Être Interview with “Karate Hottie” Michelle Waterson

Ê: We heard you started martial arts when you were in middle school...how did you know that it was the right sport for you and that you'd be so good at it?

MW: I had an older brother and I wanted to do whatever he wanted to do. He got into Martial Arts so naturally I followed. I knew that it was right for me when I became obsessed with learning new moves. I craved learning more and from that point on I have been a dedicated student. I didn’t know I was going to be good at it but I loved it so much that I practiced the moves until I got good at it.

Ê: Was there ever a time that you thought about quitting - because it was too hard, took up too much time or people made fun of it? What made you not quit?

MW: The only time I thought about quitting MMA was when it affected my loved ones. When I kept breaking my hand and it put financial strain on my family, I thought about quitting, but my husband reassured me that he would take care of the money so that I can focus on chasing the championship belt.

Ê: What would you say to girls that get told that some sports aren't cool for girls to do? For example, if people encourage girls to stay with gymnastics or skating but discourage sports like ice hockey or rugby, what should girls say to them?

MW: I would tell them to do what makes you happy. For too much of our lives we worry about what other people think. If you are passionate about something it will drive you to become great at it and, at that point, you won’t care whether it is cool or not.

Michelle Waterson is a former Invicta FC champion and currently holds a perfect record since arriving in the UFC strawweight division. She is also a model, TV actress and movie stunt star.