UFC Strawweight Angela Hill is set to return for her fourth fight this year. MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn and Nolan King report that Hill is set to fight Michelle Waterson on August 22nd. Hill is ranked 13th in the strawweight division, while Waterson is ranked ninth. They also report that the August 22nd card will likely take place in the UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Hill is on the verge of a breakout year. She started this year fighting on short notice against Hannah Cifers at UFC Fight Night 166 on January 25. Hill got her second TKO of her UFC career when she defeated Cifers in the second round. She went on to defeat Loma Lookboonmee by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 168 on February 23. That win helped Hill get her opportunity to face sixth-ranked strawweight Claudia Gadelha at UFC on ESPN 8 on May 16. Gadelha defeated Hill by split decision, with many fans believing that Hill should’ve won. A win over Waterson could get Hill into the top ten of the division.
Waterson is looking to bounce back from a two-fight losing streak. Her last loss was against Carla Esparza by split decision at UFC 249 on May 9. Waterson was on the verge of being a contender for the strawweight championship last year. She was on a three-fight win streak when she lost to Joanna Jedrzejczyk by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 161 on October 12, 2019. Waterson is still a possible contender to fight for the championship. If Waterson can defeat Hill, she will move closer to getting her chance to fight someone in the top five.