Issue 157

August 2017

With a wrestling background and hulking physical appearance, Ron Waterman was a perfect fit for the ring and the cage

Ron Waterman

• Alias: H2O
• From: Greeley, Colorado
• First seen: February 1999 (Bas Rutten Invitational 1)
• Last seen: November 2008 (Born to be Bad)
• Record: 16-6-2

Ron Waterman jumped into the deep end of the MMA pool to begin his career. He got the call to fight in the UFC after winning his first three fights in one night.

“That was back when you could still get away with doing that,” he says. “The guys who were popular back then were all wrestlers, and that was my forte. I was coming right out of college wrestling, so I thought it would be a great transition for me.”

Thanks to his physical gifts, ‘H2O’ also started professional wrestling soon after. Lured by a developmental deal from the WWE to work in Ohio Valley Wrestling, he traveled around the country with some of the industry’s biggest stars.

“I signed a four-year developmental contract and less than a year later, I was traveling around with Dwayne Johnson, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin and The Undertaker,” he adds. “I had watched the WWE for a long time and it was surreal. I got to compete in Madison Square Garden with John Cena. We all started at the same place – setting up rings and tearing them down. There were nights when we had 10 people in the crowd.”

Waterman balanced worked matches with the real thing as he branched out in Japan in Pride and Pancrase. However, despite a fulfilling time, the grueling nature of the business was too much for him.

“I don’t know that it is something I could do full-time because of the time it demands. It was fun to travel around with those guys, but it is a tough lifestyle for someone who has a family at home. The traveling is so rigorous on your body, both physically and mentally. It’s hard to make any relationship successful. It was stressful.”

It was the H2O man’s involvement in the wrestling community and activity on the mats that was instrumental in the development of two UFC heavyweight greats. Former champions Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin spent years honing their craft in wrestling rooms around the country, and Waterman worked with both during their Octagon runs.

“I was one of the guys who got Shane Carwin going,” Waterman explains. “He was one of my high school wrestlers. Shane helped me prepare for my first few UFC fights. I knew that he was a natural and needed to get into the sport, so I got him involved in MMA. I have helped him out occasionally during his career.

“I am good friends with Brock. He was one of my tag team partners in the WWE for a few years. I helped him train before he fought Cain Velasquez. I still keep in touch with him.”

Now 51, Waterman shows no signs of slowing down. Though his fighting and sports entertainment careers are over, it’s obvious the man mountain is still a fixture in the gym. As well as training himself, he passes on his knowledge to others.

“I still train often,” Waterman says. “I am an instructor at a gym I have here in Greely, Colorado and I do a good bit of personal training as well.”

He’s also a firefighter, paramedic, realtor, motivational speaker and founder of H2O Man Outreach and Ministries – a Christian organization that has taken him around the world to speak to children. “I stay pretty active. I have a lot of irons in the fire. I work best under pressure, so I try to keep life like that.”

Big ticket

Waterman was the first and only WEC super heavyweight champion, and holds notable wins over former UFC heavyweight champions Kevin Randleman and Ricco Rodriguez.