Let’s just say UFC main events have not been good to Paige VanZant, and Michelle Waterson’s first headliner worked out very well for her.
The two strawweight contenders squared off in the UFC on FOX 22 main event in Sacramento, California, on Saturday night. VanZant had extra weight on her shoulders, as she is part of the Sacramento-based Team Alpha Male, and it was up to her to determine whether Team Alpha Male fighters would be undefeated at the event (three of her teammates had won earlier in the evening; she the fourth and final Team Alpha Male fighter to compete). VanZant never said whether the pressure got to her or not, but either way, the spotlight should be on Waterson.
“The Karate Hottie” walked into enemy territory off a year-and-half layoff (which was due to injury) and got the job done quickly. After standing with “12 Gauge” briefly, the 30-year-old got the fight to the mat with a superb throw. Shortly thereafter, Waterson trapped VanZant in a rear-naked choke attempt. Although it looked very, very tight, VanZant seemed to be determined not to tap, and it even looked like, at one point, that she would be able to escape. That ended up not being the case, however, as VanZant was put to sleep — she did not tap — and Waterson was rewarded the first-round submission victory.
What was the highlight of the fight?
Waterson’s submission was quite clearly the highlight of the fight. Nothing else other than the finishing sequence stood out, as the fight didn’t last too long. VanZant stayed tough and didn’t tap, but Waterson was confident in the rear-naked choke attempt she had on her opponent, kept putting pressure on VanZant’s neck, and eventually forced the referee to step in by putting her opponent to sleep.
Where do these two go from here?
This is a big win for Waterson, especially considering she was coming off a long layoff. She looked better than ever and could contend for the strawweight belt sooner rather than later. When the official rankings are updated, Waterson will be in the top 10, and I expect that she’ll just go up from here. I think she needs at least one more big win to solidify herself in the title picture at 115 pounds, but she’s definitely on the right track. A fight with Jessica Andrade, who is in need of an opponent, was mentioned for UFC 207 in two weeks, but I don’t expect that to happen. I wouldn’t be surprised if Waterson and Andrade are paired up for a future card, however, should Andrade be pulled from the pay-per-view card.
This isn’t the first time VanZant was sent back to the drawing board. She looked fantastic coming off her loss to Rose Namajunas when she fought Bec Rawlings this past summer, so I expect her to rebound from the Waterson loss quite nicely. I think the UFC has finally realized, though, that VanZant isn’t as good as its matchmakers initially thought; she still needs lots of work. Luckily, she’s only 22 years old, and I suspect she’ll find herself in the title picture eventually. I expect VanZant to be given a winnable fight next time out — I wouldn’t mind seeing her go up against Valerie Letourneau if the Canadian doesn’t retire, get released or move up in weight.
Watch now, later, or never?
Waterson’s win was really, really impressive. She showed off her ever-improving ground game and looked great against the No. 7-ranked strawweight in the UFC. Watch her second UFC victory right away.