MICHELLE WATERSON VS. ANGELA HILL
Ranked strawweights meet in the main event of the evening as perennial contender Michelle Waterson clashes with emerging threat Angela Hill.
For the duration of her UFC tenure, Waterson has resided just outside of the title picture in the strawweight division. She’s gotten close to breaking into the elite ranks, but come up short, dropping pivotal fights to the likes of Rose Namajunas, Tecia Torres, Joanna Jedrzejczyk and, most recently, Carla Esparza.
The long-time Jackson-Wink MMA representative has said she wants to be less tactical and more aggressive this time around, and it might serve her well, as the 34-year-old has been at her best when she’s pushing the pace, dictating the terms of engagement and keeping opponents on their heels.
Hill took on a “Cowboy” Cerrone mentality of fighting as frequently as possible this time last year following her victory over Ariane Carnelossi in Mexico City, and the results have been tremendous for the former Ultimate Fighter contestant. She added short-notice victories over Hannah Cifers and Loma Lookboonmee to her resume pre-shutdown, then returned to deliver a strong performance against Claudia Gadelha in mid-May.
While she came out on the unhappy side of a split decision verdict against the Brazilian former title challenger, many believe Hill won the fight and few, if any, came away thinking any less about the charismatic and engaging emerging talent.
This is the exact type of matchup each of these women need at this moment and it should be electric from start to finish. Waterson needs a victory to snap a two-fight skid and show that she should remain entrenched just outside the Top 5 in the 115-pound weight class, while Hill is still searching for that official signature win that elevates her to facing a new tier of competition going forward.
