UFC Fight Night: Joanna vs. Waterson
{{short description|UFC mixed martial arts event in 2019}}
{{Infobox MMA event
|name= UFC Fight Night: Joanna vs. Waterson
|image= UFC on ESPN+ 19.jpg
|promotion=Ultimate Fighting Championship
|date={{start date|2019|10|12}}
|venue=Amalie Arena
|city= Tampa, Florida
|previousevent=UFC 243: Whittaker vs. Adesanya
|followingevent=UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Weidman
}}
UFC Fight Night: Joanna vs. Waterson (also known as UFC Fight Night 161 or UFC on ESPN+ 19) was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 12, 2019 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.{{cite web|url=https://www.amaliearena.com/events/detail/ufc-1|title=UFC Fight Night: Joanna vs. Waterson|publisher=amaliearena.com|author=Staff|date=2019-08-09|access-date=2019-08-09}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/sports/2019/08/09/ufc-fight-night-returns-to-tampa-in-october/|title=UFC Fight Night returns to Tampa in October|author=Mari Faiello|date=2019-08-09|publisher=tampabay.com|access-date=2019-08-09}}
Background
Officially announced by the organization, the event was initially linked to the newly constructed Chase Center in San Francisco, California, which would have marked the promotion's first visit to the city. It would have also been the first trip to the Bay Area since UFC 117 in 2010.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fightful.com/mma/report-joanna-jedrzejczyk-vs-michelle-waterson-headlines-ufc-fight-night-san-francisco|title=Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Michelle Waterson headlines UFC Fight Night San Francisco|author=David Tees|date=2019-07-03|publisher=fightful.com|access-date=2019-07-03}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Report-Joanna-JedrzejczykMichelle-Waterson-Booked-for-UFC-Fight-Night-161-Main-Event-157719|title=Joanna Jedrzejczyk-Michelle Waterson booked for UFC Fight Night 161 main event|author=Cole Shelton|date=2019-07-03|publisher=sherdog.com|access-date=2019-07-03}} However, the plans for a San Francisco debut fizzled and the promotion confirmed that the event would instead take place in Tampa, Florida.{{cite web|url=https://www.mmamania.com/2019/8/9/20798873/ufc-tampa-joanna-jedrzejczyk-michelle-waterson-main-event-strawweight-espn-plus-mma|title=UFC Tampa: Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs Michelle Waterson main event set|publisher=mmamania.com|author=Thomas Myers|date=2019-08-09|access-date=2019-08-09}} The event marked the promotion's third visit to Tampa and its second visit to Amalie Arena, following UFC on Fox: Teixeira vs. Evans in April of 2016.
A women's strawweight bout between former UFC Women's Strawweight Champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk and former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion Michelle Waterson served as the event headliner.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mmafighting.com/2019/8/9/20798904/joanna-jedrzejczyk-vs-michelle-waterson-headlines-ufc-fight-night-in-tampa|title=Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Michelle Waterson headlines UFC Fight Night in Tampa|author=Damon Martin |date=2019-08-09|publisher=mmafighting.com|access-date=2019-08-09}}
A middleweight bout between The Ultimate Fighter: Team Joanna vs. Team Cláudia light heavyweight winner Andrew Sanchez and Marvin Vettori was originally scheduled for September 14 at UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Gaethje. However, the bout was canceled after Sanchez was pulled during the week leading up to the event due to an eye infection.{{Cite web|url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2019/09/andrew-sanchez-vs-marvin-vettori-off-ufc-on-espn-plus-16-illness|title=Andrew Sanchez vs. Marvin Vettori pulled from UFC on ESPN+ 16 due to illness|date=2019-09-11|publisher=mmajunkie.usatoday.com|author=Dave Doyle|access-date=2019-09-12}} In turn, the pairing was left intact and rescheduled for this event.{{Cite web|url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2019/09/ufc-vancouver-andrew-sanchez-eye-infection-forced-off-card-marvin-vettori|title=Andrew Sanchez: Eye infection forced me off UFC Vancouver; Marvin Vettori fight rebooked|author=Farah Hannoun|date=2019-09-12|publisher=mmajunkie.usatoday.com|access-date=2019-09-12}}
Promotional newcomer Brok Weaver was scheduled to face Thomas Gifford in a lightweight out at the event. However, Weaver pulled out of the bout on October 6 for undisclosed reasons.{{Cite web|url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2019/10/brok-weaver-out-of-saturdays-ufc-on-espn-19-thomas-gifford-needs-new-opponent|title=Brok Weaver out of Saturday's UFC on ESPN+ 19, Thomas Gifford needs new opponent|author=John Morgan|date=2019-10-07|publisher=mmajunkie.usatoday.com|access-date=2019-10-07}} He was replaced by Mike Davis.{{Cite web|url=https://mmadna.nl/mike-davis-pakt-short-notice-gevecht-tegen-thomas-gifford-tijdens-ufc-tampa/|title=Mike Davis tackles short notice fight against Thomas Gifford during UFC Tampa|author=Redactie|publisher=mmadna.nl|date=2019-10-08|access-date=2019-10-08}} {{in lang|nl}}
Results
{{MMAevent}}
{{MMAevent card|Main Card (ESPN+)}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Women's Strawweight
|def.
|Decision (unanimous) (50–45, 50–45, 49–46)
|5
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Featherweight
|def.
|Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)
|3
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Welterweight
|def.
|KO (upkick)
|1
|1:44
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Women's Strawweight
|def.
|Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)
|3
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Lightweight
|def.
|Decision (split) (28–29, 29–28, 29–28)
|3
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Middleweight
|def.
|Decision (split) (28–29, 29–28, 29–28)
|3
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent card|Preliminary Card (ESPN+)|header=no}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Light Heavyweight
|def.
|Submission (guillotine choke)
|2
|2:01
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Lightweight
|def.
|Thomas Gifford
|KO (punch)
|3
|4:45
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Welterweight
|def.
|Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–27, 29–27)
|3
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Flyweight
|def.
|Submission (guillotine choke)
|1
|3:08
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Bantamweight
|def.
|TKO (elbows and punches)
|3
|3:17
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Welterweight
|def.
|TKO (leg kicks and elbows)
|2
|2:32
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Middleweight
|def.
|Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)
|3
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent bout
|Women's Flyweight
|def.
|Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 29–28, 29–28)
|3
|5:00
|
}}
{{MMAevent end|notes=yes|MMAevent bout=}}
Bonus awards
See also
{{portal|martial arts|Florida}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{UFC Events}}
{{2019 in mixed martial arts}}
Category:2019 in mixed martial arts
Category:Mixed martial arts in Florida