UFC veteran Miesha Tate has revealed that the rivalry between herself and Ronda Rousey was real and not manufactured.
Many years ago, Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey were not big fans of one another – and that’s putting it lightly. The two were engaged in a bitter rivalry that culminated in their fight following the conclusion of their Ultimate Fighter season, and while Rousey came out on top, Miesha went on to win the hearts of the masses as a big fan favourite.
Of course, there’s always a certain amount of doubt when it comes to figuring out just how legitimate a rivalry is between two fighters. In a recent interview, though, Miesha Tate clarified that there was definitely some disdain there.
Miesha Tate discusses Ronda Rousey rivalry
“No, it was real beef and I think most the fans saw most of it because most of it happened publicly, you know. I mean it was all, you know, I think we were…tweeting each other back then. I don’t know.
“It was like back and forth, you know, all the things. And so they had to follow along and all the drama, but I mean it’s not like her and I were meeting up and planning it out. No, it was like I just genuinely couldn’t stand her, you know.”
Tate is currently considering what her next move is in mixed martial arts, whereas Ronda could also make a return. Who knows, maybe there’s a chance we’ll see the two of them run it back.
UFC fighter Miesha Tate has accused Ronda Rousey of being difficult behind the scenes during their season of The Ultimate Fighter.
As we know, Ronda Rousey is one of the biggest stars in the history of mixed martial arts. She achieved some great things throughout the course of her time in the sport, but we also know that she’s been faced with a lot of criticism – with most of it coming down to her perceived bad attitude.
For the longest time, Ronda Rousey was seen as untouchable in the cage. For part of that run, arguably her biggest rival was Miesha Tate, who she faced off against during a season of The Ultimate Fighter as coaches.
In a recent interview, though, Tate revealed that there was more to the story when it came to Ronda.
Miesha Tate questions Ronda Rousey’s attitude
“I think the things that people didn’t see though is like, on the Ultimate Fighter there was definitely—because there’s, you know, they clipped that up so much and there’s only…such a small bit of what you would actually see—but you know I expected her to be all pissy towards me and everything and I was like, I’m fine with that because we’re going to punch each other in the face at the end of the day.
“You know I get mine but what people didn’t get to see is like how rude she was to the people behind, you know, like the camera people, the producers, like those kinds of people who she knew that she could be a [bleep] to and she wasn’t, you know, it’s like the spoiled little girl in the family, you know, the youngest and she’s a girl and the older brother just has to deal with all, you know, all her [bleep]. It was kind of like that kind of attitude except she was a bully, too.”
UFC star Miesha Tate has provided an update on her future in the promotion and mixed martial arts in general.
As we know, Miesha Tate is a legend within the world of women’s mixed martial arts – and MMA as a whole. She is a former world champion, a superstar, and she’s been involved in some absolutely huge fights over the years against the likes of Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.
However, after an inconsistent run of form since returning to the cage, Miesha Tate has been left questioning her future in the sport. She’s an icon in her own right, but it certainly feels like her best days are behind her.
In a recent podcast appearance, Miesha Tate spoke openly and honestly about what’s next.
Miesha Tate reveals plans for UFC future
“I’m not officially done,” Tate said on the Jaxxon Podcast.
“I still have a fight on my contract. One fight. I wouldn’t fight more than one more time.
“I’m not looking to re-sign,” Tate said of her UFC contract.
I think just one more, if that, but I haven’t decided for sure.
“I might be leaning towards not [fighting again],” Tate added.
“You’d have to ask [the UFC to do a boxing match], but I’m not,” Tate said, when asked if she’d ever box.
“Boxing, for real? Like, I’m not gonna go do that.”
Miesha doesn’t owe the sport anything and could easily ride off into the sunset right now. In equal measure, if she wants to get a big send-off, that’s also something she truly deserves.
Regardless of whether or not you’re a fan of Tate’s work, it’d be great to be given the opportunity to send her off into retirement in style at the end of what has been an important and amazing career.
Despite a strong start and strong final round, the efforts for Miesha Tate proved to be for naught at UFC Des Moines, as she falls to Yana Santos in the featured prelim bout.
Tate looked to close distance right away, landing on Santos before Santos fired back and scored a brief clinch. The two had plenty of exchanges throughout the opening frame, but Santos appeared to be landing the stronger strikes, in spite of Tate’s volume.
Santos continued to control the action and land the more effective strikes in the second round, stuffing Tate’s takedown attempts all the while. That is until the third round, where the former UFC bantamweight champion scored a takedown early. Tate dominated the round with ground-and-pound, and she nearly could have finished the fight at one point with a choke.
Santos survived, however, and Tate’s efforts were not enough for a 10-8. Santos took the fight on all three judges’ scorecards 29-28.
Yana Santos Survives Miesha Tate Near Comeback In Third Round Of UFC Des Moines Featured Prelim
I can’t believe Miesha Tate screwed that up. Literally just needed two takedowns to win the fight
Miesha Tate is a dawg! Yana Santos should get the decision but Tate showed a ton of heart in that third round and gave herself a real chance #UFCDesMoines
Santos has now won two straight after a three-fight losing skid. She came into this fight off a win over Chelsea Chandler back in August.
Tate is just 2-3 in her comeback to the UFC that she started in 2021. This was Tate’s first fight since her submission of Julia Avila at UFC Austin in December 2023.
Miesha Tate’s next fight is set, as the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion will face Yana Santos at an upcoming UFC Fight Night event.
Tate announced the fight on Instagram, with Santos also confirming the matchup. While the UFC has yet to formally announce the bout, the event is expected to take place on May 3 in Des Moines, Iowa.
“It’s Official: May 3rd vs @yanamma,” Tate wrote. “I’ve still got what it takes and if you doubt me, please stick around. Mark your calendars 🗓️”
Tate last competed in December 2023, securing a third-round submission victory over Julia Avila. The win snapped a two-fight losing skid for the former champion. Since returning from retirement in 2021, “Cupcake” has gone 2-2, including a brief stint at flyweight before moving back to bantamweight, where she once held the title.
Santos is also coming off a much-needed victory. She earned a unanimous decision over Chelsea Chandler in August 2024, a result she described as “career-saving.” The win halted a three-fight skid that began in 2021 and brought her UFC record to an even 5-5.
With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at the UFC Fight Night on May 3 are as follows:
Miesha Tate is the big winner of Celebrity Big Brother.
Things are going pretty well for Miesha Tate. She is back in the UFC, she has a fight booked, and she just won a huge prize on a reality show. Tate was among ten other celebrities as she battled through various competitions to be the remaining member of the Celebrity Big Brother household. As the big winner, Tate took home $250,000.
After her win, Tate sat down with ET Canada to discuss how she is feeling.
“I’m just trying to take it all in,” Tate explained. “I can’t believe that I did that, but I managed to get through that. What a crazy journey.”
Tate had to endure living in a house with strangers while competing with them to be the last one standing. During the course of the show, there were some surprises and times when Tate had to learn on the fly. She was taken aback by some of the goings-on.
“One thing I know as a fighter is that it’s very different when you’re in it, in the Octagon and you are fighting,” she said. “As opposed to watching it from the outside. I feel like I need to gain both perspectives. I think I was very naive in all of it, in the way I entered the game, the lack of preparedness on my part, and not really looking at things in a different light or big picture.”
Former UFC bantamweight champion Miesha Tate can now claim that she is now a champion of a major reality television show.
Tate was named the winner of Celebrity Big Brother, a Survivor-style show where various celebrities spend time in a house and compete in various competitions. Tate was considered the frontrunner after winning the opening Head of Household, the role who controls who gets evicted and kicked off the show.
Tate could be seen training MMA and exercising during the show as she gets ready for her return to the Octagon. She’ll return later this year at a May UFC Fight Night event in her flyweight debut against Lauren Murphy.
Tate would win a grand prize of $250,000 for winning this season of the show.
Tate’s last appearance on a reality television show came as a coach on Season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter opposite Ronda Rousey. The two bantamweight rivals would face off at the end of the season, with Rousey winning by submission.
Tate most recently lost to Ketlen Vieira back in November, her second fight back after returning from retirement. Upon her return to the cage, she earned a dominant win over Marion Reneau.
Meisha Tate is putting all her confidence in Julianna Peña ahead of the new bantamweight champion’s rematch against Amanda Nunes.
It is no secret that Miesha Tate is a fan of the newly crowned champion Julianna Peña. The two are good friends and former training partners. Tate was also Peña’s coach on their season of The Ultimate Fighter, and since then, she knew that Peña had what it takes to become a UFC champion.
Now that Peña has defeated longtime champ Amanda Nunes, some people are caulking it up to luck or an off day on Nunes’ part. To these doubters, Tate has a message.
“Oh, they’re crazy,” Tate said.
Tate knows firsthand what it takes to become a UFC champion. And although her championship run was cut short by Nunes herself, Tate is positive that Peña could beat her again.
Julianna Pena vs. Amanda Nunes
“Yes, absolutely. She just has a no-quit, no-give-up mentality. And now that the seed of doubt has been planted in Amanda’s mind, that’s probably where I see the biggest change going, and that’s not gonna favor Amanda,” Tate told Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour.
The rematch between Julianna Peña and Amanda Nunes is targeted for later this year after the two women have wrapped up the upcoming season as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter.
The UFC‘s new women’s bantamweight champion, Julianna Peña, is open to a future with the WWE.
“The Venezuelan Vixen” told the NY Post she would give professional wrestling a shot if the opportunity ever presented itself.
“Right now my focus is on fighting. Later on, if that opportunity presents itself, I don’t see why I couldn’t explore that avenue. Definitely, my focus is on fighting for the UFC,” said Peña.
Recently winning the championship and already having the rematch targeted for later this year, Peña certainly has a lot to focus on in her UFC career. Her next opponent, Amanda Nunes, will have her chance to reclaim the Bantamweight throne.
Both women were recently announced as the coaches for the 30th season of The Ultimate Fighter with the rematch expected to take place this summer.
Peña May Have Her Dream Opponent Waiting For Her In WWE
If Peña did make a move over to the WWE, perhaps we could see her tangle with someone she’s called out in the UFC for years, Ronda Rousey.
During Season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter, fans of the show witnessed the beginning of Peña’s and Rousey’s conflict.
Miesha Tate, Julianna Peña, Ronda Rousey, Credit: The Ultimate Fighter
Peña’s friendship with Miesha Tate solidified their tension, and as fierce competitors, they bumped heads while filming the show.
The queen of armbar submissions may have been the face of the UFC’s women’s league at the time, but Peña never cowered and still desires a match with her in the cage.
Hopefully for Peña, Rousey will pull a Brock Lesnar and make one more appearance in the UFC. However, if the curtain is officially closed on “Rowdy” returning to the Octagon, a WWE match might settle the fire between them.
What do you think of Julianna Peña joining the WWE in the future?
Miesha Tate will be a member of the Celebrity Big Brother cast for season 3.
The former UFC champion will be joining other celebrities as a “house guest” on the upcoming season of Celebrity Big Brother. The show announced via social media their incoming cast for the third season. Tate joined ten other people as she tried to win the prize at the end of the season.
Along with Tate, the other members of the season include, Lamar Odom, Chris Kirkpatrick from ‘NSYNC, Real Housewives of Atlanta star Cynthia Bailey, Chris Kattan, Olympian Mirai Nagasu, singer and dancer Todrick Hall, former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Teddi Mellencamp, model Shanna Moakler, Diff’rent Strokes star Todd Bridges, and Queer Eye star Carson Kressley.
The show will be airing through February on CBS and will be hosted by longtime Big Brother host Julie Chen-Moonves. The show will be filming over one month as opposed to the three that the other Big Brother show takes place. Tate, who has a fight lined up for May against Lauren Murphy, will be locked in that Big Brother House without contact with the outside world for one month.
This is not the first time Miesha Tate has been on a reality show. She was a coach on season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter. Her appearance on that show and her growing rivalry with Ronda Rousey, the opposing coach, helped propel Tate into UFC stardom. She later was able to win the bantamweight title to secure her spot in the all-time female fighter ranks.
Julianna Peña likes Miesha Tate’s idea of them both holding UFC titles.
Julianna Peña and Miesha Tate are good friends so wouldn’t them both holding UFC titles at the same time be great? That is the idea that Tate has for the future. She has decided to make the move down to flyweight in order to pursue a championship without attempting to dethrone her friend and former training partner. Upon hearing this idea, the bantamweight champ has to agree.
“I think that that’s great,” Peña told MMA Fighting. “If Miesha, (who) I do believe will find a ton of success at 125 and can fight for the belt at 125, I think there would be nothing better, especially for the UFC and for the sport, and particularly for the state of Washington to have two Washington champions at 125 and 135. That’s the plan.”
Tate decided to return to the UFC following a four-year retirement. As a former champion, Tate was looking to regain her belt in the bantamweight division. However, her path was stalled when she lost to Ketlen Vieira in November. At that time it was Peña who got the title shot. She defeated Amanda Nunes in December and will now be the one to beat at 135 pounds.
Miesha Tate wants to hold a UFC belt right next to her friend Julianna Peña.
Miesha Tate is the former bantamweight champion. She is now looking to add another championship to her résumé but this time at flyweight. She recently decided to make the move down to 125 pounds mainly so she would not have to face her friend, newly crowned bantamweight champion Julianna Peña.
Tate and Peña go way back to before Peña was in the UFC. They trained together and then Tate had the chance to coach Peña on The Ultimate Fighter. Now that Peña is holding the strap at 135 pounds, Tate doesn’t want to be the one to take it away.
“Another reason, although I know I’m a little bit away from getting a potential title shot, but with Julie being crowned the champion at 135 also, I would just prefer if we could be champions at the same time together and Pacific Northwest Takeover,” she said on The MMA Hour.
Not wanting to dethrone her friend was not the only reason Tate gave for this move. After suffering her first loss since returning from retirement, Tate feels she will be able to perform better at flyweight. After five years away from the UFC, Tate made her comeback last year. Physically, she seemed to be in better shape than ever. She appeared leaner and perhaps this led to the decision to drop down the additional ten pounds.
Tate already has her flyweight debut all set. She will be taking on Lauren Murphy at the UFC Fight Night event on May 14. Murphy is a longtime contender at 125 pounds. She is coming off a title shot loss to champion Valentina Shevchenko, which was her first loss in three years. Murphy is currently ranked third in the division. If Tate can get past her, she might find herself pretty close to a title shot.
Do you think Miesha Tate and Julianna Peña will reign as UFC champions simultaneously?
Miesha Tate has reflected on her recent UFC main event loss and has some thoughts on what could have been done differently.
In 2021, Tate made her return from retirement to compete in MMA. The former UFC bantamweight champion won her first fight against Marion Reneau but later lost a main event fight to Ketlen Vieira in November 2021.
Looking back on the fight, Tate feels she never showed urgency despite being down on scorecards against Vieira. Here’s what Tate said about the fight during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour:
“I think what ended up happening is that the corner was very chill and I stayed very chill the whole fight. I kinda didn’t get that feedback of like, ‘Hey, now’s the time to go.’ And it’s just tough. It was a tough dynamic,” she said. “It was a learning situation. I look at that fight as a bit of a sophomore slump. If it was any fight that I was gonna lose in my comeback, that was the fight to lose.”
Tate will get the chance to return to the win column later this year. She is set to move down to flyweight, meeting Lauren Murphy on May 14th.
Tate is already a decorated MMA fighter that had a title reign in the UFC. She most notably earned UFC’s 135-pound belt in 2016, securing a fifth-round rear-naked choke submission win against Holly Holm.
She lost the belt in her next appearance, dropping it to Amanda Nunes at UFC 200. Nunes would go on to hold the belt until late 2021.
Do you agree with Miesha Tate’s assessment of her loss to Ketlen Vieira?
In a YouTube video earlier this month, Tate answered questions surrounding her future in 2022 having fallen to defeat last time out. While she hinted at a drop to flyweight, a move that was later confirmed with the announcement of a May clash with Lauren Murphy, the 35-year-old shut down a potential venture onto OnlyFans, claiming she hadn’t said she was “desperate.”
The comment led to widespread outrage, with many suggesting Tate believed the likes of Paige VanZant, Jéssica Andrade, and Kay Hansen were desperate in their decisions to join the platform or create their own exclusive NSFW sites.
Having been slammed on social media, Tate has now attempted to clarify her stance. In one response to a user who suggested a level of hypocrisy existed in her statements, Tate said her words had been taken out of context.
I was being harassed and responded jokingly, this is being taken way out of context. I support women doing whatever they want to.
“I was being harassed and responded jokingly, this is being taken wa out of context. I support women doing whatever they want to.”
In response to an adult content creator who was “disgusted” by Tate’s remarks, and even suggested she should be “canceled,” the former UFC titleholder claimed her statement was said as a joke and insisted she fully supports all women and their respective career choices.
Ladies this was taken way out of context, I had a some fans harassing me insinuating I needed to start an only fans. I responded jokingly, this was not a statement I made about other women. I appreciate we can all have our own choices and I support women 100%
“Ladies this was taken way out of context, I had a some fans harassing me insinuating I needed to start an only fans. I responded jokingly, this was not a statement I made about other women. I appreciate we can all have our own choices and I support women 100%”
After that response didn’t do much to change the opinion of those she was interacting with, Tate apologized and reminded them that she has friends in the industry, and had simply made a mistake.
That’s fair and I am truly sorry I have friends the industry and I support that 100%. In no way shape or form was it my intention to put anyone down, I am only human I let someone make me mad and what I said to them was not a rep of how I feel about this as a whole
“That’s fair and I am truly sorry I have friends the industry and I support that 100%. In no way shape or form was it my intention to put anyone down, I am only human I let someone make me mad and what I said to them was not a rep of how I feel about this as a whole”
Tate Gets Support From A Friend In The Industry
Fortunately for Tate, she wasn’t a one-woman army. In her corner was pornographic actress and Only Fans account owner Kendra Lust. Backing up her friend, Lust said that while she realizes how the comments look, she knows that Tate didn’t intend to offend.
I know Miesha she is a friend ❤️ .. i know how she said it came off .. but i know thats not how she meant it. She has supported me always. I believe her 💯 Miesha is one the sweetest that would never intentionally put down other women for there career choices because its adult
“I know Miesha she is a friend .. I know she said it came off .. but I know that’s not how she meant it. She has supported me always. I believe her Miesha is one the sweetest that would never intentionally put down other women for there career choices because its adult”
Tate will hope for this controversy to blow over in the coming weeks as she begins preparation for her flyweight debut. In her attempt to rebound from defeat, she’ll collide with Murphy, whose last outing saw her dominated and finished by 125-pound queen Valentina Shevchenko.
Do you think Miesha Tate’s comments were taken out of context?
Miesha Tate could drop down a division for her next fight, as she is being set up to face Lauren Murphy at UFC 273.
Reports surfaced Monday that Tate and Murphy could meet at UFC’s April 9th pay-per-view event. The fight has reportedly been verbally agreed upon by both parties, but contracts have not been signed yet. News of the fight was first reported by Damon Martin of MMA Fighting.
The potential fight gives Tate, a former champ at bantamweight, a chance to make her debut down a weight class.
Tate came out of retirement last year, competing for the first time in nearly five years. She won in her return, defeating Marion Reneau in the third round of a July bout. Tate was later booked in a main event bout against Ketlen Vieira. She did not succeed in that appearance, losing via unanimous decision after 25 minutes of action.
All of Tate’s major fights as a pro have come at bantamweight. She was the 135-pound champ in 2016, securing a fifth-round submission win over Holly Holm to take the belt. She dropped the title later that year, as she was submitted by Amanda Nunes at UFC 200. Nunes went on to hold the belt for numerous years before recently dropping it to Julianna Peña.
Murphy Coming Off Title Fight
Lauren Murphy (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
The booking offers Murphy the opportunity to bounce back from a high-profile loss.
Murphy challenged UFC Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko in September, a fight that resulted in a fourth-round finish victory for the champ. The title fight was given to Murphy after a strong climb up the flyweight division, attaining five consecutive wins from 2019 to 2021.
Coincidentally, Murphy is a former bantamweight who made the drop down a weight class after she fought her fourth UFC bout in 2016. She has remained at flyweight since 2017.
How do you think Miesha Tate could do down at flyweight? And what do you think of Tate facing Lauren Murphy?
Former UFC bantamweight champion Miesha Tate may consider a run at flyweight, but she’s ruling out a potential gig on OnlyFans.
Tate most recently fell to Ketlen Vieira last November via a unanimous decision, after dominating her UFC return against Marion Reneau. She returned to the Octagon after retiring following her loss at UFC 205 in 2016.
There has been some speculation as to what Tate may do with her career. She’s hinted at a potential move to 125 pounds to challenge for another UFC title but is also still pursuing a run at bantamweight.
But one fan was interested in whether or not Tate would ever join the adult site OnlyFans.com as a side gig, and the former UFC champion shut that idea down quickly.
Miesha Tate has managed to accumulate quite the following on social media despite her prior absence from fighting. As of the publishing of this story, she has earned 2.1 million followers on her Instagram page and is also increasingly active on her YouTube channel.
The biggest win of Tate’s UFC career came when she pulled off a remarkable comeback win over Holly Holm for the bantamweight title at UFC 196. She went on to lose the title to Amanda Nunes at UFC 200 before her pre-retirement loss to Raquel Pennington.
Tate appears to be rejuvenated in this next chapter of her career, but fans shouldn’t expect any mature content from the star athlete.
After Julianna Peña submitted Amanda Nunes to become the new bantamweight champion, her friend Tate said she thought of dropping down to women’s flyweight. If she does drop down in weight, the Brazilian Andrade would love that fight.
“I recently read that Miesha is thinking about the idea of going down to 125 pounds and I would love to be her first opponent in this new weight class,” Andrade told MMA Fighting. “Maybe she never thought about it, but I entered the UFC because of her, when she went to shoot TUF with Ronda [Rousey] and withdrew from a fight with Liz Carmouche, and I was signed as her replacement.”
Image Credit: Zhe Ji/Getty Images
As JéssicaAndrade said, she and Miesha Tate were both fighting at bantamweight when Andrade joined the UFC. Yet, after going 3-3, she dropped down to strawweight and eventually claimed UFC gold.
After losing her belt and then dropping the rematch to Rose Namajunas, she moved up to women’s flyweight. She quickly made her mark with a TKO win over Katlyn Chookagian and got a title shot but lost to Valentina Shevchenko.
In Andrade’s last fight, she TKO’d Cynthia Calvillo. But given the fact that she just lost to champion Valentina Shevchenko, she is in a weird position because she likely won’t get a title shot anytime soon.
With that, Andrade would love to face the former bantamweight champ in Tate, as she believes it would be an interesting fight for the fans that is years in the making.
“[Tate and I] went different directions in the organization, but I followed her this entire time in the UFC when I still competed at 135,” Andrade said. “She won the 135 belt right after I dropped to 115. I believe that a fight between a former strawweight champion and a former bantamweight champion would be an interesting show for the fans.”
Would you like to see Jéssica Andrade vs. Miesha Tate?
Aspen Ladd thinks Miesha Tate’s criticism of her was for personal gain.
Aspen Ladd is still defending herself from the criticism thrown her way. Following her last outing at UFC Vegas 40, she took some judgment from fans and media because of the way her coach/boyfriend spoke to her during the fight.
Miesha Tate (Image Credit: Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
Ladd and Tate have been involved in multiple occasions of beef over the last few months. Ladd has her theory on why Tate has been going in on her.
“I think she looks at the world through the lens of her own experiences,” Ladd said to MMA Fighting. “I mean, we all do. I think she had a very, very negative experience with her past relationship and it became very public for a while. She was with a coach for a very long time and there was a lot of he said, she said going on there. And who knows? I don’t know.”
“She tends to comment on when other people are a little bit down and I’m not a fan of that style of being a person,” Ladd explained. “She’s trying to get views. It’s the world that we’re living in now, and media, social media, all of it, it’s like, ‘Well look at me.’ She’s trying to do something to garner that, and that’s totally fine, especially when it’s someone you want to fight—as long as they back up what they’re saying.”
Former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate has explained why she won’t be accepting a fight against Aspen Ladd anytime soon.
Tate returned to the UFC earlier this year after nearly five years in retirement. She originally stepped away from the sport following back-to-back losses to Amanda Nunes, which saw the 135-pound title leave her possession, and Raquel Pennington.
In the UFC Vegas 31 co-main event, Tate stepped out of retirement by sending veteran Marion Reneau into it. With a third-round TKO, the former champ announced her arrival back onto the bantamweight ladder. But her charge to the belt stalled at the hands of Ketlen Vieira last month. In the UFC Vegas 43 main event, Tate was comfortably beaten on the scorecards.
Despite Ladd, who went up to featherweight in her last outing, suggesting she intends on returning to 135 pounds to face Tate, “Cupcake” doesn’t share the same enthusiasm for the grudge match. In a video uploaded to her YouTube channel, the former 135-pound UFC titleholder responded to Ladd’s callout, stating she wouldn’t consider facing the #4-ranked bantamweight until she’s proven she can make the weight.
“Aspen Ladd has called me out to a fight at 135 pounds. I’m afraid that I’m going to waste an entire camp training for a fight that may very well end at the scale,” Tate explained. “Aspen Ladd has missed weight three times in her MMA career and one time she failed to make it to the fight due to weight cutting issues.
Aspen Ladd On the Scales
“So all in all four times. Go to PI (performance institute) show some kind of progression. If one of these other bantamweights wants to take that risk, then hats off to them. If Aspen Ladd can show up, make 135 pounds and have a good performance then we might be talking.” (h/t BJPenn.com)
Despite her setback against Vieira, Tate remains motivated to make her way back to the top of the mountain. However, with her friend and occasional teammate Julianna Peña now sitting on the throne, the 35-year-old suggested she could be forced to pursue the flyweight belt instead. If that happens, a clash between Tate and Ladd will become even more distant.
How do you think a fight between Miesha Tate and Aspen Ladd would play out?
Former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate is hoping to avoid a fight with her friend and reigning 135-pound titleholder Julianna Peña and could move down to flyweight to do so.
Last weekend, Peña proved the likes of Chael Sonnen and Cris Cyborg right and blew the minds of the rest of the MMA community by dethroning the seemingly unstoppable Amanda Nunes. Ahead of the UFC 269 co-main event, the challenger’s confidence and self-belief were branded as “delusional” by the champ and many fans, some of whom were left with shocked faces inside the T-Mobile Arena.
After a strong opening round for Nunes, “The Venezuelan Vixen” flew out the gate in the second, taking the fight to the “Lioness” on the feet. After hurting the Brazilian, Peña dragged her to the mat and forced a quick tap, completing one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXZNFgmMNXs/
Tate Could Pursue A Different Belt
Since the incredible result, talk has turned to Peña’s reign and future opponents. However, one of the biggest names in the division and a former titleholder doesn’t appear willing to face the newly-crowned champion if she works her way back to the belt.
Miesha Tate, a good friend and occasional training partner of “The Venezuelan Vixen,” is expecting Peña to retain the gold in her likely rematch with Nunes. With that could come a tricky scenario.
Despite maintaining aspirations of having a UFC strap wrapped around her waist again, “Cupcake” told MMA Junkie that she would rather avoid entering the Octagon with Peña. Tate even suggested she could pursue Valentina Shevchenko’s flyweight gold instead.
“A lot can change between now and then, so I have to win and do my job so I think what really I’ve got to do is win and focus on that. If Julie’s still the champion by the time that I get there, then I think that’s a conversation we have at that time. I’ve probably got to get two wins until I’m looking at a championship fight, at least, so I’ve got to focus on me and I’m going to continue to cheer on Julie and pray that we don’t ever have to fight each other.
Julianna Peña, Miesha Tate
“I know that Julianna can make 125 and I can make 125. There’s also those things too. It’s not out of the question for either of us to go hunting Valentina (Shevchenko) at some point. There’s lots of dynamics. I know she really wants that fight too so we’d have to see what happens if everything continues to play out in that direction. There’s always that possibility of us going to 125 for either of us too.”
As Tate mentioned, she’s likely a few wins away from arriving at the crossroads she’s fearing. After returning from retirement earlier this year with a victory over Marion Reneau, the former champ’s title charge was stalled last month in a main event loss to Ketlen Vieira. Now sat at #7 in the rankings, Tate will be after a couple of wins over top names before entering contention again.
But while stating her trepidation at moving down a division and her desire to remain at bantamweight, the 35-year-old admitted a transition to the 125-pound weight class is not out of the question while Peña is on the throne.
“It’s something I’ve definitely thought about, but I definitely don’t want people thinking that I’m running at 135,” Tate said. “I hate the idea of leaving a division on a loss. It really bugs me. Something really bothers me about that, leaving the division on a loss. It’s something I’ve thought about, but at the same time, I feel like I need more time to digest all of that. It’s not out of the question by any means, but it would be a long process to get down to 125. I’ve been pretty vocal that I’m not a fan of big weight cuts, so I would probably have to do some things to change my body to get down to that weight, but it’s not something that’s way out in left field.
Miesha Tate
“It’s definitely something I feel like it would be an option. I just have to decide to. I’m definitely leaning toward staying at 135 especially given the change-ups, but it’s definitely not something out of the question.”
While the situation is something to think about for the future, former champ Nunes will be looking to save the pair from the hassle of avoiding a matchup with each other by immediately reclaiming the title. The Brazilian has the option of a rematch and appears more than willing to run it back with the first woman to beat her since Cat Zingano in 2014.
If Nunes doesn’t recapture the bantamweight throne, though, and Tate records a few triumphs over names like Irena Aldana; Holly Holm; and Aspen Ladd, who’s made her desire to face Tate known; perhaps we’ll be seeing “Cupcake” making a tough cut down to flyweight before her career is done.
How do you think Miesha Tate would fare against flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko?
Aspen Ladd has her sights set on a return to bantamweight.
The past few months have been a bit drama-filled for UFC’s Aspen Ladd. She missed weight, made weight in another division, made some enemies, and lost a fight. Now, she is in the process of getting herself back on track and she has a good idea of where she would like to head next, back to bantamweight and against Miesha Tate.
“I think she’s definitely stirred the pot quite a bit,” Ladd said of Tate. “We all have life experiences, right? But without knowing what’s happened to another person, you can’t just apply, like, your triggers and what’s wrong with you to them. She has a tendency to see the world through what’s happened to her in the past.”
“I don’t want to talk sh-t, but I definitely want that fight,” Ladd said. “You said some things; let’s go handle this like adults here.”
Tate is coming off a loss to Ketlen Vieira on Nov. 20. This was the first loss suffered by Tate since returning to the UFC following the birth of her children and a brief retirement. Tate is currently sitting in the #7 spot of the official bantamweight rankings. With Ladd at number four, it could be a fight that Tate is willing to take.
Do you want to see Ladd and Tate settle their beef inside the Octagon?
