Former Bantamweight champion, Miesha Tate has not stepped into the octagon for more almost 5 years. The UFC women bantamweight fighter decided to retire after her two consecutive losses against Raquel Pennington and Amanda Nunes in 2016. Recently she decided to come out of retirement and regain her throne.
Miesha Tate is scheduled to fight Marion Reneau on July 17. The former champ recently gave an interview to MMA Junkie. She spoke about her goals and the reason why she came out of retirement. She has a stunning record of 18-7-0. Her last victory was a significant one against Holly Holm.
“I know everybody thinks I’m so crazy because they’re like, ‘What is she doing, taking four years off and coming back, thinking she can beat Amanda?’ But I’ve always been that way,” Tate told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’m always going to believe in myself. I’m always going to shoot for the moon, and if I miss I, land among the stars.”
“I really do. I’m excited to show you guys on July 17 because this is going to be Miesha Tate 2.0. This is a different Miesha Tate when I have a good support system behind myself. I’m not exhausted going into training camps, I’m not exhausted going into fights, I’m not depressed,” said Miesha Tate.
Miesha Tate believes that she has a strong opponent coming up for her
Miesha Tate will be facing the #12 ranked UFC women’s bantamweight fighter. Marion Reneau is 43 years old and the fight against Tate might be her retirement fight. “She’s done some really great things. She’s a black belt in jiu-jitsu and she’s never been finished, too. She’s tough. So I think people are going to be like, ‘Oh, she’s lost four in a row – Miesha should smoke her.’ But maybe they’re not looking at it that way.
I don’t know. But that’s what I feel like people are going to look at it like, ‘She’s better.’ So I’ve just got to be really on point for this fight. It’s a must-win situation for me. I don’t look at it any other way,” says Tate in the interview. Miesha Tate is not looking to underestimate Marion. “I know she’s lost her last four, but she came very close in two of the losses and everybody looks at it like, ‘Oh, she lost her last four.’
That’s a lot of pressure because she’s not a bad fighter. She’s a good fighter. She really is, and in very closely contested losses a lot of the time. She submitted Sara McMann, (and) hurt her with a good right hand first. She submitted Jessica Andrade with a triangle choke.”
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