michelle waterson

Michelle Eileen Waterson-Gomez, born on January 6, 1986, in Colorado Springs and raised in Aurora, Colorado, is an American former mixed martial artist, actress, stuntwoman, and model. She is of European and Thai descent, with an American father and Thai mother. Waterson-Gomez began her modeling career in 2004 after graduating from Aurora Central High School. Her initial interest in gymnastics shifted to karate at age 10 due to financial limitations. She holds a black belt in American freestyle karate and has trained in wushu, Muay Thai, kickboxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, and wrestling. Her early career saw her rise to prominence as a contestant on the Muay Thai-themed reality show ‘Fight Girls’ on the Oxygen television network, and she was also featured on MTV’s ‘Bully Beatdown.’

Waterson made her professional MMA debut on February 16, 2007, at Ring of Fire 28: Evolution, winning by unanimous decision without any prior amateur fights. She continued to compete in various promotions, including Strikeforce, where she secured a first-round submission victory at Strikeforce: Payback in October 2008. A significant turning point in her career came with the Invicta Fighting Championships. She faced Lacey Schuckman at Invicta FC 3 in October 2012, earning a split decision win and “Fight of the Night” honors. On April 5, 2013, Waterson challenged for the Invicta FC Atomweight Championship against Jessica Penne at Invicta FC 5, winning the title via armbar submission in the fourth round. She successfully defended her title against Yasuko Tamada at Invicta FC 8 in September 2014, winning by TKO in the third round. Her reign ended at Invicta FC 10 in December 2014 when she lost to Herica Tibúrcio by guillotine choke submission.

In April 2015, Waterson-Gomez signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to compete in the Women’s Strawweight division. She made her UFC debut on July 12, 2015, at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale, defeating Angela Magaña via submission. After a period away due to injuries, she returned in December 2016, headlining UFC on Fox 22 against Paige VanZant and winning by technical submission, earning her first “Performance of the Night” bonus. Throughout her UFC career, she faced notable opponents such as Rose Namajunas, Tecia Torres, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, and Joanna Jędrzejczyk. Her fight against Angela Hill in September 2020 earned her “Fight of the Night.” Waterson-Gomez officially announced her retirement from mixed martial arts competition on June 29, 2024, following a unanimous decision loss at UFC 303.