CHICAGO – UFC president Dana White seems to be undecided about the next strawweight title defense for Jessica Andrade.
Saturday’s UFC 238 event was significant for the weight class since it featured what many considered to be a potential title eliminator that saw Tatiana Suarez (8-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) defeat Nina Ansaroff (10-7 MMA 4-3 UFC) by unanimous decision to put herself in the conversation to challenge for the belt.
Although she won, Suarez’s inability to get a finish, along with a late charge from Ansaroff, created a situation in which the door is left open for someone else. That some someone, however, likely will not be Michelle Waterson (17-6 MMA, 5-2 UFC), who has been pushing for a title fight opportunity since her win over Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC on ESPN 2 in March.
White was noncommittal when asked about the top contender for Andrade (20-6 MMA, 11-4 UFC) at 115 pounds, but he made it clear “The Karate Hottie” is not in the running.
“Michelle Waterson? Definitely not Michelle Waterson,” White told MMA Junkie at the UFC 238 post-event news conference. “Michelle Waterson doesn’t even want to fight until like September or October or something, and she’s ranked too low.”
White did not rule out booking Suarez against Andrade, but said he first wants to ensure the neck injury Suarez sustained in her win isn’t serious. She could get the fight if healthy, but there’s also the lingering possibility of Rose Namajunas (8-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) getting a rematch after she lost the belt to Andrade at UFC 237 in May.
Waterson, a former Invicta FC champ, apparently caught wind of White’s comments and went to social media to plead her case Sunday morning (via Instagram):
Sounds good to me 🙏🙏🙏 Give me a chance to be #MOMCHAMP I’ve put in my time! I’ve been fighting for over 12 years professionally. 6 out of my 7 ufc bouts were with top 10 ranked opponents when I fought them, I’ve won my last three fights, I have been a champ before, I know what it takes to go five rounds, I know what it takes to headline a show and I have an army of family, friends, and the best fans in the world who are ready to see me make history! Come on @danawhite @jessicammapro @ufc let’s make it happen!
For complete coverage of UFC 238, check out the UFC Events section of the site.
