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Michelle Waterson: UFC champion Holly Holm a great role model for me

It's never easy sitting on the sidelines in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). Injuries have taken a toll on plenty of fighters and their careers, including No. 10-ranked UFC women's strawweight Michelle Waterson.

"The Karate Hottie" is a former Invicta FC atomweight champion, but she's yet to fully make an impact in UFC's 115-pound division. A knee injury, as well as a broken hand, have slowed her emergence on the scene after she secured a rear-naked choke victory over Angela Magana in her promotional debut last July.

However, if there is any silver lining, it's that she calls one of the most prestigious gyms in all of MMA, the Jackson-Wink Academy, her home in Albuquerque, N.