Preview: UFC 218 ‘Holloway vs. Aldo 2’

Women’s Strawweight

Tecia Torres (9-1) vs. Michelle Waterson (14-5)

ODDS: Torres (-235), Waterson (+195) ANALYSIS: This fight was originally scheduled for UFC 194 two years ago, but with Joanna Jedrzejczyk getting unseated by Rose Namajunas in the year’s most resounding upset, now is as good a time as any to make your move toward UFC title contention at 115 pounds. That is especially true for two women who have not lost to anyone but “Thug Rose” in the last three years.

Torres, 28, has been a top-flight strawweight prospect since her 7-0 amateur run back in 2011-12, even beating the aforementioned Namajunas in Invicta Fighting Championships back in July 2013. However, just when “The Tiny Tornado” was picking up steam in the Octagon behind a 3-0 promotional mark, she lost her rematch with Namajunas 20 months ago and has become just another tough athlete in a stacked division. The American Top Team rep has subsequently rebounded with dominant wins over Bec Rawlings and Juliana Lima, the latter resulting in the first finish of her pro career.

After losing the Invicta 105-pound title to Herica Tiburcio in December 2014, Waterson choked out Angela Magana in her UFC debut. She then spent 17 months on the sideline due to injuries before she easily choked out poster girl Paige VanZant in her return. A title shot might have been in the cards for the telegenic “Karate Hottie” if she had not fallen prey to a rear-naked choke from Namajunas in April.

Waterson is far from outclassed here, but this bout would have been better for her if it had happened the same night Conor McGregor cracked Jose Aldo in 13 seconds. Torres is quietly tightening and improving her all-around MMA game, finally integrating her punch rushes with her clinch and wrestling skills. Torres is an outstanding athlete, quicker, stronger and more explosive than Waterson, whose game still relies on trickery. Waterson may have a karate background, but she actually uses her lunging kicks to close distance on her opponents and does most of her best work from the clinch. The Jackson-Wink MMA product is not at her best striking but rather in scrambles, where she can dive on her opponent’s back and threaten with chokes.

Torres figures to be the far more assertive puncher from range, and it seems unlikely that Waterson is going to preserve the distance with her kicks for the reasons I just mentioned. That does not even mention that Torres is a well-schooled karate and taekwondo black belt herself. Torres has gotten much more effective at standing her opponents against the cage and pounding on them. It may not be in her best interest to go for repeated takedowns and give Waterson the chance to assume dominant position in a scramble, but she should still be able to do damage in close quarters or on top. Torres works her hyperactive bully game for 15 minutes, defeating an unbowed but bloodied Waterson.

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