Michelle Waterson, former Invicta FC atomweight champion, joined the UFC earlier this year and will make her in-cage debut on July 12th against Angela Magana.
It was a significant signing for the growing 115-pound division as Waterson brings in a solid fanbase with her, and a track record of exciting fights. The 12-4 veteran known as “The Karate Hottie” fights out of Jackson-Winkeljohn in Albuquerque.
The strawweight bout will be featured on the main card, and it will draw a lot of interest. Waterson's move back to 115-pounds will be closely watched and could have major implications. These are three things you should keep an eye on during her UFC debut.
How does she handle the size difference?
This is a perfect opening bout for Waterson. Angela Magana is not a top tier strawweight, and Waterson should have the edge in both technique and speed. However, it will be interesting to see how she handles the strength differential.
In her last bout, a title loss to Herica Tiburcio, Waterson was clearly the weaker fighter. It played a big difference in how that fight played out, and it was Tiburcio's first time dropping to 105-pounds after success at strawweight. Waterson will be at a similar disadvantage against many of the current UFC strawweights. It is a fight that should not be glossed over when evaluating Waterson's chances of competing at a high level in the UFC. Tiburcio did significant damage to Waterson.
Magana could use her strength to her advantage. She has been in the cage against very strong fighters such as Barb Honchak and Jessica Eye at a higher weight class, and done well enough to earn a victory over Honchak (current Invicta FC flyweight champion). If the strength advantage is clear, Magana could simply control Waterson en route to a decision win.
How much faster will she be?
This is a big factor for Waterson's success at 115-pounds. She will be the smaller fighter in most, if not all, of her fights. The speed she possesses will be her biggest asset.
Magana is the slower fighter. And she has not looked good in the cage as of late. This should be a great matchup for Waterson to showcase her lightning quick strikes.
Waterson has a lot of flash, but also a lot of substance to her strikes. Ask Yasuko Tamada. Waterson brutalized her in the first defense of the Invicta FC atomweight belt last September. It was a flurry of punches that made Yamada almost unrecognizable by the end of the fight. Tamada had no answer for the speed of Waterson.
Waterson will need to rely on the speed in this division. She cannot be cornered, and controlled, by a much lesser fighter like Magana and still be considered a legitimate threat in this division.
The crowd reaction (and subsequent UFC ranking)
This is a favorable matchup for a marketable fighter. The UFC knows what it is doing, and Invicta FC did too. Invicta FC attempted to make Waterson the face of their promotion, but Tiburcio's victory put an end to that.
The crowd reaction will tell the UFC how valuable Waterson is. If she gets a loud ovation they know they have a fighter that can make a dollar or two, and that will not doubt influence their decision on who she fights.
The favorable matchup also means she should look good in a victory. A win should put her in the top-15 of the UFC's rankings, but how far will she go? The combination of the UFC seeing dollar signs, and the ranking beside her name will ultimately determine if the UFC puts her in a contender type role in the division.
We could see Waterson put against the upper echelon of this division quickly. Perhaps too quickly.
This is a fight Waterson should win, but doing so impressively could see her land against top tier strawweight that will have a field day with her. It was a curious decision to make the jump up in weight after being overpowered by Tiburcio this past December, but Waterson is a competent and fun fighter to watch.
The fight at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale will tell us a lot about her prospects in the strawweight division.
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