FIGHTING WORDS: MICHELLE WATERSON

FIGHTING WORDS: MICHELLE WATERSON ON BECOMING THE NEW INVICTA FC ATOMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION

Michelle Waterson recently defeated Jessica Penne at Invicta FC 5 to win the World Atomweight Championship, and she took a few minutes to tell us what life has been like since winning the championship, what it’s like to be a fighting mother, and most importantly where she keeps the title belt!

Michelle also walks us through the championship bout itself, and reveals how important the mental aspect of training is to pushing through when you run into adversity. Fighting Words thanks Michelle for her time!

Corey Smith: You began training in martial arts at a young age, specifically American Karate and Wushu, which led to the nickname “Karate Hottie.” What aspects of those martial arts do you utilize the most in your MMA career?

Michelle Waterson: I think that right now the most that I use from my karate background would be my kicks. They aren’t necessarily karate kicks, but the quickness of the kicks is what sets me apart from a lot other MMA fighters out there. I can shoot the kicks out there quicker, and right now I’m working on putting some power behind it.

CS: After karate, you switched over to Muay Thai, and spent some time training over in Thailand. What is it like in a Thai training camp compared to an American training team?

MW: In Thailand, in a lot of the gyms they have the children living there. A lot of the families are poor, and fighting has always been a way for them to get out of poverty. When I was training in Thailand I felt how fighting was their life. The kids there live in the camp, they wake up there, they go for their run, and they eat breakfast and then go off to school. When they come back they train at night, and then do homework. In Thailand they fight pretty often and the fighters give their prize money to their families so they can eat.

MW: The camps themselves, and I’m not sure if it was just the camp that I was at, or if it is like this all over Thailand, but it was outside. So it was a great experience, and I would love to go back now knowing what I know and compare my fighting ability. When I first went out there to train I had only had my karate and Wushu background.

CS: You train now primarily out of Jackson’s MMA in New Mexico. What drew you to that team, and what keeps you there today?

MW: Before I was training out of Denver with Donald Cerrone, and he went out to New Mexico to train. I was on the reality show Fight Girls and I didn’t want to go back to Colorado. So I ended up going out there and seeing how I liked it, and ended up really loving it. Coach Jackson opened his arms and his gym to me, and treated me like family. Coach Jackson let me live in the dorm until I found a place there, and it really touched my heart and it became part of my life.

MW:  I liked the fact that he treated us like his own children, and it really did have a family feel to it to me. I loved the fact that there were so many people coming in to train, and I didn’t have to go to three different places to train, I could train at one spot. I ended up falling in love with New Mexico, and so I ended up staying.

CS: You gave birth to your daughter Araya close to two years ago, what has been the key to balancing your MMA career and being a mother? What has been the biggest challenge?

MW: I think the key to being able to balance it, is having a really supportive family. My husband supports me in what I do, and tries to help me as much as possible. My mom lives with us and helps watch Araya, so I didn’t feel guilty leaving her at home because she is with my mom.

MW: The hardest part is missing those “first” moments when she is so young. I feel like she is growing up so fast, and sometimes during a training camp you get in the zone and you have to go, which is hard.

CS: Your husband is a professional boxer, how much does that help with your career? How much does it help having someone who understands what a training camp is like when you get home at the end of the day?

MW: I think it makes a huge difference, I think that’s why we mesh so well. He has a boxing background, and I have MMA. There are similarities, but they are also different enough that we can have something to ourselves. He does understand, and we understand each other.

CS: Most fighters say that the weight cut is the hardest part about being a fighter. Aside from that, what would you say is the hardest aspect?

MW: I think getting through mental blocks is the hardest part for me. Your mental has a lot to do with your physical, and it all intertwines together. It’s the most challenging part for me, fighting through mental blocks, and it’s also the reason I enjoy fighting so much.

CS: How has your experience been like so far with Invicta Fighting Championships?

MW: Being an Invicta fighter makes me feel blessed. Shannon and Janet and everyone that works for the organization truly does have our best interests at heart. They want to see us succeed, and it’s a good feeling to know that they are on our side. I always tell people that they don’t call us “females” or “chicks.” They refer to us as athletes, and that’s what we are. That’s all we’ve ever wanted to be. In turn we want to perform for them, so it’s a win win for everyone.

CS: You recently defeated Jessica Penne for the Invicta Atomweight Championship. Jessica had you in trouble a few times, most notably with an arm bar in the third. How did the fight go compared to how you thought it would beforehand, and what were your general thoughts about the match and after the win?

MW: My game plan going into was to focus on what I needed to do to her, so in my mind I never visualized her beating me. It was always what I could do to her. I understood that wherever the fight went, I needed to be mentally strong enough to take it there. I wanted it to be a standup fight, and it always seems to work out that way for me. The biggest problem for me was that she was the champ, and there was a lot of hype behind her, and for good reason.

MW:  I was the overwhelming underdog going into the fight, and I needed to push all of that aside and know in my heart that I could beat her. So I didn’t pay attention to any of the media, and I tried to stay away from the internet. I got in the zone on my own, and just kept telling myself that I could beat her. I knew that I had the physical capabilities of doing it, I just had to go out there and perform.

MW: I thought the first round was kinda back and forth, and I feel like it could have gone either way for both of us. The second round I think that I was able to dominate her. I wish that I had done a little more ground and pound, but I also understood how good of a jiu Jitsu player that she is, so I just had to keep working her with heavy pressure.

MW: The third round I was just getting worked though. Everyone keeps asking me about the armbar, but truthfully the armbar isn’t when I felt like I was in danger. It was her ground and pound that I felt was never going to end. She had my back, and I felt like every time I moved she kept getting a better position for her ground and pound. I had to keep telling myself “keep pushing through.”

MW:  I was talking to Coach Wink today, and he told me had spoken to John McCarthy, the ref in the fight, and that John heard me say me say to myself “don’t quit.” I remember thinking it in my head, but I didn’t remember saying it out loud. It’s crazy how much mental control you have over yourself. I don’t have control over what Jessica could do to me, but I have control over what I can do.

MW: And so at that time and moment I choose not to quit, and I think that turned the tables. I don’t think Jessica was expecting me not to quit, and I was able to get out of that armbar. And then the forth round came around, and we went to the ground I was able to set up a string of submissions and landed a good one. So here we are.

CS: When you are in the cage, what type of coaching and feedback do you look for from your corner? Did anyone’s voice stand out over the others that night?

MW: I think that it’s important to have calm corners, corners that can see what I am not seeing and bring me back to the little things that I am not doing. I usually always look at my mom and Araya when I’m coming out. Coach Jackson, Coach Wink and my husband were in my corner for this fight, and I couldn’t ask for anything more. They are always there for me, and that’s a dream corner right there.

CS: What was the reaction at your gym when you brought the title in for the first time?

MW: Everyone just kept saying “The champ is here! The champ is here!” It was a good feeling, and everyone was happy for me. Lots of pats of the back. They all helped me get the title, so it was nice to bring it home.

CS: Looking at the Invicta Atomweight division, what are your thoughts?

MW: I think that our division is an amazing division. As far as me scouting out the other athletes, I’m not any good at that. I just take it fight by fight and let my coaches do the scouting. I always respect any fighter that gets in the ring, because they put in the time to get there. I take my training and I focus on myself though. I leave the outside stuff to my coaches.

CS: Where do you keep the title belt now? Do you take it to dinner with you or sleep with it like other champions?

MW: It’s the centerpiece for my dining room table!

CS: Are there any perks to being the champion that you didn’t realize before? Do you get a closer parking spot at the gym?

MW: No not really, I think it’s kinda just life as usual. It is pretty awesome to have someone call me ‘champ.’ It has meaning to it for me.

CS: When you aren’t training, what type of things do you enjoy doing? What helps you unwind after a long day of training camp?

MW: For me it’s changed a lot since I had my daughter. I really enjoy spending time with her, and with family. It’s the little things you take for granted. She’s already two years old, and I just enjoy spending time with her and my family in general outside of fighting.

MW: I love to do crafts, I’m a scrapbooker! Anything crafty I enjoy doing when I have time, and I’m addicted to Pinterest. When I’m cutting weight I pin all the fatty recipes for later; for times when I can eat. I also enjoy doing anything adventurous and outdoors; camping, rockclimbing, anything like that. It’s hard to find time for it during camp with a family as well.

MW: During camp we always watch movies together. Movies take you out of reality for a little bit, so we love to watch movies. We just got a new house, so for my last camp all I did was come home and remodel the house. I didn’t have time to stress about Jessica in camp, or what was being said. After training I had to come home to tear down walls and paint.

CS: Now that you have won the championship, what are your goals moving forward?

MW: When I was the contender, I was talking to Coach Jackson and he told me it was easy becoming the champ, it’s hard to stay the champ. That is something that I have to keep in mind, because now I have a huge target on my head. Everyone is gunning for me, so I have to keep improving my game. I still feel like I wasn’t able to showcase my abilities when I fought Jessica. You do so much in training, and you practice so many moves, and then you get in the fight and don’t get to show it off. I still feel like I have so much to show people.

CS: Finally, MMA is equally a team sport as it is an individual sport. Who would you like to thank?

MW: I couldn’t do it without my husband or my mom taking care of Araya. And I want thank all my family and fans for being supportive of me and believing in me.

MW: Invicta of course for making it all possible!

MW: My strength and conditioning at Turning Point, and my coaches Coach Jackson, Coach Winkeljohn, Coach Izzy, and Coach Valle.

MW: My sponsors EatFit@ABQ.Com, Bony Acai, Buffalo Wild Wings, OnIt Supplements, and MMA Sporting Goods.

MW: Follow me on Twitter @KarateHottieMMA

FIGHTING WORDS: BARB HONCHAK

FIGHTING WORDS: BARB HONCHAK ON WINNING THE INAUGURAL FLYWEIGHT TITLE

Still humble despite winning the inaugural Invicta Flyweight Championship, Barb Honchak looks back at her career defining win at Invicta FC 5 this past April, while simultaneously looking forward at the future of a division in our exclusive interview.

CS: It has been a few weeks since you won the very first Invicta Flyweight Championship. Has it sunk in yet that no matter who holds the title years down the road, you will always remain the first athlete to have ever held the title?

BH: I am not sure I will fully understand what this means to me until I am well into my retirement.  I am very happy to hold this title from Invicta, as I feel it is a very legitimate world title.

CS: What types of changes have there been since you won the title on April 5th?

BH: I cannot say that there really have been any changes. I expect Invicta to continue to challenge me with the best women in the sport. I will continue striving to change and improve as I always have.

CS: What did it mean for you to bring a title back to Miletich Fighting Systems, with the long list of champions that have trained there?

BH: I think of all the emotions I experienced from this fight, the most intense were with regard to this topic. There is such a huge history with MFS producing champions and at one point it was said they would never produce another.

BH: I love to prove people wrong when they throw absolute words around like ‘can’t’ or ‘never.’  There is still a huge knowledge base there. The team weaned down a bit for a while but it is on the rise again, and I will not be the last champion from MFS.  I just got the ball rolling again with the help of my coach Junior Hernandez and our personal Yoda, Pat Miletich.

CS: What did it mean to have Pat Miletich corner you for the bout?

BH: Having Pat in my corner was incredible. He understood what this fight meant to the gym and I. Junior is a great knowledgeable corner, but having Pat there was like having an extra security blanket. I knew he would see things I didn’t, and when either of them yell something at me, I know I do not have to second guess them. I know they are right about what they are asking me to do.

CS: What was the reaction at your gym when you brought the title in for the first time?

BH: The first time I brought it up was for my BJJ coach Pedro Silveira, who was visiting from Brazil. He and a few of the other guys took pictures with the belt and I. I know they are proud for me, and with me. All of them helped earn that title. It belongs to the team, not just me.

CS: Vanessa Porto posed a stiff challenge in route to your victory to claim the title. How did you see the fight going beforehand? And how much did that differ from how it actually went?

BH: I did expect a more intense fight than what we had. I expected more exchanges and even more clinch and ground work. However, when I tried to visualize our fight before hand, I always ended up focused on standing with her. So I suppose I really did expect it to stay on our feet. I assumed she would look at me in a similar manner as she saw Tara, so I was not very surprised that she kept the same game plan.

CS: How confident were you that you had won the decision when the final bell rang?

BH: I am used to feeling more dominant than I did in that fight. I knew I had landed more strikes and I knew I pushed the pace for the majority of the fight. But you never know what the judges do or do not see, or what they were looking for.

BH: I did not feel like I made major statements in all the rounds. So at the end of the fifth round I looked at Pat and asked him if we had it. When he confidently said yes, I knew it was ours.

CS: Looking at the Invicta Flyweight division, what are your thoughts?

BH: I think there is still a lot of talent out there that I have not fought yet. I also see a good number of 135lb girls potentially dropping to the 125lb division.  I believe I have already fought some of the best, but many up and coming fighters are looking quite impressive and I believe I have plenty of challenges ahead of me.

CS: It was recently announced that Leslie Smith would drop to Flyweight and face Jennifer Maia in July at Invicta FC 6. The winner will earn the right to challenge you at a future event. What are your impressions of both fighters?

BH: This is the first I have heard of the match and of Smith dropping. I think that will be a great fight.  It seems to be a bit of the classic striker versus grappler type of fight.  Smith will have the reach advantage on Maia, but Maia has a lot of experience and will have a plan for that, no doubt. Either fighter would be a great opponent for my next fight.  I look forward to watching.

CS: Where do you keep the title belt now? Do you take it to dinner with you or sleep with it like other champions?

 BH: I think at the moment it is in my bedroom. So, in a way, I guess I do sleep with it.  The only trip it has made with me so far is to the gym, but I suspect it will be making more outings.

CS: Are there any perks to being the champion that you didn’t realize before? Do you get a closer parking spot at the gym?

BH: Haha! Not really. I hope it brings me a few more sponsors and fans, but nothing has really changed. I am still working hard and I still have a lot to learn.

CS: Now that you have won the championship, what are your goals moving forward?

BH: Now that I have it, I want to defend it, a lot. I have been told it is easy to obtain a title, the hard part is holding on to it. To prove yourself a true champion, I believe you have to repetitively defend your title as people constantly come for it.

CS: Lastly, as you mentioned, it took a team to win the inaugural Invicta Flyweight Championship, who would you like to thank?

BH:  I want to thank my team and coaches at Miletich Fighting Systems in Bettendorf, Iowa. My conditioning coach Josh Howat with Big Five Strength and Conditioning.

BH: Thank you to my husband Tim Beeman, my family and all my fans.

BH:  Thank you to all of my sponsors for Invicta FC5: POLANTI, ONE Coconut, Outlaw Fightgear, VII AD, KLENCH Mouthguards, Combatives Gear, Fight Soap, Throat Punch and SWOLE.