Michelle Waterson-Gomez Announces Retirement After UFC 303

LockerRoom Team

30 Jun 2024

Michelle Waterson-Gomez announced her retirement from MMA on Saturday night following her fight against Gillian Robertson at UFC 303. The 38-year-old veteran had hinted at this decision leading into the fight, and the UFC honored her career with a special tribute video as she stood alongside Joe Rogan to address the crowd. The fight ended in a lopsided defeat for Waterson-Gomez, marking her fifth consecutive loss.

With tears streaming down her face, Waterson-Gomez removed her gloves and spoke to the audience. "I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it wasn’t for the UFC and all you fans continuing to push me," she said. "Fighting runs through my veins. It’s made me who I am. When you fight, you chase greatness. I’ve been contemplating this and I talked to my husband — what am I if I’m not fighting? And he told me, ‘Just because you’re not fighting in the octagon, doesn’t mean you stop fighting.’ That really helped me to accept moving on."

Known as "The Karate Hottie," Waterson-Gomez made her UFC debut in 2015 after previously holding the atomweight championship in Invicta FC. Transitioning to the UFC's strawweight division, she often faced larger opponents but maintained a top-15 ranking for much of her career. She secured a high-profile win over Paige VanZant in her first UFC main event and achieved notable victories against fighters like Felice Herrig, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, and Angela Hill.

Waterson-Gomez retires with an 18-13 record, concluding a remarkable MMA career that began in 2007.