Sherdog.com’s 2013 Fight of the Year
Waterson vs. Penne
Michelle Waterson gave Jessica Penne a taste of her own
medicine. | Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com
4. Michelle Waterson vs. Jessica Penne
It appeared that Waterson’s luck had run out. After being taken down and mounted by reigning Invicta Fighting Championships atomweight champion Penne in the third round of their title bout at Invicta FC 5 on April 5 in Kansas City, Mo., “The Karate Hottie” found herself trapped in a tight armbar. The predicament brought to mind the March 2012 meeting between Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate in Strikeforce, where the Olympic judoka gruesomely contorted Tate’s arm early in their fight.
Tate did not surrender to Rousey’s trademark maneuver, not at first anyway, nor did Waterson yield to Penne on this night. The difference: While Tate would eventually succumb to another Rousey armbar, Waterson would turn the tables on the champion in the very next round.
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“I wasn’t really concerned about it. I was just waiting for the right moment to move. And I was just like, ‘Nah, I don’t have to tap. Just move,’” Waterson told Sherdog.com after the fight.
In the fourth round, Waterson defended a Penne takedown, took the champion’s back and transitioned to an armbar of her own, forcing the tapout 2:31 into the frame.
“That’s what [Penne] is known for, is her ground game, but I’m pretty good on the ground, too. We just upped the ante and started training a little bit more jiu-jitsu because I wanted to be able to match her at everything,” Waterson said.
Number Five » Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson
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