Huge opportunity for Michelle Waterson ... who knows a victory over Marina Rodriguez tonight will get her one step closer to her goal -- avenging her loss against the champ, Rose Namajunas.
Waterson -- aka "The Karate Hottie" -- is currently ranked #9 in the UFC's strawweight division and coming off an incredible victory over Angela Hill.
She's squaring off against #6 ranked Rodriguez on Saturday night -- and says there's extra motivation to get that "W" ... revenge.
The current strawweight champ is Rose Namajunes -- who choked out Waterson when they clashed in 2017.
Michelle says she thinks about that fight all the time ... and she's laser-focused on earning a chance to run it back.
"I would love a rematch," Waterson tells TMZ Sports ... "In actuality, I was doing really well against her right up until I wasn't. So, it was just that moment that lost me the fight."
"You have to be able to rein it all in on that very, very special day and those very, very special 25 minutes and I've come to realize that and I understand how important it is to stay in the zone the entire time."
First, she needs to get through Rodriguez -- who's been impressive since joining the UFC in 2018 ... with only 1 loss on her record.
Both women know a stellar performance on Saturday night will put them within striking distance of a title shot ... so don't miss this one!