Michelle Waterson, a mother and professional UFC fighter, shares her inspiring journey from ring girl to top contender, emphasizing the importance of following one's passion. She discusses overcoming self-doubt, the emotional challenges fighters face, and the balance between respect and competition. Waterson reflects on maternal influence and the significance of pursuing dreams for future generations. Her story illustrates the value of personal growth, mental resilience, and embracing vulnerability in the pursuit of greatness.
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insights INSIGHT
Fighting Without Gender Labels
Michelle Waterson refuses to separate her identity as a woman from her identity as a fighter and trains alongside men as equals.
She says separating creates division; teammates treat her simply as a fighter who sweats, bleeds, and becomes family with them.
question_answer ANECDOTE
From Ring Girl To Cage Fighter
Michelle went from Hooters waitress and ring girl to training after Donald Cerrone encouraged her to join a gym.
Watching fights up close made her want to be inside the cage instead of walking around in heels.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Thailand Reignited Her Fighting Fire
Two weeks training in Thailand on concrete floors humbled Michelle and reignited her martial-arts passion.
Trainers laughed at her blistered feet and called her soft, which fired her up to commit fully to fighting.
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“NEVER LET ANYBODY GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR DREAMS. NOT EVEN YOURSELF.”
So many times in this world we let others dictate our lives. We listen to our parents, our friends, even our neighbors on what we “should do” with our lives.
No one knows our true purpose -- that’s something we have to find on our own.
Our passions and our love should be what guides us in life, not just logic.
Life’s too short to spend precious moments chasing something we don’t care about, something that doesn’t make us feel fulfilled.
Sure, you could be a doctor or a lawyer and make money fast: but what good is the cash if you’re miserable?
When you follow your passion and master those skills, the money will follow, and it’ll be worth the delay.
That’s why for today’s episode of The School of Greatness, I brought on a truly inspirational woman: Michelle Waterson.
Michelle is a wife, a mother, and an amazing UFC fighter. She had a passion for martial arts even as a child but pushed her passion aside to listen to what her parents wanted.
She went to college and studied things she didn’t really care about.
One day she was hired to work as a ring girl at a UFC fight and watching the action up close made her decide she wanted to continue her childhood passion.
As soon as the semester was over, she left school and started training to be a fighter - but there was only one problem.
At that time there were no UFC women. In fact, the UFC was very clear they were never planning to let women into the UFC.
She didn’t let that stop her. She continued to train and take small fights any chance should could.
Finally, all the hard work paid off. The UFC started letting in women fighters, and she’s had an incredible career that didn’t exist not too long ago.
If you’re wondering if you should actually pursue your passion, no matter how unconventional it may be, you need to hear Episode 655.
Some Questions I Ask:
What has being a fighter taught you about femininity and masculinity? (7:36)
You were a ring girl and then thought it would be fun to be in the ring punching people? (11:27)
What’s a smoker? (14:11)
If there were no women in the UFC at the time, what was your vision? (16:02)
What does it take to be a champion in the UFC? (19:44)
What’s the challenging part for you mentally and physically from the moment you get the phone call to the moment you step in the ring? (22:36)
What has your biggest loss taught you about yourself? (26:44)
What was the most challenging emotional wave you had to experience leading into a fight? (30:52)
How do you get back to keeping your mental strength after and injury or bad loss? (41:32)
What’s the greatest thing your dad taught you about being a better woman? (44:58)
What kind of example do you want to set for your daughter? (47:08)
In This Episode You Will Learn:
What it is about fighting that Michelle loves (9:02)
Her next step after training in Thailand (13:46)
How long she was an amateur fighter (14:56)
Her biggest fear today (18:08)
What she does to silence the conversations that try to hold her back (20:56)
How she respects her opponents when she’s fighting them (25:02)
How she manages emotional up and downs (28:52)
How she was able to focus on her fights, despite all of her emotional ups and downs (38:32)
The greatest lesson her mom taught her (43:09)
Plus much, much more
The School of Greatness