The Rush: UFC Fighter Michelle Waterson on tackling Derrick Henry, Mike Tyson vs Jaws, and her fight on Aug. 22
UFC Fighter Michelle Waterson joins Jared to talk about her upcoming fight with Angela Hill on August 22 in Las Vegas. She also discusses how she’d tackle Derrick Henry, who just signed a new 4-year deal with the Titans, what Dak Prescott needs to do to earn a long-term payday, who’s going to win in a fight between Mike Tyson and a shark, and how she switches between being a fighter and a mom. PLUS: Find out why Michelle Waterson prefers BODYARMOR LYTE to rehydrate after her training.
Video Transcript
JARED QUAY: Michelle, I'm not going to lie to you. You fight professionally. You probably could whoop my ass. But the question is, how long would I last before I got my ass whipped?
MICHELLE WATERSON: How tall are you? [LAUGHS]
JARED QUAY: I'm 6 foot.
MICHELLE WATERSON: 6 foot? I give you-- I'll give you three minutes.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
JARED QUAY: Hey, What's up, guys? I'm here with UFC fighter Michelle Waterson. Michelle, how you doing?
MICHELLE WATERSON: I'm good. How are you?
[LAUGHS]
JARED QUAY: I am doing as best as I can being locked in my house for as long as I've been, but I'm making do with it. Well, look, Michelle, I need you to help me with today's headlines. You down to help me with some headlines?
MICHELLE WATERSON: Let's do it.
- Helping with headlines.
JARED QUAY: Derrick Henry, the biggest running back in pretty much NFL history, reached a four-year $50 million deal with the Titans that includes $25 and 1/2 million guaranteed. The problem is nobody can tackle this guy for the 6' 3", 240 pounds. Michelle, how do you tackle somebody that big? As a fighter, how would you take down someone that big?
MICHELLE WATERSON: I go for the knees.
[LAUGHS]
[LAUGHTER]
You gotta-- you gotta wrap the legs up together and, you know, take them down and use your head pressure. That's what I would do.
- Sweep the leg.
JARED QUAY: Dallas Cowboy Dak Prescott is one of 12 players to have a franchise tag that didn't turn into a long-term deal and will be replaying him on the team with a one-year deal. As a fighter, you get paid to fight. So what advice do you have for Dak to perform to survive this season just so he can fight to get more money next season?
MICHELLE WATERSON: You know, I think if he looks at the glass half full versus half empty, it could be a very lucrative year for him.
JARED QUAY: Think about it. Just the amount of money that he making, I'm like, Dak, a franchise tag ain't that bad. So you know, don't be too upset. The glass is full already.
MICHELLE WATERSON: Yeah. Exactly. I'm like, I don't know. These numbers, those are very-- those are very foreign numbers to me, all those numbers.
JARED QUAY: [LAUGHS] Mike Tyson will face off against a shark in "Tyson Versus Jaws, SharkWeek" special edition.
MIKE TYSON: Someone's going to get bit. [DING SOUND EFFECT]
JARED QUAY: Who's winning the fight? Mike Tyson or our shark?
MICHELLE WATERSON: Oh, Mike Tyson all day.
[LAUGHTER]
JARED QUAY: Didn't expect that one.
MICHELLE WATERSON: [LAUGHS] Dude, Mike Tyson is the scariest human on earth when he's in the right mindset, you know I mean?
MIKE TYSON: [GRUNTS]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING]
JARED QUAY: You have a fight coming up on August 22 against Angela Hill. Now you're working at the home gym. But, like, how was the preparation different now than from every other fight you fought in your career?
MICHELLE WATERSON: You know, I've been fighting for so long, I think that it just kind of another obstacle that you have to jump over. The most important thing, though, like, as a professional athlete having to make weight, is being on top of your diet. And for me one, of the hugest things about being on top of my diet is staying hydrated.
JARED QUAY: What specific drink is it that helps you rehydrate your body the best?
MICHELLE WATERSON: This bad boy right here, BODYARMOR, baby.
JARED QUAY: [LAUGHS]
MICHELLE WATERSON: I love-- I honestly-- I love BODYARMOR. And you know what it is to be a professional athlete. The stuff you put in your body is what allows you to go. And so if you put good gas in your body, you're going to be able to rev it up that much more. I like the lyte because it's not that sweet. And it has no sugar, no artificial flavors. It just tastes like something that you would make naturally at home.
JARED QUAY: I hear your daughter there. So that's the cool thing about you. How old is your daughter?
MICHELLE WATERSON: She's nine. [LAUGHS]
JARED QUAY: I just had a daughter, too. She's 16 months. And for you, it's night and day, right? It's like, at some point, you're fighting and kicking somebody's butt. And the next point, you're, like, nurturing. So tell us about the contrast of how you balance life of being a great mother and a great fighter?
MICHELLE WATERSON: You know, she's just-- she's a part of the team. She's been with me every step of the way. That was probably one of the harder things too is she's been at everything one of my fights.
And so for her not to be able to come to my last fight, kind of, you know, that was a bummer. But you gotta do what you gotta do. I think because she sees how hard I work, there's a sense of appreciation and also a sense of pride that we're all in this together.
JARED QUAY: Well, thank you, Michelle. I appreciate you coming on the show for me. If you're watching this, please tune in August 22 to watch you fight and drink BODYARMOR, right?
MICHELLE WATERSON: Yessir. BODYARMOR.
JARED QUAY: [LAUGHS]
MICHELLE WATERSON: This is my favorite.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
