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TUF 21 Finale Results: Karate Hottie Comes Home, Subs Angela Magana
Angela Magana and Michelle Waterson each entered their The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale bout on Sunday night in Las Vegas in need of a victory.
Although neither woman had much Octagon experience to speak of – Magana had one official UFC bout, while Waterson had none – it was an important opportunity to prove their worth to the promotion.
Magana made her way to the UFC as part of the all-women’s strawweight season of TUF, losing to Aisling Daly on the show (classified as an exhibition bout) and then to Tecia Torres at the finale. Waterson was a popular atomweight (105-pound) champion for the Invicta FC promotion, but lost her title in her last trip to the cage. She was still picked up by the UFC… and this fight showed why.
Both women came out knowing this was a critical fight and they fought like it.
Magana and Waterson both started quick, rushing each other, but Waterson struck first, landing a solid hip toss. It didn’t take long for Magana to turn the tables, as she locked on an armbar and stretched it out, looking like she would put an end to Waterson’s UFC career before it ever got off the ground. Waterson somehow toughed it out.
“She locked that armbar on and she was pretty adamant about finishing it, but it was my UFC debut and I wasn’t going out like that,” Waterson said after the fight.
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She returned the favor, locking an armbar on Magana later in the round, but couldn’t finish it.
Waterson shifted gears in the second round, taking the fight to Magana on the feet. She found tremendous success landing a mix of knees, kicks and punches that found their target more often than not.
Magana eventually caught one of Waterson’s kicks and forced her to the mat, but Waterson kept attacking, eventually going for another armbar. When Magana escaped, Waterson took full mount and punished her with punches, elbows, and chest drops from the top.
When they came out for round three, it was obvious that Magana was fading. She had a weary look on her face, which was now swollen with welts. Waterson took notice, as she again pushed the pace with her striking attack, lighting Magana up.
Waterson found her way behind Magana standing and then tossed her to the ground. Waterson followed, immediately taking back mount and then patiently softened Magana’s defenses by pummeling her with punches and hammerfists before sinking the fight-ending rear-naked choke for the tap.
Often a much slower starter and not quite so aggressive, especially on the canvas, Waterson noted that this was something she had worked on specifically before her Octagon debut.
“This camp we worked a lot on wrestling, a lot on changing my mentality from being a defensive grappler to being more of an offensive aggressive grappler and wrestler, so I was able to put those changes to use tonight.”
The UFC took a chance on Waterson, signing her immediately after she had lost her Invicta FC atomweight championship, but it paid off, and it looks like she’s here to stay, as she declared, “This is home.”
