St. Mary's High School (Phoen ...

at Apache Gold: Extreme Beatdown. Reid won the fight by TKO in the second round. Waterson faced the debuting Rosary Califano at EB - Beatdown at 4 Bears 6 and won by submission due to a flying armbar in just 15 seconds. She faced Masako Yoshida at Crowbar MMA: Spring Brawl on April 24, 2010. Waterson won the fight by TKO in the first round. Waterson returned to MMA on January 21, 2012. She faced Diana Rael at Jackson's MMA Series 7 and won the fight by rear-naked choke in the first round.

Invicta Fighting Championships

Waterson faced

Lacey Schuckman Lacey Schuckman is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Strawweight division. She has fought in Invicta FC and Strikeforce. Mixed martial arts record , - , Win , align=center, 12–10 , Rosa Acevedo , Decision (unanimous ...

at Invicta FC 3: Penne vs. Sugiyama on October 6, 2012. After three back and forth rounds, Waterson defeated Schuckman via split decision. The bout was named Fight of the Night. Waterson challenged for the Invicta FC Atomweight Championship when she faced Jessica Penne in the main event of Invicta FC 5: Penne vs. Waterson on April 5, 2013. Waterson won the fight via armbar submission in the fourth round to become the Invicta FC Atomweight Champion. On September 6, 2014, Waterson successfully defended her championship against Yasuko Tamada in the main event of Invicta FC 8 via TKO in the third round. Waterson next headlined Invicta FC 10 on December 5, 2014, in Houston against Brazilian Hérica Tibúrcio. She lost the fight via a guillotine choke submission in the third round.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

On April 28, 2015, it was reported that Waterson had officially signed with the UFC and was expected to compete in the Women's Strawweight division. Waterson made her promotional debut against Angela Magaña on July 12, 2015, at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale. She won the fight via submission in the third round. Waterson was next expected to meet Tecia Torres at UFC 194. However, she was forced to pull out of the bout on November 24, 2015, citing a knee injury. After over a year-and-a-half away from the sport due to injuries, Waterson returned in December 2016 to face Paige VanZant in the main event at UFC on Fox 22. She won the fight via technical submission due to a rear naked choke in the first round. The win also earned Waterson her first ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Waterson fought Rose Namajunas on April 15, 2017, at UFC on Fox 24. She lost via rear naked choke. Waterson faced Tecia Torres on December 2, 2017, at UFC 218. She lost the fight by unanimous decision. Waterson faced Cortney Casey at UFC on Fox 29 on April 14, 2018. She won the fight via split decision. Waterson next faced Felice Herrig on October 6, 2018, at UFC 229. She won the fight via unanimous decision. Waterson fought Karolina Kowalkiewicz at

UFC on ESPN 2 ''UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 2'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on March 30, 2019 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ba ...

on March 30, 2019. She won the fight via unanimous decision. Waterson faced Joanna Jędrzejczyk on October 12, 2019 at UFC Fight Night 161. She lost the fight via unanimous decision. Waterson was scheduled to face Carla Esparza on April 11, 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris. Due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

, the event was eventually postponed and the bout eventually took place on May 9, 2020 at UFC 249. She lost the fight via split decision. Waterson was scheduled to meet Angela Hill on August 22, 2020 at UFC on ESPN 15. However, due to some personal reasons on Waterson's side, the bout was moved three weeks later to

UFC Fight Night 177 ''UFC Fight Night: Waterson vs. Hill'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 177'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 35'' and ''UFC Vegas 10'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on September 12, 2020 at the UF ...

. She won the fight via split decision. This fight earned her the '' Fight of the Night'' award. After the fight, Waterson was awarded her BJJ brown belt in the octagon from her coach, Gracie Barra's Rafael 'Barata' Freitas. Waterson was scheduled to face

Amanda Ribas Amanda Ribas (born August 26, 1993) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. She currently competes in the Strawweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of August 15, 2022, she is #9 in the UFC women's strawweight ...

on January 24, 2021 at

UFC 257 ''UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 24, 2021 at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Background Starting with ...

. However, Waterson pulled out of the bout in early December due to undisclosed reasons. She was replaced by Marina Rodriguez. In May 2021, Waterson clarified that the reason for withdrawal was the loss of two grandparents. Waterson faced Marina Rodriguez on May 8, 2021 at

UFC on ESPN 24 ''UFC on ESPN: Rodriguez vs. Waterson'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 24'' and ''UFC Vegas 26'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 8, 2021, at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, ...

. She lost the fight via unanimous decision. Waterson was scheduled to face

on March 26, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 205. However, the bout was postponed to

UFC 274 ''UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 7, 2022, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. Background The event was originally link ...

on May 7, 2022 due to Waterson sustaining an undisclosed injury. Waterson faced Amanda Lemos on July 16, 2022, at UFC on ABC 3. She lost the fight via a guillotine choke submission in the second round.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

* Invicta Fighting Championships ** Invicta FC Atomweight Championship (One time) ***One successful title defense **Fight of the Night (Two times) *Women's MMA Awards **2013 Atomweight of the Year **2013 Fight of the Year vs. Jessica Penne on April 5 **2014 Fight of the Year vs. Hérica Tibúrcio on December 5 *AwakeningFighters.com WMMA Awards **2013 Atomweight of the Year **2014 Atomweight of the Year *FightBooth.com **2014 Most Vulgar Display of Power Award (Beatdown of the Year) vs. Yasuko Tamada *

** Performance of the Night (One time) ** Fight of the Night (One time) * MMAjunkie.com **2020 September Fight of the Month

Personal life

Waterson is married to former U.S. Armed Forces amateur boxing champion Joshua Gomez. On September 16, 2010, Waterson announced that she was pregnant with her first child and recently engaged. She gave birth to a daughter on March 18, 2011. Waterson got her 'Karate Hottie' nickname after she went to a Hooters calendar shoot.

Media appearances

In 2008,

Knockouts Knockouts and Knockouts Haircuts for Men are the trade names of a privately held American salon chain (international as of early 2011), Knockouts LLC, based in Irving, Texas. Knockouts are full-service grooming salons with a boxing (and mixed m ...

released a calendar featuring her. She is featured in the music video for Head Crusher, the first single from the

Endgame Endgame, Endgames, End Game, End Games, or similar variations may refer to: Film * ''The End of the Game'' (1919 film) * ''The End of the Game'' (1975 film), short documentary U.S. film * ''Endgame'' (1983 film), 1983 Italian post-apocalyptic f ...

album by the American

Metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typi ...

band

Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wi ...

. On June 24, 2014, she appeared on ''

American Ninja Warrior American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

'' but failed to qualify when she fell on the first obstacle. She was also featured on '' Bully Beatdown''. She was the central character of the 2016 documentary Fight Mom. In 2017, Waterson competed on the special mini-series for the MTV reality show '' The Challenge'' titled '' Champs vs. Stars''. That same year, she was featured in The Body Issue. Waterson also performed some stunts in the Marvel movie, ''

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing ...

'', for Natalie Portman.

Selected filmography

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 18–10 , Amanda Lemos , Submission (guillotine choke) , UFC on ABC: Ortega vs. Rodríguez , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:48 ,

Elmont, New York Elmont is an unincorporated hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in northwestern Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, United States, along its border with the borough of Queens in New York City. The population was 35,265 at the 2 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–9 , Marina Rodriguez , Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ESPN: Rodriguez vs. Waterson , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–8 , Angela Hill , Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Waterson vs. Hill , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 17–8 , Carla Esparza , Decision (split) , UFC 249 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 17–7 , Joanna Jędrzejczyk , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Joanna vs. Waterson , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough C ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–6 , Karolina Kowalkiewicz , Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–6 , Felice Herrig , , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 229 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–6 , Cortney Casey , Decision (split) , UFC on Fox: Poirier vs. Gaethje , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Glendale, Arizona Glendale () is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located approximately northwest of Downtown Phoenix. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 248,325. History In the late 1800s the area that is now Glendale was all deser ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–6 , Tecia Torres , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 218 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–5 , Rose Namajunas , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:47 , Kansas City, Missouri, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–4 , Paige VanZant , Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC on Fox: VanZant vs. Waterson , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:21 ,

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4 , Angela Magaña , Submission (rear-naked choke) , The Ultimate Fighter: American Top Team vs. Blackzilians Finale , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:38 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–4 , Hérica Tibúrcio , Submission (guillotine choke) , Invicta FC 10: Waterson vs. Tiburcio , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:06 , Houston, Texas, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–3 , Yasuko Tamada , TKO (knee and punches) , Invicta FC 8: Waterson vs. Tamada , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:58 , Kansas City, Missouri, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3 , Jessica Penne , Submission (armbar) , Invicta FC 5: Penne vs. Waterson , , align=center, 4 , align=center, 2:31 , Kansas City, Missouri, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–3 ,

, Decision (split) , Invicta FC 3: Penne vs. Sugiyama , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–3 , Diana Rael , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Jackson's MMA Series 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:12 , Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–3 , Masako Yoshida , TKO (punches) , Crowbar MMA: Spring Brawl , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:17 ,

Fargo, North Dakota Fargo ( /ˈfɑɹɡoʊ/) is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, United States. According to the 2020 census, its population was 125,990, making it the most populous city in the state and the 219th-most populous city in ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–3 , Rosary Califano , Submission (flying armbar) , EB - Beatdown at 4 Bears 6 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:15 ,

New Town, North Dakota New Town is a city in Mountrail County, North Dakota. The population was 2,764 at the time of the 2020 census, making it the 18th largest city in North Dakota. New Town was platted in 1950 as a replacement site for the residents of Sanish and ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–3 ,

, TKO (punches) , Apache Gold: Extreme Beatdown , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:50 ,

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the o ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–2 , Karina Taylor , Technical Submission (armbar) , Duke City MMA Series 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:36 , Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–2 , Tyra Parker , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Strikeforce: Payback , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:20 ,

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–2 , Krystal Macatol , Submission (armbar) , SCA: Bike n Brawl 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:22 , Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–2 , Thricia Poovey , TKO (corner stoppage) , KOTC: Badlands , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–2 , Lynn Alvarez , Submission (guillotine choke) , Ring of Fire 31: Undisputed , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:19 ,

Broomfield, Colorado Broomfield is a consolidated city and county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. Broomfield has a consolidated government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The Broomfield populat ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Jaime Cook , Submission (armbar) , Ring of Fire 30: Domination , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:33 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–1 , Alicia Gumm , Decision (unanimous) , RMBB: Battle of the Arts , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Andrea Miller , Decision (unanimous) , Ring of Fire 28: Evolution , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:00 ,

, United States , , -

Kickboxing record

, - style="background:#fbb;" , 2008-03-22 , , Loss , , align=left, Catia Vitoria , , XFA 1, , Las Vegas, Nevada, USA , , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - , colspan=9 , ''Legend'':

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Waterson, Michelle 1986 births American female karateka American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu American wushu practitioners American sportspeople of Thai descent Female Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners American female mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing karate Mixed martial artists utilizing wushu Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu American models Living people Female models from Colorado Sportspeople from Colorado Sportspeople from Colorado Springs, Colorado Sportspeople from Aurora, Colorado Atomweight mixed martial artists Strawweight mixed martial artists The Challenge (TV series) contestants Ultimate Fighting Championship female fighters 21st-century American women