Michelle Waterson-Gomez Retires from MMA After UFC 303 Loss

Michelle Waterson-Gomez, born on January 6, 1986, fighting out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a former American mixed martial artist, actress, stuntwoman, and model who fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Michelle faced Gillian Robertson and lost via unanimous decision at UFC 303. This will make her last fight under the UFC banner as she announced her retirement during her in-cage interview with Joe Rogan.

She previously held the title of Invicta FC Atomweight Champion and was ranked as the world’s top women’s atomweight fighter from 2013 to 2014. Waterson holds a black belt in American freestyle karate and has received training in Wushu, Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, and wrestling.

She gained recognition after appearing on the Muay Thai-based Fight Girls reality show on the Oxygen TV network. Additionally, she was a featured fighter on the MTV/MTV2 reality show Bully Beatdown.

Waterson entered the MMA scene on February 16, 2007, at Ring of Fire 28: Evolution where she faced Andrea Miller, emerging victorious by unanimous decision. Her debut marked her first appearance in professional fights, skipping any amateur bouts.

Waterson signed with the UFC on April 28, 2015, and was set to compete in the Women’s Strawweight division. Her promotional debut took place on July 12, 2015, at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale against Angela Magaña, where she secured a victory via submission in the third round.

Michelle’s wins under the UFC promotion include Angela Hill, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Felice Herrig, Cortney Casey, Tecia Pennington, and Paige VanZant.

Roberto Villa

Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer, Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a passion for Combat Sports and also a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s also a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer.