[autotag]Michelle Waterson[/autotag]’s fight with [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] wasn’t supposed to be a main event. But elevated to headliner status, it lived up to the top billing.
Waterson (18-8 MMA, 6-4 UFC) took a split decision from Hill (12-9 MMA, 7-9 UFC) in a close fight that saw Hill getting the best of things early, but Waterson coming on in the third round and beyond. Waterson won with a 49-46 score and a 48-47. A dissenting judge had it 48-47 in favor of Hill, who appeared to be in disbelief that she hadn’t won the fight.
The women’s strawweight bout was the UFC on ESPN+ 35 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.
“I was confident, but you never want to leave it in the hands of the damn judges,” Waterson said on the broadcast after the win. “To get another split decision doesn’t leave a good feeling in your stomach. … Whoever’s the next contender to fight for the belt (is who I want next). I want to get to the belt as fast as possible.”
Waterson looked for a takedown just 30 seconds in, but it wasn’t there, and Hill had a good idea of a potential Waterson game plan. Soon after Hill landed a pair of punches and started to press forward. Waterson worked a couple leg kicks, then 90 seconds in tied Hill up along the fence. It didn’t take Hill long to get separation with an elbow and she went back to the center. Midway through, Waterson again thought about a takedown, but Hill read it well and kept moving forward. With about two minutes left in the round, Waterson had her best takedown effort yet, but still couldn’t get Hill to the canvas. With a minute left, Hill landed a big knee to the body. But Waterson answered with a front kick, then had to work around Hill tying her up against the fence.
Hill continued to press forward in the second round, but Waterson appeared to have made adjustments defensively. Hill landed a body kick, then a pair of punches 90 seconds in, and then backed away from a Waterson takedown attempt. Midway through, Hill wobbled Waterson with a right hand – the sharpest connection of the fight thus far. But Waterson stayed on her feet and tried to put a combination together, then grabbed Hill’s leg to look for a takedown again. But like before, Hill stayed upright to keep Waterson from earning some points on the canvas. After a wild few exchange attempts late, Hill again stayed on her feet to go to the middle round.
Hill’s jabs had Waterson bloodied from the nose a minute into the third. Not long after, Waterson finally got her first takedown of the fight. She got on top in half-guard and tried to go to work while Hill defended. The canvas suddenly featured a good amount of blood from Waterson’s nose. Hill tried to scoot to the fence while Waterson tried to free herself from Hill’s guard. With 1:45 left, they were warned for more activity. Waterson briefly took Hill’s back, then had to settle back into half-guard for the rest of the round. Hill threw an upkick with three seconds left that connected to Waterson while she was grounded, and she got a warning from Marc Goddard for the infraction.
Hill landed a solid right hand in the fourth, and that led to a Waterson takedown attempt. Like she had done early in the fight, she stuffed it and got back to the center of the cage with four minutes left. The pace slowed a little, but with two minutes left, Waterson went after another takedown. It missed, but she briefly put Hill on her knees seconds later only to have Hill back up quickly. A pair of karate kicks landed for Waterson, then a kick landed on Hill’s chin. Hill looked for a takedown late in the round, but couldn’t get it and the fifth round came with the bout likely knotted at two rounds each.
Waterson looked for her first takedown in the final frame just 30 seconds in, but Hill stayed upright. Waterson landed kicks to the body, then tried to go up high with one. A spinning kick just missed, but with three minutes left she landed a step-in elbow. A kick combo for Waterson followed midway through the round. Hill landed, too, but not in the same volume as she had done early in the fight. With a minute left, the striking in the final round was dead even. Hill put a combination together. Waterson answered with a front kick. She threw an ax kick, then just missed up high. With the fight winding down, they swung for the fences in a truly close 25-minute fight.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN+ 35 results include:
- Michelle Waterson def. Angela Hill via split decision (47-48, 49-46, 48-47)
- Ottman Azaitar def. Khama Worthy via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:33
- Roxanne Modafferi def. Andrea Lee via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Ed Herman def. Mike Rodriguez via submission (kimura) – Round 3, 4:01
- Bobby Green def. Alan Patrick via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Billy Quarantillo def. Kyle Nelson via knockout (punches) – Round 3, 0:07
- Sijara Eubanks def. Julia Avila via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
- Kevin Croom def. Roosevelt Roberts via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 0:31
- Alexandr Romanov def. Roque Martinez via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 2, 4:22
- Jalin Turner def. Brok Weaver via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:20
- Bryan Barberena def. Anthony Ivy via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Sabina Mazo def. Justine Kish via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 3:57
[vertical-gallery id=551846]
[vertical-gallery id=551844]