AKA

Michelle
"The Karate Hottie"
Waterson

Stats

Stance: Orthodox
Division: Women's Strawweight
Height: 5' 3"
Reach: 62"
Leg reach: 35.50
Weight: 115 lbs.
Team: Jackson Wink MMA Academy
Nationality: Colorado Springs, United States
Out of: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Age: 36

Accolades

Recent win streak: 1
Wins by KO: 3
Wins by submission: 9
Wins by decision: 6

ATHLETE METRICS

STRIKING ACCURACY

Significant Strikes Attempted: 1422
Significant Strikes Landed: 688

TAKEDOWN ACCURACY

Takedowns Attempted: 55
Takedowns Landed: 10

BIOGRAPHY

Michelle Waterson is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the UFC’s women’s strawweight division. Born on January 6, 1986, she was raised in Aurora Colorado and began training in karate at the age of 10 under her father’s direction. By her teenage years she had already earned her black belt in the sport. Later, when she was 17, Michelle decided to try a different kind of fighting style and began studying Muay Thai. Soon after that decision Michelle dedicated herself to being a professional MMA fighter.

In 2007 Michelle made her debut as a professional MMA fighter for Ring of Fire where she won both of her fights by submission due to armbars from guard positions. From there, Waterson went on to compete for many other organizations including King Of The Cage (KOTC), Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC) and Invicta Fighting Championships (IFC).

While competing outside the UFC Waterson became known as “The Karate Hottie” after winning several KOTC titles before moving onto MFC where she held two more belts: one for flyweight and one as interim atomweight champion respectively. Her success continued into IFC where she beat Jessica Penne via unanimous decision at Invicta FC 5 becoming their Atomweight Champion with four successful title defenses before signing with UFC in 2015.

At UFC women’s strawweight division Michelle has gone on to have great success gaining wins over notable fighters such as Cortney Casey-Sanchez, Felice Herrig and Paige VanZant just to name a few . In addition to having impressive wins in the Octagon Waterson has also been able to gain sponsorships from some big brands like Nike which shows how far she has come since 2007 when no one knew who “The Karate Hottie” really was or what kind of career awaited her down the line . As it stands today all signs point towards another impressive run for this highly talented athlete whose star continues growing brighter each day inside and outside of fight night!

Fight History

Michelle Waterson-Gomez
Awaiting Outcome
Sat. Jul 16, 2022
UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. Rodriguez
Angela Hill
Michelle Waterson: Winner
by Decision in Round 5
Sat. Sep 12, 2020
UFC Fight Night: Waterson vs. Hill
Carla Esparza
Michelle Waterson: Winner
by Decision in Round 3
Sat. May 09, 2020
UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje
249
Joanna Jedrzejczyk
Michelle Waterson: Defeated
by Decision in Round 5
Sat. Oct 12, 2019
UFC FN: Joanna vs. Waterson
Karolina Kowalkiewicz
Michelle Waterson: Winner
by Decision in Round 3
Sat. Mar 30, 2019
UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Gaethje
Felice Herrig
Michelle Waterson: Winner
by Decision in Round 3
Sat. Oct 06, 2018
UFC 229
229

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Who Is Michelle Waterson-Gomez?
Michelle Waterson-Gomez is an American mixed martial artist, actress, stuntwoman, and former model who competes in the UFC and is a former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion, once ranked as the No. 1 women's atomweight fighter globally between 2013 and 2014.

What Is Michelle Waterson's Record?
Michelle Waterson's record is 18 wins and 12 losses with no draws.

When Is Michelle Waterson's Next Fight?
Michelle Waterson-Gomez's next fight is against Marina Rodriguez at UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs. Gamrot on September 24, 2023, at the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.

What Is Michelle Waterson's Record On Tapology?
As a UFC journalist, I can't provide current specific records from Tapology as the information continuously changes due to ongoing matches, for the most accurate and updated record, please check directly on Tapology's website.

What Is Michelle Waterson's Net Worth?
As of 2023, Michelle Waterson-Gomez's net worth is unknown.

When Was Michelle Waterson's Last Fight?
Michelle Waterson's last fight was against Luana Pinheiro on April 8, 2023 at UFC 287, where she lost via split decision.

Who Is Michelle Waterson's Husband?
Michelle Waterson's husband is Joshua Gomez.

Who Is Michelle Waterson In UFC?
Michelle Waterson is an American mixed martial artist, former model, actress, and stuntwoman, who is a former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion and competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, notably once ranked as the No. 1 women's atomweight fighter in the world between 2013 and 2014.

Did Michelle Waterson Retire?
As of now, Michelle Waterson has not officially announced her retirement from UFC.