TUF 21 Finale: 3 Things to Look for in Michelle Waterson's UFC Debut

Michelle Waterson, former Invicta FC atomweight champion, joined the UFC earlier this year and will make her in-cage debut on July 12 against Angela Magana.

It was a significant signing for the growing 115-pound division, as Waterson brings in a solid fanbase with her and a track record of exciting fights. The 12-4 veteran known as The Karate Hottie fights out of Jackson-Winkeljohn in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The strawweight bout will be on the main card and draw a lot of interest. Waterson's move back to 115 pounds will be closely watched and could have major implications. These are three things you should keep an eye on during her UFC debut.

How does she handle the size difference?

This is a perfect opening bout for Waterson. Magana is not a top-tier strawweight, and Waterson should have the edge in both technique and speed. However, it will be interesting to see how she handles the strength differential.

In her last bout, a title loss to Herica Tiburcio, Waterson was clearly the weaker fighter. It played a big difference in how that fight played out, and it was Tiburcio's first time dropping to 105 pounds after having success at strawweight.

Waterson will be at a similar disadvantage against many of the UFC's strawweights. It is a fight that should not be glossed over when evaluating Waterson's chances of competing at a high level in the UFC. Tiburcio did significant damage to Waterson.

Magana could use her strength to her advantage. She has been in the cage against strong fighters such as Barb Honchak and Jessica Eye at a higher weight class and did well enough to earn a victory over Honchak (who is the current Invicta FC flyweight champion). If the strength advantage is clear, Magana could simply control Waterson en route to a decision win.

Esther Lin/Invicta FC

How much faster will she be?

This is a big factor for Waterson's success at 115 pounds. She will be the smaller fighter in most, if not all, of her fights. The speed she possesses will be her biggest asset.

Magana is the slower fighter. And she has not looked good in the cage as of late. This should be a great matchup for Waterson to showcase her lightning-quick strikes.

She has a lot of flash but also a lot of substance to her strikes—just ask Yasuko Tamada. Waterson brutalized her in the first defense of the Invicta FC atomweight belt last September. It was a flurry of punches that made Yamada almost unrecognizable by the end of the fight. Tamada had no answer for the speed of Waterson.

Waterson will need to rely on her speed in this division. She cannot be cornered and controlled by a much lesser fighter like Magana and still be considered a legitimate threat in this division.

Esther Lin/Invicta FC

The crowd reaction (and subsequent UFC ranking)

This is a favorable matchup for a marketable fighter. The UFC knows what it is doing, and Invicta FC did too. The latter attempted to make Waterson the face of its promotion, but Tiburcio's victory put an end to that.

The crowd reaction will tell the UFC how valuable Waterson is. If she gets a loud ovation, the promotion will know it has a fighter who can make a dollar or two, and that will no doubt influence UFC's decision on whom she fights.

The favorable matchup also means she should look good in a victory. A win should put her in the Top 15 of the UFC's rankings, but how far will she go? The combination of the UFC seeing dollar signs and the ranking beside her name will ultimately determine if the UFC puts her in a contender type of role in the division.

We could see Waterson face off against the upper echelon of this division quickly. Perhaps too quickly.

This is a fight she should win, but doing so impressively could see her land a match against a top-tier strawweight who will have a field day with her. It was a curious decision to make the jump up in weight after Tiburcio overpowered her this past December, but Waterson is a competent and fun fighter to watch.

The fight at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale will tell us a lot about her prospects in the strawweight division.