LAS VEGAS — Michelle Waterson heard Jessica Penne’s negative comments loud and clear. Now, she’s firing back.
Last month, Penne said that Waterson’s 2013 win over her for the Invicta FC atomweight title was a “fluke” and she would take a rematch with Waterson over a title shot. Waterson said at a media day Thursday that she’s ready to do it again with Penne in an effort to convince her and everyone else it wasn’t just a one-time thing.
“I’ll fight her any other day, it’ll be the same result,” Waterson said. “I mean, I’ve got her number.”
Waterson (12-4) makes her UFC debut against Angela Magana at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale on Sunday here at MGM Grand. If she wins, Waterson would be more than willing to fight Penne next. Penne is coming off a women’s strawweight title fight loss to Joanna Jedrzejczyk in June.
“I think it would be a pretty hyped fight,” Waterson said. “There’s a lot of bad blood behind it. But it’s whatever they give me. My eye is on the gold, not Jessica Penne. She didn’t win.”
Waterson was Invicta’s biggest star after she beat Penne by fourth-round submission (armbar) on April 5, 2013 in one of the best fights of the year. She departed the all-women’s organization after dropping her atomweight title to Herica Tiburcio in December. Waterson, 29, stepped in late to that main event slot and didn’t have a great weight cut. With her Invicta contract up, Waterson jumped at the chance to close out her career in the UFC, which has always been a dream, and also move back up to 115. As she has gotten older with more responsibilities as a mom, Waterson found the weight cut to 105 more and more taxing.
Waterson won’t overlook Magana, but there’s no doubting she’s looking for a title shot in the near future. “The Karate Hottie” might only compete for another year and a half and she badly wants the UFC belt. Waterson has been watching Jedrzejczyk very closely, particularly in the fight against Penne.
“For [Penne] to continue to fight the way she did was awesome on her part,” Waterson said. “Joanna is just a beast. You can’t take that away from her. She’s just deadly with her strikes.”
Waterson is willing to give Penne props, whereas Penne has not done the same in return. That’s what bums Waterson out more than anything.
“I’ve been asking for that rematch,” Penne said. “That girl got lucky and she knows it.
“I shouldn’t have lost to her. It was like a one-in-a-million fluke.”
Waterson is willing to go out there and prove it wasn’t, if not next than sometime down the road — provided Penne is in front of her path to a title shot.
“I think that’s what bothers me most about her is that she doesn’t give me the credit as a fighter,” Waterson said. “Ronda Rousey hates Miesha Tate; she still gives her the respect as a fighter. That’s what bothers me most about the whole situation.”