After hinting that she was dealing with a potentially career-threatening injury earlier this year, “The Karate Hottie” is set to make her return to the octagon.
Michelle Waterson (18-9) will face Amanda Lemos (11-2-1) at a UFC Fight Night on July 16, 2022. News of the strawweight pairing was first reported by Ariel Helwani; Waterson subsequently confirmed the booking on social media.
“Go time baby!!!” a clearly enthused Waterson wrote, adding the date along with an image of herself and Lemos.
Waterson last fought in May of 2021, meaning it will have been over a year on the sidelines by the time she steps into the octagon against the Brazilian. In her last outing, the former Invicta FC atomweight champ dropped a decision to top contender Marina Rodriguez. She’s 1-3 in her last four, with the lone victory coming over another ex-Invicta champ, Angela Hill.
The 36-year old had been expected to face Amanda Ribas in March, a fight that was then pushed back to May before the aforementioned injury scrapped it entirely.
Lemos will enter the fight off a loss to Jessica Andrade last month. The setback marked her first time headlining a card in the UFC, after she had put together wins over Angela Hill, Montserrat Ruiz, and others.
The UFC’s July 16 event does not yet have a venue, location, or broadcast plan officially announced. The following fights are attached:
- Askar Askarov vs. Alex Perez
- Dustin Jacoby vs. Jung Da Un
- Herbert Burns vs. Khusein Askhabov
- Michelle Waterson vs. Amanda Lemos
