Miesha Tate remains one of the most important fighters in the history of women’s MMA.
“Cupcake” held world titles in both Strikeforce and UFC, coached Season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), and helped lead longtime rival Ronda Rousey to unprecedented levels of fame. But over the last few years, Tate has struggled to stay consistent after emerging from her premature retirement.
“My goal is not to give up on myself, or quit on myself before the time for change is actually here,” Tate said at the UFC Austin media day. “A lot of people will look at my record and say, ‘she lost her last two and she should retire.’ I hear these words and I want to throw it out there for anybody, never to quit on themselves based on what other people say, and never too early. Really give it your all.”
After a failed experiment at 125 pounds, the 37 year-old Tate (19-9) will make her bantamweight return against “Raging Panda” Julia Avila as part of the upcoming UFC Austin MMA event on ESPN and ESPN+, scheduled for this Sat. night (Dec. 2, 2023) at Moody Center in Austin, Texas.
A fight that could mark her final appearance inside the Octagon.
“At some point this chapter is going to close, and I certainly think that I’m much closer to the end of it than I ever have been before,” Tate continued. “It didn’t stop with my last fight. I don’t know if it’ll stop after this fight. I really feel like any fight at any point could be my final fight, and I’m okay with that because I built an emperor-worthy life. Wins and losses don’t define me anymore.”
To see who else is fighting at UFC Austin click here.