Former UFC bantamweight champion, Miesha Tate, is making her highly-anticipated return to the division where she once held the throne. She’s slated to face Julia Avila in a bantamweight bout scheduled for December 2nd at an upcoming UFC Fight Night. The news, initially reported by MMA Mania, marks her comeback to the 135-pound weight class after a brief stint in the flyweight division.
Tate ventured into flyweight territory to take on Lauren Murphy at UFC Fight Night: Yair Rodriguez vs. Brian Ortega, but the outing ended in a unanimous decision loss. In her last bantamweight appearance back in November 2021, Tate faced Ketlen Vieira. Her return to the sport came after a five-year retirement following consecutive losses to Raquel Pennington and Amanda Nunes.
Miesha Tate vs. Julia Avila in the works for December UFC Fight Night (via @DrakeRiggs_, @AlexBehunin)https://t.co/wR18HBuQPK
— MMA Mania (@mmamania) September 20, 2023
Miesha Tate vs. Julia Avila Scheduled for December 2nd UFC Bout
Avila is making her return to the Octagon after nearly 24 months since her last victory. Originally slated to face Pennington in December 2021, she suffered a significant injury that necessitated an extensive period of rehabilitation.
Prior to her injury, Avila had an impressive UFC record, securing three wins out of her first four fights. Among her victories was a notable finish of Gina Mazany in June 2020. During her UFC tenure, she also emerged victorious against Julija Stoliarenko and Pannie Kianzad.
As of now, the headliner for the December 2nd event has not been officially announced, and there are rumors that the card will be hosted at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
