When you first encounter Michelle Waterson, you’d probably never guess that her profession is to kick butt in cage matches. Her bubbly personality, sprinkled with giggles in between her sentences, and that infectiously sweet smile would lead you to believe otherwise. In fact, I bet you would have never guessed that she’s an Invicta FC Atomweight Champion. Yeah, stay on her good side.
But even bigger things are happening for the Thai American fighter, as it was announced that she was signed to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). When she came into Invicta FC (the official organization for women’s MMA) weighing in at 105 pounds, she was placed into the Atomweight division and gained herself a pounding 12-4 record. Included in that record is her astonishing win against Jessica Penne, who stood above Waterson in the Strawweight division. It was a battle where the odds stacked against Waterson, but she fought hard for that win. Now, she’s moving up a weight division and into the Strawweight division (at 115 lbs.), which is the lightest division recognized by UFC.
Waterson had an early start with mixed martial arts when she was enrolled into Karate classes, which eventually lead to her popular nickname “Karate Hottie.” The year before fully transitioning over to MMA, Waterson moved to Thailand where she trained at a Muay Thai camp. On top of being well-versed in martial arts, she’s also a mother to her 3-year-old daughter and is excited to show her daughter that women can conquer at whatever they do.
You can see Michelle “Karate Hottie” Waterson in action during her first official UFC fight against Angela Magana set for July 12.
