Miesha Tate: I Won’t Break Like Ronda Rousey Did Against Holly Holm
It has been two weeks since Holly Holm beat Ronda Rousey to become the new UFC bantamweight champion at UFC 193, but that has not stopped Miesha Tate from calling her out for a title fight.
By now we all know that Tate was originally supposed to fight Ronda Rousey, but those plans were scrapped after the UFC booked Holm against Ronda Rousey at UFC 193. Since Tate cannot fight Rousey next for the title, so now she wants Holm.
“Here’s why I think the fight with Holly and I makes sense — for one, I haven’t ever fought Holly before. For two, I was Ronda’s biggest challenge until Holly so obviously I’ve proven that I’m a standout in the division and so is Holly,” Tate told FOX Sports. “If Holly would beat me, then they could still set up that great rematch that they want between her and Ronda. If I beat Holly then I’m 5-0, and I beat the girl who beat Ronda, what better case could they ever make to have me fight Ronda again? I think that fight sells itself.”
Tate then explained that she feels Rousey broke in her fight with Holm, but if given the opportunity, she believes that it will not happen to her if she fights Holm.
“I don’t see myself breaking ever in a fight, and I think Ronda was broken in that fight. It’s just different. I think I’m more comfortable on the feet and not to say that I think I’m a better striker than Holly, I wouldn’t venture that far by any means, but I think I’m more patient and I don’t think I would be quite as desperate to run in like a bull chasing a matador. It’s about time, it’s about experience and I think that the fight is an entirely different matchup and I like that matchup with Holly. I think it would make a fantastic fight.”
“The only reason I didn’t get that title shot was because I had fought Ronda twice already. That was it. Other than that, I am the No. 1 contender. I’ve been the No. 1 contender and I worked my ass off to get to be the No. 1 contender,” Tate said. “In my mind, I think this fight should go to me in the mean time in maybe three months and then as Ronda’s filming her movie and getting what she needs to get to recover. I think for Ronda’s first fight back, if she wants it to be a title shot, I think that it should be because I think she’s earned that.
“The thing is she’s going to be out too long and I’m ready to go and I think Holly’s ready to go so let’s set it up in the meantime. When Ronda comes back she’ll have a quality champion to face.”
Tate (17-5) is currently on a four-fight winning streak. In her last six bouts, she’s 4-2.
Rousey and Holm are rumored to fight each other sometime in 2016.
