Waterson, a former bikini model and native of Aurora, Colorado, has been throwing kicks and punches since the age of 10 when she took her first Karate class and, on Friday, she will attempt to give her hometown fans a dose of brutal theatrics when she makes her seventh professional start in mixed martial arts (MMA) competition at Broomfield Event Center.

“It’s gonna be an explosive fight,” said Waterson, who will face Tyra Parker on the 10-bout Strikeforce “Payback” card. The matchup will mark Waterson’s debut with the growing Strikeforce organization. “I heard Tyra’s really aggressive and good on the ground so it should be very exciting for the fans.”

As a contestant on the 2007 Oxygen network series, “Fight Girls,” a reality program that gave female kickboxers the opportunity to train and battle one another while living at a Las Vegas, Nevada martial arts camp, Waterson introduced herself to a national audience.

“It was a great experience,” said Waterson of the time she spent filming the show. “ It helped me become a stronger person and helped me learn how to deal with problems on my own. It also showed me that fighting is not just physical, but also mental.”

Shortly before the TV stint, Waterson, who is half American and half Thai by descent, took a trip to Thailand where she fell in love with the country’s national sport – Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing).

It was the culmination of her past experiences in martial arts and her burning desire to excel at the sport of MMA that, a year and a half ago, led her to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she has taken up residence to train under Greg Jackson, guru of one of the most finely tuned fight teams in the country.

“I needed to come here to take my career to the next level,” explained Waterson. “I’ve learned how to grapple on the ground and use my wrestling as a weapon. I’m a much more well-rounded fighter now.

Her work with Team Jackson produced dividends five weeks ago when she forced an opponent to submit from an armbar just 22 seconds into their bout. “Albuquerque has become a second home for me, and the Jackson team has become my family.”

Tickets for Strikeforce “Payback,” priced from $30, are on sale at Ticketmaster (303-830-TIXS) and Ticketmaster.com

In the main event of the 10-bout card, knockout artist and Denver native, Duane “Bang” Ludwig (16-8), will attempt to avenge a previous knockout at the hands of “The Ultimate Fighter” season three veteran, Sam “The Squeeze” Morgan (19-10). Superstar Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg (17-6) will take on Hawaiian submission expert, Falaniko “Niko” Vitale (26-8), in a featured middleweight (185 lb. limit) contest.

Broomfield Event Center doors will open for Strikeforce “Payback” at 5:30 PM MST and the preliminary card will begin at 6:30 PM MST. The main card will commence at 8 PM MST.

This event will be broadcast on HDNet

[ courtesy of Strikeforce]

Watterson has signed to fight on the non-televised undercard during EliteXC’s Sept. 20 show, EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw revealed to FiveOuncesOfPain.com earlier this afternoon. An opponent has yet to be determined.

Watterson, who comes from a traditional martial arts background, is 2-2 in her professional mixed martial arts career. She has fought for the Ring of Fire promotion in Colorado and most recently competed for King of the Cage, where she recorded a second round TKO against Thricia Poovey on July 12.

In addition to her fighting career, Watterson is also a professional swimsuit model.

It’s uncertain what weight Watterson will fight out, but she is believed to be in between 115-120 pounds. Unless she plans to go up to 130 pounds, her involvement could signal and even expanded commitment to women’s MMA by EliteXC by opening up a third weight class.

The venue for the Sept. 20 show is not yet official, however, FiveOuncesOfPain.com has learned that a press conference in Albuquerque, N.M. is scheduled for this Thursday at 2 p.m. local time. It is expected that it will be officially announced at that time that EliteXC’s Sept. 20 event will be staged in Albuquerque.

Even though Tavares is preparing for Omigawa, Tavares clearly hasn’t forgotten his last fight which was a decision loss to Tyson Griffin. Tavares feels he won the fight:

“You have no idea what I’ve being going through since that fight,” Tavares said. “Plus the fact I didn’t think I lost.”

I was actually in attendance for Tavares – Griffin and while the fight was close, it was clear that Griffin won the match-up. Losing to Griffin will not set Tavares back that much, and he is a very exciting fighter. Should Tavares defeat Omigawa (which he should do), Tavares will definitely be in position to take on another top-level lightweight.

Junkie has also confirmed through Ken Pavia that Justin McCully will also be fighting at UFC 76. Tito Ortiz mentioned the possibility in an interview last week.