With a match coming up next month at UFC 200, Miesha Tate, the current women’s bantamweight champ, isn’t talking about who you would expect her to be talking about — her opponent Amanda Nunes.
Instead, she’s focusing on the person who all of America wants her to talk about: former bantamweight champion, and larger than life icon, Ronda Rousey.
In an interview with The Exchange on UFC Fight Pass (transcribed by MMAjunkie), Tate said of Rousey, “Do I think she’ll come back the same? Something tells me no…I think that’s just my take on the interviews I’ve seen her do. I feel like she’s somewhere else other than fighting. I don’t feel like this is her number one drive anymore.”
Tate’s comments mainly refer to the beating Holly Holm dished out to Rousey last November. Since that fight, Rousey has been dealing with a lingering head injury and has not garnered much press.
Though Rousey’s status is in question, given her competitive drive, track record and overall fitness level, it’s fair to expect that Rousey will be in the ring sometime soon. That’s why it might not have been so wise for Tate, someone who is 0-2 career against Rousey, to call her out.
Simply put, the last thing Tate needs is for Rousey to have any more bulletin board material.
