UFC star Michelle Waterson shows pre-fight shredded look

Based on a recent jaw-dropping photo from Michelle Waterson, the Karate Hottie looks more than ready for her fight at UFC 287 in Miami.

The 37-year-old uploaded an image of herself in fully-shredded mode, complete with sculpted arms and rock-hard abs revealed as she stood in a hotel near elevators.

Waterson wore a tiny white crop top with skintight maroon leggings and white socks, keeping her hair tied up and away from her face.

Accessories for the MMA star included only a pair of unique shades to shield her eyes from the sun’s rays and a grey fanny pack hanging around her waist.

Waterson also wore black low-top sneakers, and based on her photo and caption, it was time to get in some essential cardio ahead of weigh-ins for her next fight.

“Time to run!!! Loving this Miami heat!” Waterson wrote for her caption.

After sharing the photo with her 1.7 million followers, over 30,000 likes arrived, as well as 600-plus comments for Waterson’s incredible physique she had worked hard to achieve.

Michelle Waterson featured in UFC 287 preliminary fight

With the upcoming UFC 287: Pereira vs. Adesanya event in Miami, Florida, Waterson is looking to rebound from two-straight losses. That included a loss last July to Amanda Lemos via submission and a loss last May to Marina Rodriguez via decision.

She’s 1-4 in her last five fights and 6-4 in her last 10. Among her losses were defeats at the hands of Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Rose Namajunas. Her victories have come against fighters including Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Paige VanZant.

Her next opponent will be Brazilian fighter Luana Pinheiro who comes into the matchup with an impressive 10-1 record but last fought in November 2021.

According to UFC’s report, Pinheiro spent most of last year recovering from a knee injury but is one of three fighters on the rise to watch at this weekend’s event.

However, Waterson spoke about her opponent still gaining experience. She mentioned possibly exploiting some of the things that Pinheiro has yet to “figure out.”

“I wouldn’t say she is a well-rounded fighter; I do think she has great judo,” she said, per BJ Penn’s website. “It looks to me like she has good power but there are some things that she is still trying to figure out as a fighter. I think I will be able to capitalize on those instances… I’d rather go in there and be in the moment and let it fly. Obviously with the intent to connect and be the dominant fighter.”

Waterson and Pinheiro’s Women’s Strawweight matchup arrives on the UFC 287 preliminary card this Saturday, April 8, 2023, via ESPN+ and ESPN.

Waterson shared her workout videos ahead of fight

The Karate Hottie has been working hard over the past several months in preparation for her big fight. In videos shared on her Instagram page last month, she showed herself training at the gym.

One video features several exercises from her session. The first is a squat with a unique barbell that allows the weightlifter to stand in the middle of the weight plates to distribute the weight around better.

Next up, Waterson is seen performing repetitions of dips for her triceps on a station. The last exercise she performs is the stiff-legged deadlift using a barbell.

Waterson also shared a video in March highlighting her training routine specifically for Wednesdays. She mentioned it featured less cardio and more strength training as she needed to add muscle.

In the video, she’s seen performing a unique move using a long resistance band attached to the wall as she lays flat on a bench and pulls the band down, likely working on her triceps. In another scene, Waterson does bent-over lateral raises with dumbbells to work on her back.

She also performs a series of deadlifts using dumbbells for her lower body. In her voiceover, Waterson mentions that adding muscle is good as it burns fat.

In her vlog-style video, Waterson highlights getting proper fuel into her body after training and then heading to Jackson Wink for some wrestling. She also hits the grocery store for essential foods, including plenty of protein, before picking up her daughter to transport her to gymnastics.

It’s a busy life for the mother and MMA fighter, but based on her training clips and recent photo share, she seems well-prepared for her upcoming battle in the Octagon.