In the main event of UFC Vegas 10, Michelle Waterson and Angela Hill were looking to snap their losing streaks and get back into contention at strawweight.
The two were originally slated to be the co-headliner. Yet, just a week out from the event, they were promoted to the headliner status and agreed to the bout being five rounds as well. The fight was a competitive one and when it went to the scorecards, many were torn on who won. Just like fans on Twitter, the judges were split as Waterson got her hand raised by split decision.
Now, following the event, here is what I think should be next for Michelle Waterson and Angela Hill after UFC Vegas 10.
Michelle Waterson
Michelle Waterson knew the pressure was on her. She was on a two-fight losing streak and needed to get back into the win column. The strawweight division is a stacked one so “The Karate Hottie” needed to get back into title contention and that is exactly what she did.
Waterson is still ranked in the top-10 of the division and is a big name in the sport. So, her next fight should be against the winner of Claudia Gadelha vs. Xiaonan Yan in November. The fight can happen in early 2021 with the winner of the fight likely being a win away from a title fight. If it is Gadelha who wins, it would be a big fight between her and Waterson but for Yan, it would be another step up and another recognizable name to add to her record.
Angela Hill
Angela Hill was looking to become a top-10 strawweight but came up just short. Although she has now lost back-to-back split decisions, Hill has proven she belongs at the top of the division.
Her next fight could happen relatively soon as she likes to remain active and should be against Marina Rodriguez. The Mexican lost her first fight to Carla Esparza last time out. She is also looking to get back into the win column just like Hill. The winner of the fight would get a top-10 opponent next time out. The loser would have to fight someone unranked and look to work their way back up.
What do you think should be next for Michelle Waterson and Angela Hill after UFC Vegas 10?