Michelle Waterson’s first mixed martial arts bout in Japan will have to wait. The rising star from Jackson’s MMA has announced that she is pregnant and will return to MMA in the second half of 2011. MMAWeekly.com first reported on the news on Thursday evening.
Waterson, who has gradually been cutting down to 105 pounds, had been looking into competing in Japan in October or December, but her goal will have to wait until next year. She has won six of her last seven fights and most recently scored a big victory over Masako Yoshida in April.
Waterson (8-3-0) rose to fame as part of the cast of the Muay Thai-themed reality show “Fight Girls” on the Oxygen television network in 2007. The American Freestyle Karate black belt opened her MMA career with a modest 2-2 record, but has tasted defeat just once since then. The loss came against former multi-time boxing champion Elena “Babydoll” Reid in April of 2009, but Waterson bounced back strong with a pair of dominant victories. She submitted Rosary Califano with a flying armbar in just 15 seconds in February, then stopped Yoshida at Crowbar MMA: “Spring Brawl” on April 24th.
All but one of Waterson’s wins have come by stoppage.
Recently engaged, Waterson will now turn her attention to family life while MMA is put on hold until next year. She is three months pregnant, but plans to return to training as quickly as possible in 2011.
MMARising.com extends best wishes to Michelle and her new family.
