Former Champion Wants Invicta FC Title Back, Talks Possible UFC Move

Michelle Waterson is currently in the UFC, but before she came to the UFC, she was the Invicta Fighting Championships Atomweight Champion, where she would be submitted by Herica Tiburcio to lose her championship.

Tiburcio is no longer the atomweight champion, having lost that title to Ayaka Hamasaki, but Tiburcio is on a quest to get her championship back.

"I took a ton of weight off my shoulders,” Tiburcio told MMA Fighting. “I want to win every time I step in there, but unfortunately I was coming off two losses. The (Ayaka) Hamasaki title fight I really lost, but I’m sure I didn't lose to Jinh Yu. The judges saw another fight, and I unfortunately left it in their hands. But it doesn't matter what I think or not, the loss is (in my record) so I can’t do anything about it. It’s up to Shannon (about getting a title shot), she's my boss. If she wants to give me the fight, I’ll be happy to take it, but I don't know yet what’s going to happen. I really want to fight for the title again to get it back because it’s mine [laughs]. I really want it back, and I will do my best to make it mine again."

Tiburcio isn’t just focused on regain the title she lost, she would also like to move to the UFC down the line.

"I’m really happy at Invicta FC, they give me a big structure here, the whole team is phenomenal, but yes, I would move up to fight in the UFC if they call me,” Tiburcio said. "The UFC is like the World Cup of MMA. I don’t rule out fighting at 115 pounds in the UFC, and it would be even better if they open my division [laughs]. One step at a time. Who knows, maybe I’ll be fighting there soon."

The next Invicta FC event is Invicta FC 21, which takes place on Saturday, January 14 with Megan Anderson and Charmaine Tweet headlining.