UFC Fight Night: Waterson vs. Hill
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Enterprise, Nevada , United States |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
| Website | www |
UFC Fight Night: Waterson vs. Hill—also identified as UFC Fight Night 177, UFC on ESPN+ 35, and UFC Vegas 10, was a mixed martial arts event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 12, 2020. The event took place at the UFC Apex facility located in Enterprise, Nevada, United States.
Background
The event was originally set to be headlined by a light heavyweight clash between former UFC Light Heavyweight title contenders Thiago Santos and Glover Teixeira. However, this bout was postponed after Teixeira tested positive for COVID-19 and later rescheduled for October 3 at UFC on ESPN: Holm vs. Aldana.
The main event featured a women’s strawweight contest between former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion Michelle Waterson and former Invicta FC Strawweight Champion Angela Hill. This fight had been initially planned for three weeks earlier but was delayed due to personal matters concerning Waterson. This matchup marked a significant milestone as it became the first UFC main event led by an African-American female fighter.
A lightweight fight between Roosevelt Roberts and Matt Frevola, which had previously been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was rebooked for this card. Frevola later withdrew because of injury and was replaced by Kevin Croom.
The light heavyweight pairing of Ed Herman versus Gerald Meerschaert experienced several reschedulings caused by Meerschaert’s positive COVID-19 test and visa complications. John Allan was first announced as a substitute but subsequently pulled out; Mike Rodríguez eventually stepped in as the replacement.
Lightweight bouts involving Khama Worthy against Ottman Azaitar and Alan Patrick facing Rodrigo Vargas were moved from earlier events due to pandemic-related cancellations and undisclosed factors. Vargas withdrew from his fight and was replaced by Bobby Green.
A flyweight bout featuring debutant Tagir Ulanbekov against Bruno Gustavo da Silva was postponed because of travel restrictions and shifted to a future event.
Frank Camacho was removed from his scheduled lightweight match with Brok Weaver after testing positive for COVID-19. Weaver instead faced Jalin Turner in a catchweight bout.
A flyweight contest between Matt Schnell and Tyson Nam was canceled on the day of weigh-ins due to Schnell experiencing health complications related to weight cutting.
Results
{{MMAevent bout |Lightweight |Kevin Croom |vs. |Roosevelt Roberts |No Contest (overturned) |1 |0:31 |} Initially recorded as a submission victory for Croom, this result was overturned following a positive marijuana test.
Bonus awards
The following athletes were awarded $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Michelle Waterson vs. Angela Hill
- Performance of the Night: Ottman Azaitar and Kevin Croom
Aftermath
On September 18, Mike Rodríguez filed an appeal regarding his submission defeat to Ed Herman, alleging an officiating error. During the second round, Rodríguez delivered a knee strike to Herman’s body while clinched against the cage. Referee Chris Tognoni halted the action suspecting a low blow, granting Herman five minutes to recover before Herman ultimately secured victory in the third round. Rodríguez’s camp also claimed that Herman unlawfully used his toes on the fence to gain leverage during the finishing sequence. The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) later rejected the appeal.
On November 4, Kevin Croom received a suspension of four and a half months from the NSAC after testing positive for marijuana in a pre-fight drug screening. His win was changed to a no contest; he was fined $1,800 and required to pay a $145.36 prosecution fee prior to obtaining re-licensing in Las Vegas.