Michelle Waterson Feels A Win Over Tecia Torres Will Put Her In The Title Mix

Michelle Waterson takes on Tecia Torres this Saturday at UFC 218 and she’s hoping that a win will propel her right back into the title mix in the strawweight division.

“The Karate Hottie” was just one win away from getting her desired shot a the belt, but a loss to Rose Namajunas earlier this year meant she could only watch on at UFC 217 as the champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk was dethroned.

Having now recovered from her loss to Namajunas, Waterson this weekend gets the opportunity to take a big step towards the title when she faces Torres in Detroit.

“I think it’s a good matchup, we’ve been slated for a fight for the last two years, it’s just never been able to happen,” Waterson told the UFC Unfiltered podcast. “She’s ranked a bit above me, she’s on a two fight win streak.

“I feel like fighting her and getting the victory is going to put me right in line for where I need to get that title shot again.”

While Waterson says she will do all she can to put herself in contention, she’s well aware that the fate of Namajunas’ next match lies largely in the hands of the former champion. Whether Jedrzejczyk chooses to ask for an immediate rematch will have a large say on who gets the next shot and that’s something Waterson is very aware of.

“I think it’s dependant on Joanna and how she’s feeling,” Waterson said. “I think it’s going to come down to both of the girls actually because she was finished. It’s not like it went all the way to the championship rounds, but Joanna had been such a dominant champion for so long. You just never know with the UFC and how all the fights are going to play out.

“I don’t know if the weight cut affected Joanna at all, but now there’s a 125-pounds division I don’t know if she’s thinking about that if she wants to get her vengeance at the belt. I dunno.