Michelle Waterson-Gomez announced her retirement on Saturday night, offering a tearful goodbye following a unanimous decision loss to Gillian Robertson on the UFC 303 prelims.
A pro since February 2007, the 38-year-old departs with an 18-13 overall record and 6-9 mark inside the Octagon, though none of those numbers accurately reflect the impact Waterson-Gomez had on the sport and the position she held both in the promotion and with fans.
Waterson-Gomez began competing when stepping into the cage had to be a driving passion for female athletes. There was no real money to be made, no promotions in North America that were devoted to showcasing women’s mixed martial arts, and the first dozen fights of her career were spent bouncing between reputable regional promotions like Ring of Fire in Colorado and King of the Cage, and competing on shows that spoke to the Wild West nature of things in those early days.