The UFC knows that it has a potential star in Michelle Waterson. She’s attractive, charismatic and an an exciting fighter. But whether she can live up to her mainstream potential is debatable. A natural atomweight, Waterson faced an uphill battle to become a true contender - she was beaten badly by now champion Rose Namajunas this past April.
This Saturday, “The Karate Hottie” could make a huge statement against No. 5 Tecia Torres - a perennial top-5 strawweight. Torres is well-respected with an impressive 9-1 record that includes a win over Namajunas. Anyone looking to reside in the elite tier at 115 pounds has to get through “The Tiny Tornado”.
Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and break down the matchup, along with your best betting options.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Tecia Torres -171
Michelle Waterson +139
Over/under 2.5 rounds, over -300, under +250
Matchup Breakdown
As with most of her fights, Waterson will be the smaller fighter coming into the matchup. Although she is two inches taller than Torres, she possesses a noticeably slighter build than her muscular opponent.
This puts the 31-year old Karate Hottie at significant risk of being overpowered by a stout, compact fighter. Torres fights exactly how you’d expect somebody with her frame to, crowding the pocket and hitting tight, powerful combinations. She’s not a true knockout threat, but the ATT product does connect with impact and weight.
Torres’ best avenue of victory is to impose a clinch-heavy, takedown-driven approach against the weaker Waterson. The 28-year old is very good and pressing girls into the fence and planting her forehead right underneath an opponent’s chin. From there, The Tiny Tornado is athletic enough to pull of quick level changes and pull out the legs from underneath a fighter.
What Waterson needs to do is keep Torres at a distance, where she can use her arsenal of unorthodox kicks. A longtime American freestyle karate artist, Waterson is excellent with both legs and particularly good at throwing her feet on the retreat. While not an offensive wrestling threat, Waterson excels in scrambles and fighting opportune submissions.
UFC Betting Tips
Physically, Waterson is outmatched. You could argue that she’d have the edge in a kickboxing battle, but Torres’ in-your-face style is the perfect antidote to a long-range kicking game. There’s also a high chance that Torres controls the clinch and rides Waterson from the top for long periods in the bout.
Torres to win is a relatively safe play, as is the rounds over. For all her physical blessings, Torres only has one finish in 10 career fights, and is too skilled and tough to get caught by Waterson.
UFC Odds Pick: Torres to win at -171
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UFC 218 takes place on Saturday, December 2, 2017 at the Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit Michigan. The card airs live on pay-per-view starting 10 p.m. ET.
