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'Karate Hottie' draws TUF star for UFC debut on July 12

Esther Lin

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is not without a sense of humor.

Hoping to capitalize on the "it factor" of former Invicta FC champion Michelle Waterson, the promotion has paired her off against Twitter attraction Angela Magana in a strawweight battle set for the upcoming UFC Fight Night 71 mixed martial arts (MMA) event.

Headlined by a lightweight scrap featuring Ben Henderson vs. Michael Johnson, UFC Fight Night 71 will also serve as The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 21 Finale for "ATT vs. Blackzilians," scheduled for July 12, 2015 in South Florida at a venue to be determined.

UFC announced the pairing on Wednesday night.

Waterson (12-4) is looking to rebound from last December's upset loss to Herica Tiburcio, her last appearance for Invicta FC on UFC Fight Pass. "The Karate Hottie" went into that contest on the strength of a six-fight winning streak, one that included five finishes.

It's safe to say this is a showcase fight for the "Karate Hottie."

That's not intended to be disrespectful to Magana (11-7), but she simply hasn't performed over the last couple of years. In addition to dropping three straight, "Your Majesty" was bounced from the TUF 20 competition in the first round, thanks to a technical knockout loss to Aisling Daly. One more and it could be splitsville.

How do you see this one fight fans ... total domination, or upset special?

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