Fans were a bit surprised to hear that Miesha Tate was returning to the Octagon after five years of retirement. Now she explains that decision, saying that she wants one more chance to become UFC champion again.
When Tate decided to hang up the gloves, she was riding a two fight losing streak. However she was just a single bout removed from being the champion, so it seemed to come out of nowhere.
Nevertheless, she decided to retire, even if her role working for ONE Championship kept her active in the sport. Fast forward five years, and after a bit of hinting at a comeback, she announced that she would be returning to take on Marion Reneau.
Previewing Marion Reneau Fight
Of course, fans are excited to see Miesha Tate fight anyone again, but the Marion Reneau fight in particular seemed to come out of nowhere. After all, Reneau said that she is retiring with this fight, after a tough four-fight losing streak.
Speaking in a recent interview, Miesha explained that she accepted this fight just because it is what the UFC offered. That said, she does have a lot of respect for Marion, and is honored to be her retirement fight.
“It was what the UFC said was available and I thought, ‘That’s fine with me. It’s been four years since I’ve fought. I think that Marion Reneau, she’s solid in every area. She has that triangle choke of Sara McMann. She’s dangerous from the bottom, she can strike well and it’s her retirement fight. So I guess when they asked her about it, she was very excited,” Tate said (h/t MMAFighting).
“I think Marion Reneau is great and when you know it’s your last fight, there’s going to be a lot of fire in there, a lot of passion because she’s obviously gonna want to go out on a win. She’s gonna put everything she has left in the gas tank because she’s not saving herself for the next fight.
“This is the tip of the hat, this is the final countdown for her, so I know she’s really gonna bring it, and for me I’ve got a lot to prove. I’ve got to shake of the five years and go out there and have a great performance and win and set off this second part of my career.”
Miesha Tate Wants Amanda Nunes Rematch
When Miesha Tate lost her bantamweight title, it was by brutal first round submission. Since then, Nunes has reigned over the 135lb division, establishing a legacy as the greatest women’s fighter of all time.
Despite Amanda’s continued reign, Miesha feels like she has figured out what it takes to beat Nunes in a rematch. So it is her hope that she will be able to put together enough wins for a title shot, and eventually become UFC champion again.
“I’ve got six fights on the contract, I’ve got two years that I know for sure I want to dedicate to this sport. But look, anything can happen off of one fight,” Tate said.
“I’ll be honest, I really don’t know exactly what to expect. That’s what’s so exciting for me… But I can tell you, for the next two years, that’s my plan, to be heavily involved in the sport. Obviously, I want to become a champion again…
“I’d love to run that one back. I would love to fight (Amanda Nunes) again because I know I have the style to beat her. I’m not at all gonna take anything away from her. She’s a scary woman and she hits like a man. I know that. I’ve been in there with her and I’ve seen what she’s done since then. But I know I have the style to beat her.”
📽️ "I want to become a champion again." 🏆
Miesha Tate (@MieshaTate) tells @RyanMcKinnell that she's looking at her return to MMA as a 2-year plan and discusses what she wants to accomplish the second time around. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/aZJWTLefeu
— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) March 25, 2021
Do you think Miesha Tate will be able to recapture the UFC bantamweight title? How do you think she will look in her return to the UFC?
