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Image: Jackson’s MMA

By: Rob Sargent – MMARising.com

Despite a lengthy layoff, Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson made an impressive return to the cage tonight in the main event of Jackson’s MMA Series 7 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Waterson submitted Colorado-based prospect Diana “Dynamite” Rael with a rear-naked choke in round one.

Earlier in the night, Waterson’s Jackson’s MMA teammate Jodie Esquibel picked up a one-sided Unanimous Decision victory over Amy Riehle in another featured women’s bout. Esquibel’s crisp boxing was too much for her Arizona foe and she walked away with her second career victory.

Waterson (9-3-0) took the fight to Rael (3-2-0) right away with punches, but after a brief clinch it was Rael who scored with a nice combination in close. She countered a front kick from Waterson by taking her down and began to land with short punches and elbows from half-guard. Rael was not content with the position, however, and eyed a move to full mount. Waterson capitalised and scrambled out from the bottom to take Rael’s back. Within seconds, she had locked on a tight rear-naked choke and Rael was forced to submit.

The ultra-fast transition to the submission earned Waterson what was arguably her biggest victory to date and first in close to two years. Waterson took a lengthy hiatus from fighting after the birth of her daughter, but showed no ill effects from the time away tonight. She has now won three straight fights, and all of them in impressive fashion.

Winner: Michelle Waterson by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:12 of round one. She improves to 9-3-0.

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