Michelle Waterson-Gomez announces retirement after UFC 303 loss

Michelle Waterson-Gomez called it a career on Saturday night as she announced her retirement from fighting following a loss to Gillian Robertson at UFC 303.

The 38-year-old veteran had that on her mind before the fight as the UFC paid tribute to her with a special video shown as she stood with Joe Rogan waiting to address the crowd. The end came after Waterson-Gomez fell in a lopsided fight against Robertson over three rounds, Waterson-Gomez’s fifth straight loss.

After the fight, Waterson-Gomez removed her gloves and tears streamed down her face as she addressed the crowd in attendance.

“I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the UFC and without all the fans who continue to push me,” Waterson-Gomez said. “Fight runs through my veins. It’s what made me who I am. When you fight, you strive for greatness. »

“I thought about it and I talked to my husband about it: What am I if I don’t fight? And he said to me, ‘Just because you don’t fight in the octagon doesn’t mean you stop fighting.’ That really helped me accept that I had to move on.

Known as “The Karate Hottie,” Waterson-Gomez made her UFC debut in 2015 after serving as the atomweight champion for Invicta FC. She moved up to strawweight in the UFC and, despite coming in at low weight in most of her fights, Waterson-Gomez still managed to stay in the top 15 for much of her career.

She picked up a high-profile win over Paige VanZant in her first UFC main event and has also picked up notable victories over names like Felice Herrig, Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Angela Hill.

Waterson-Gomez retires with an overall record of 18-13 in an MMA career that began in 2007.