Michelle Waterson Would Like To See the UFC Add a Women’s Atomweight Division

Before she was competing in the UFC, Michelle Waterson was ranked as one of the best atomweight fighters in the world after she won the Invicta FC 105-pound women’s title back in 2013.

When she moved to the UFC, Waterson bumped up to the women’s strawweight division where she remains one of the top 10 fighters in the world.

As far as her former division, the atomweights have still been putting on compelling fights in Invicta FC as well as other promotions around the world and that’s why so many women are pushing for the UFC to consider adding a 105-pound women’s weight class.

Even Waterson believes it’s time for the UFC to think about the atomweights, especially after adding the women’s featherweight and flyweight divisions over the past two years.

“Of course. There’s so many women that compete in MMA that train just as hard as the guys do and they need a home,” Waterson said. “They need a place to showcase their skills.

“Absolutely I think they should add the weight class. It would expand the UFC roster and there are a lot of entertaining 105’ers that are heavy hitters, they’re fast, they’re good submission artists. So yeah, I think they should definitely add it.”

While Waterson doesn’t indicate whether or not she’d be interested in making the cut back down to 105 pounds, she still has a lot of love for her former division and the fighters competing there today.

In fact, Waterson believes that on the first day in the UFC, there were be a ton of quality atomweights on the roster — far more than what currently exists in the women’s featherweight division right now.

“I think there are more atomweight fighters than there are fighters in [Cris] Cyborg’s weight class. They have a weight class for her,” Waterson said.

“100-percent. It should happen and it eventually will.”