Michelle Waterson |Bio, Age, Career, Net Worth, Height, Weight, Wife, Wiki

Model and mixed martial artist Michelle Eileen Waterson represents the United States in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

She held the title of top female atomweight fighter in the world between 2013 and 2014.

Early Life, Family & Education

Michelle Waterson was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the United States of America, where she has made a name for herself as “Karate Hottie” among UFC supporters.

Waterson, whose real name is Michelle Elleen Waterson, is biracial. She has a Caucasian father and a Thai mother. Sadly, her parents’ names and current whereabouts are unknown.

Max Waterson, Michelle’s brother, and Michelle both grew up in Aurora. Waterson started her career as a model in 2004 before switching to MMA.

Michelle attended Aurora Central High School before enrolling at the University of Denver. The young model decided to pursue a career in fighting before she could graduate.

Career in MMA

Michelle did not have any family members to serve as her inspiration, unlike other MMA competitors. At first, Michelle was interested in gymnastics, but when she was ten years old, she switched to karate because she couldn’t afford to pay for lessons.

In addition to having training in American Freestyle Karate, Wushu, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, and wrestling, Waterson holds a black belt in that discipline. After participating in the Muay Thai-themed reality series Fight Girls, the American-born contestant gained fame.

Later, she also made an appearance as a fighter on the Bully Beatdown reality series on MTV and MTV2.

Professional Career

It goes without saying that Michelle is a skilled fighter who has built a successful mixed martial arts career. Although many believe it, she did not always start out as a fighter.

She was a ring girl before fighting, and Donald Cerrone was the one who helped her transition. On February 16, 2007, Waterson faced Andrea Miller in her official MMA debut at Ring of Fire 28: Evolution.

Michelle made her debut without having competed in any amateur fights after winning her first fight by unanimous decision.

She then fought Lynn Alvarez, the champion of Freestyle Cage Fighting, at Ring of Fire Payback on October 3, 2008, but was defeated by submission in the opening frame.

Similarly, Michelle made her Strikeforce debut on October 3, 2008, when she competed in Strikeforce: Payback against Tyra Parker. By submitting with a rear-naked choke in the opening round, Waterson easily won the match.

Then, on March 1, 2009, she faced Karina Taylor at Duke City MMA Series 1 and won via armbar submission in the opening frame. Unfortunately, a lot of people claimed that Taylor did not submit to the armbar, casting doubt on her victory.

She competed against Elena Reid, a former WIBA and IFBA Flyweight Boxing Champion, at Apache Gold: Extreme Beatdown the following month. However, Reid was the winner as she took down her opponent via TKO in the second round.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Michelle entered the Ultimate Fighting Championship after becoming the Invicta FC Atomweight Champion and a successful MMA fighter (UFC).

On April 28, 2015, she allegedly signed a contract with the UFC, intending to compete in the Women’s Strawweight division.

In July 2015, Waterson finally made her eagerly anticipated debut against Angela Magana, defeating her by submission in the third round.

Michelle’s knee injury forced her to take an additional year and a half off shortly after making her UFC debut. In the main event of UFC on Fox 22, Waterson made his long-awaited comeback to the ring to take on Paige VanZant.

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A post shared by Michelle Waterson GOMEZ! (@karatehottiemma)

Sherdog claims that the American fighter won the fight by rear-naked choke in the first round, a technical submission.

Nevertheless, Michelle received the Fight of the Night award and prevailed via split decision. Additionally, she received a BJJ brown belt in the octagon from her trainer, Rafael “Barate” Freitas of Gracie Barra.

Personal Life and Marriage

Let’s talk more about Michelle’s personal life right now. She is happily wed to Joshua Gomez, a former amateur boxing champion of the United States Armed Forces. Sadly, the couple hasn’t yet disclosed how and where they met.

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A post shared by Michelle Waterson GOMEZ! (@karatehottiemma)

Nevertheless, the lovely couple wed in 2012 in front of their loved ones and close family.

Additionally, in Algodones, New Mexico, at the Hacienda Vargas, they had a stunning wedding. It appears that the location was decorated to resemble a vintage fight poster.

And now that they have a child, the two are proud parents. Michelle announced her pregnancy in 2010, and in March 2011, she gave birth to a stunning daughter named Araya.

Waterson’s ability to oversee her family while also judging her professional fighting career is amazing. In addition to her regular fighting gigs, Michelle also works in other media.

Waterson competed in American Ninja Warrior in June 2014, but he was eliminated after failing the first obstacle.

Age and Body Measurements

The “Karate Hottie” Michelle was born on January 6, 1986, making her 34 years old. Michelle is also 5 feet 3 inches (160 cm) tall and weighs about 52 kg (115 lbs).

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A post shared by Michelle Waterson GOMEZ! (@karatehottiemma)

Net worth & Salary

As we all know, Michelle is not only a popular person but also a successful MMA fighter. Waterson has amassed wealth from her success in the MMA world as well as her notoriety. Her current net worth is thought to be around $700,000.

Likewise, excluding bonuses from the fight, Waterson alone earns $284,000 from her earnings. Michelle earned $30,000 in a match against Paige VanZant and reportedly made $80,000 after defeating Courtney Casey at FOX 29.

She makes additional money from her brand endorsement and sponsorship deals in addition to her salary and bonus. Michelle has yet to make public her full income and assets, despite everything that has happened.

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Social Media Presence

Instagram— 1.5 million Followers

Twitter— 103.8k Followers

FAQs

What is the record for Michelle Waterson?

Melinda Waterson-Gomez’s record is 18-10-0.

When will Michelle Waterson fight again?

At UFC 257, Michelle and Amanda Ribas were supposed to square off on January 24, 2021. On December 8, 2020, it was revealed that Michelle had been ejected from the gathering.