Now that one dream is fulfilled for Michelle Waterson, it is time to get on to the next.
The former Invicta atomweight champion checked an item off of her mixed martial arts bucket list by signing with the UFC, as reported by Ariel Helwani on Monday's installment of UFC Tonight (h/t MMAFighting.com's Shaun Al-Shatti).
But simply arriving isn't enough to fulfill her personal goals. The 29-year-old Colorado native is aiming at nothing short of championship gold, and is excited to get the next portion of her journey underway.
Granted, she had to come up in weight to make it all possible, but that was a sacrifice The Karate Hottie was willing to make in order to compete on the biggest stage in MMA.
"It's a very exciting time in my life," Waterson told Bleacher Report. "When I started my career I had this list of things I wanted to accomplish, and being in the UFC was one of those things. I'm glad that it all came together, and I'm very excited to be fighting for this organization."
And while news of the former atomweight joining the UFC's 115-pound roster caused a stir throughout the MMA community, she is fully tuned into the scope of the task at hand. The women's strawweight division may be the newest addition under the promotional banner, but the weight class is already lined with a collection of proven talent who are all currently jockeying to become the next champion.
Those details simply add to Waterson's enthusiasm, as she is confident she'll be able to hang with any fighter in the strawweight collective.
"In order for me to make [the decision to come up in weight] I had to be confident in my ability to fight with any of the other girls in the weight class," Waterson said. "Otherwise I wouldn't have done it. I'm 100 percent confident in my ability to compete with anyone in the division."
While there is currently no official date attached to her inaugural showing inside the Octagon, Waterson guarantees she'll be ready to go when the time comes. By splitting time between Albuquerque and Chicago where she trains with a team of coaches, the former Invicta 105-pound title holder believes she's made steady progression in all areas of mixed martial arts.
She understands becoming a UFC title holder is the pinnacle of accomplishment in MMA, and it will take a well-rounded and diverse skill set to make that happen. Waterson has put in the work to develop a versatile arsenal beyond her already established striking game, and the fighter and her team are aiming for a UFC title.
She's determined to reach the top of the strawweight mountain and will take every step necessary to make that happen.
"A lot of this will have to do with the UFC and where they want to put me and who they want to match me up with," Waterson explained. "I'm just excited to get in with this organization, and I'm comfortable fighting anyone.
"I've been training since my last fight back in December, and I'm more than ready physically. I think it's going to be fun, and I'm very excited to get started here in the UFC. The weight class is starting to get bigger and it's nice to see, and it's a great time to be a part of women's MMA.
"I have a great team of coaches. I have Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn in Albuquerque and Mike Valle and Izzy [Martinez] in Chicago. They are all behind me 100 percent, and they want to see me go far. They don't want me to be just another girl on the UFC roster; they want to see me get to the top. And that's where I plan to go."
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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