Miesha Tate is still holding onto that dream of fighting Ronda Rousey a third time.
Rousey holds two submission finishes over Tate. In their first encounter back in 2012, Rousey secured the first-round armbar to capture the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Title. Rousey retained her UFC 135-pound gold in the 2013 rematch with Tate, securing a third-round armbar finish.
Miesha Tate Wants Third Fight With Ronda Rousey
During an interview with ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, Tate admitted that she’s been thinking about Rousey as of late and she hopes that they can fight again.
“It was just one of those things I was thinking about when you talk about long-term goals. I know she’s retired and she just had a baby. That’s all fine and dandy but man, it would be a dream come true if she came back and I could fight her one more time. I know I have what it takes to beat Ronda Rousey.
“She knew part of the kryptonite for me in my former relationship was causing the rift between him [Bryan Caraway] and I, so that everything was unstable in the personal life. Having the rivalry and the extra pressure of somebody that you’re with day in and day out was such a detriment to me that I think I went into those fights so congested in my mind. I really wasn’t able to be just fighting her. I was also fighting myself, I was also fighting my relationship, I was also fighting all these extenuating circumstances.”
Tate Has Goal To Get A Title Shot in 2022, Can Spice Up the Division Little Bit
“Women’s in the (bantamweight division) they’re are gunning for me you know as much as they’re gunning for Amanda (Nunes). Because they know if they fight me, you know there is a way towards the title right. If they get pass me, I know that’s what they’re thinking, that’s what I would be thinking. Tate said.”
UFC Didn’t Offer Me Holly Holm Fight
“UFC never came to me and asked me if I wanted to fight Holly, but my thoughts are still the same. I mean ideally, I want to fight Ketlen, I want to get a win. Maybe one more fight but perhaps Amana (Nunes) next after that and then I would love to fight Holly (Holm) have her fight me for the belt and trustfully she should want that too because I don’t know If she gets a title again, If I am not the champion. So If we fight each other before that you know it’s kind of like she might not ever get that again. I think it would just be a perfect story because I came in and you know and I got the bell from her she was the champ then. If I am the champ she gets to have a that fight against me.”
“I gotta focus on Ketlen Vieira fight on November 20th but you know I always look a little bit in the future of like what’s the perfect case scenario for the next year for me. What would that longterm plan look like, well beat Ketlen, beat Amanda (Nunes), fight Holly (Holm).”
Tate is back in the saddle after retiring back in 2016. Her comeback fight was a success, defeating Marion Reneau via third-round TKO. Tate will take on Ketlen Vieira this Saturday (Nov. 20) in the main event of UFC Vegas 43.
As for Rousey, she has remained retired from the MMA world. Rousey moved on to WWE where she had a solid, albeit brief run.
