Miesha Tate Should Be Commended for Taking a Brave Stand

The idea that Miesha Tate—by most metrics the UFC’s second-most popular female fighter—could walk away from the sport at 29 years old is nearly unfathomable.
And yet, that’s exactly what could be on the horizon.
It all started when Tate was…

The idea that Miesha Tate—by most metrics the UFC’s second-most popular female fighter—could walk away from the sport at 29 years old is nearly unfathomable.

And yet, that’s exactly what could be on the horizon.

It all started when Tate was bypassed for a title shot against Ronda Rousey. She’d handily beaten Jessica Eye this summer in what was billed as a title eliminator. Afterwards, UFC president Dana White confirmed Tate had earned another title shot. Tate, who had already lost to Rousey twice, had worked her way back to the summit of her division. She had a four-fight winning streak.

But promises and guarantees made by the UFC are a tenuous thing. There have been countless instances of a fighter being promised something, only to have it taken away when White or someone else in the UFC brass changed their minds. A promise from the UFC is sometimes worthless.

Tate found this out the hard way when White changed his mind a few weeks later. She was bypassed for the championship fight in favor of former boxing champion Holly Holm. The fight was announced on Good Morning America, and Tate heard about the news in the worst way possible: from concerned friends and from media texting her to ask for a comment. She wasn’t even extended the courtesy of hearing the bad news from her boss.

Tate probably should’ve known better than to count on something she was told—especially by White, a promoter who will say anything he feels necessary in the moment, whether it is true or not—but it is easy to see this from her point of view. Her fight was marketed as a title eliminator, and she won, and then she was told she’d get the next title shot. Then everything changed, and she went from having earned the shot to needing one or two more fights to get there.

Most fighters in this position would likely complain for a bit, but then they’d shut up and move on, because finding yourself in a war of words with your boss isn’t the best career move. And in the past, Tate might’ve done the same thing. But as it turns out, she’s tired of being quiet. On Monday, she appeared on The MMA Hour and told host Ariel Helwani that unless the UFC made big changes in the way they handle her career, she’s more than willing to walk away from the sport.

I just got really depressed, honestly. I wasn’t very happy or very motivated at that moment, I didn’t know what to think, so it took me a couple weeks to kind of wrap my mind around it and get back up on the horse and start training again, and start thinking about what I want to do. Then I heard Dana White announce, ‘Miesha is one more fight away,’ and I’m like, okay, shoot, it’s not what I wanted but one more fight isn’t that bad. And then he’s like, ‘oh, she’s still a few more fights away.’ I see another headline come out. I’m like, what is going on here? Like, realistically, you seem to be reneging on the entire thing, and I don’t know what’s going on. One fight? Two fights? How many fights, if ever?

I think the handling of it stings more than anything. I just felt like it was poorly handled. I’ve been a professional, I’ve been a team player with the UFC. I’ve always been a company woman. I just felt a little bit frustrated that it wasn’t handled differently.

And now she’s voicing her frustration in a very public manner. These things usually don’t end well for the fighter, because the UFC holds much of the power in all negotiations. Tate said she will be sitting down with White later this month, just the two of them, to hammer out the issues between them. But if they aren’t taken care of to her liking, she’ll retire.

One of Tate’s major issues is the discrepancy in pay between her and Rousey. Rousey, the UFC’s biggest star, reportedly made $6 million just from her fight purses last year, according to Forbes. Tate said she made “nowhere near that,” and it is frustrating for her. In the UFC’s defense, Rousey’s position in the sport ensures she will be paid far more than most athletes on the roster because she drives pay per view sales in a way nobody else does. But Tate is a popular fighter in her own right. Not on Rousey’s level, for sure, but popular enough that she should be earning far more than she is.

Her other issue is the fact that she’s facing better competition than Rousey and was still passed over for the title shot. Holm is ranked No. 7 in the latest UFC rankings. Tate is No. 1. Eye was in the top five when Tate beat her, and yet Holm was given the title shot. After giving Holm the title shot, the UFC offered Tate a fight with Amanda Nunes, who is currently ranked No. 3.

Something isn’t adding up.

Yes, Rousey has beaten Tate twice, but one of those fights happened in Strikeforce and is barely a blip in our memories at this point. A third fight between the two is absolutely marketable, regardless of what happened in the previous two fights. People tune in for Rousey fights regardless of her opponent, but there’s no way you can say with a straight face that a bout between Rousey and Tate isn’t marketable. It is. Especially when you consider the fact that Tate lasted longer with the champion than anyone else has.

A rumor sparked by Aljamain Sterling has circulated that Tate’s title shot might’ve been taken away as punishment for her boyfriend, bantamweight Bryan Caraway, turning down fights with both Urijah Faber and Sterling. There is no way to ever really confirm if that’s true or not, because White is likely the only person who knows, and he sure won’t admit it. But if it is true, then it’s an absolute shame and embarassment. The UFC can be petty and vindictive, but that is taking things to another level.

It would be a real shame if Tate isn’t able to patch things up with the UFC, if she retires from the sport at such a young age. But at the same time, she must be commended for taking a stand for something she believes in. So often fighters are content to stay quiet for fear they may lose their job for speaking out of turn. It is unfortunate Tate was driven to the point where she believes staying quiet is no longer a viable option, but it is also admirable she is taking a stand.

She is doing something that could help effect change in a positive way for the rest of the fighters on the UFC roster.

The hope is that the UFC will relent and treat her the way she wants to be treated. If they don’t, and if she does follow through on her promise to retire, then we’ll all have to hope that she did not take a stand in vain.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC’s Light Heavyweight Division Needs Jones vs. Cormier 2 Now More Than Ever

The numbers are in on Daniel Cormier’s fledgling reign over the UFC light heavyweight division and, well, they’re not great.
According to longtime MMA reporter Dave Meltzer, via Bloody Elbow’s Mookie Alexander, Cormier’s ep…

The numbers are in on Daniel Cormier’s fledgling reign over the UFC light heavyweight division and, well, they’re not great.

According to longtime MMA reporter Dave Meltzer, via Bloody Elbow’s Mookie Alexander, Cormier’s epic UFC 192 title defense against Alexander Gustafsson is expected to “finish in the ballpark of 250,000 [pay per view] buys.”

That ranks Cormier vs. Gustafsson among the worst selling 205-pound title fights of the UFC’s modern era, according to numbers curated by MMA Payout. Coupled with earlier estimates that Cormier’s win over Anthony Johnson for the vacant championship at UFC 187 did just 375,000 buys, the numbers represent lean times for the fight company’s traditional glamor division.

They also cast the importance of erstwhile champ Jon Jones in sharp relief.

After being stripped of his title and briefly suspended for his role in a hit-and-run accident, Jones was reinstated by the UFC last month. Ever since, he’s made no secret of his plan to reclaim his championship from Cormier. Matchmakers have yet to confirm the fight, but it’s as close to inevitable as things get in this unpredictable sport.

That’s great news on two fronts.

First, it will give fans the opportunity to see the two best light heavyweights in the world in the cage together at least one more time.

Second, it’s the only fight on the board that might return the 205-pound division to its once lofty heights.

These are the hallowed stomping grounds of Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz, after all. The 205-pound weight class has long served as the UFC’s marquee division, as the heavyweight ranks perennially remain too big a disaster to ever handle the spotlight.  

When Jones defeated Cormier in the pair’s first meeting at UFC 182 in January, the hotly contested grudge match garnered an estimated 800,000 PPV buys. That made it the top seller of Jones’ four-year reign as champion, and the UFC’s third bestselling event of 2015 so far.

Counting UFC 128 in March 2011, where Jones defeated Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the title, he’s averaged slightly more than 500,000 PPV buys during each of his last nine appearances in the Octagon. That’s pretty impressive, considering he plays to an audience that doesn’t always appreciate him, and his relationship with his employer has been known to run hot-and-cold.

Jones hasn’t always been regarded as a popular fighter, a rock-solid PPV draw or a good citizen, but when the UFC “indefinitely” took him out of the picture back in April, the MMA world abruptly realized how badly it needed him.

Cormier, meanwhile, is exactly what most people profess to want in a champion. He’s an intelligent, good-hearted family man with a near peerless amateur background. He has a harrowing personal story. He doesn’t take himself too seriously.

And yet the PPV-buying public can’t be bothered to watch the guy. Why that is remains something of a mystery—except that many fans view Cormier’s title reign as illegitimate. Jones never lost the belt and even though Cormier defeated Johnson for it earlier this year, most people still think of Jones as the rightful champ.

Making things worse for Cormier, Jones defeated him by hard-fought but clear-cut unanimous decision when they met at UFC 182.

Now, even those fans who’ve long disapproved of Jones may be voting with their pocketbooks for his right to remain champion until he loses his title fair and square inside the cage.

The upside, of course, is that if you’re a person who doubts Cormier’s claim to the throne, there’s no better outcome than to see him fight Jones again. That’s the chance the UFC has now: to settle all this controversy with an honest-to-goodness fistfight. Judging by the first, it figures to be a dandy, too.

The company just needs to hurry up and get the fight on paper.

The lead-up to the first Jones-Cormier fight was a study in the absurd, but at least it was an effective one. There were virgin ears offended (NSFW language), shoes thrown and one UFC public relations executive turned into the patron saint of the terrified.

When it was over, Jones was victorious and Cormier cried and we’d all more or less played our public parts to a tee. It wasn’t until later that we learned Jones had tested positive for cocaine during the lead up. A few months later he crashed his rented SUV into a pregnant woman’s car and then ran from the scene with a large wad of cash in his hand.

Now Jones is back from his UFC-mandated timeout and after an opening salvo that came off as worrying, he appears to be hinting at being a changed man:

Perhaps he also returns with a mandate as the only light heavyweight champion the UFC’s paying customers are interested in watching.

He and Cormier have wasted little time getting up to their old tricks again. At first glance, you might think watching the two bitter rivals call a do-over on their bad blood would rapidly grow tiresome, but so far it has been surprisingly entertaining.

There’s no telling exactly what Cormier meant to accomplish last week, when he told Jones he planned to show up at the grand opening of the new Team Jackson-Winkeljohn training facility. It was Halloween and clearly Cormier had no real intention of being there.

When he posted a badly Photoshopped picture of himself allegedly standing outside the building, he certainly meant it ironically. Unfortunately, irony and sarcasm seldom translate well into print, especially in 140 characters or less.

Jones, who lives and breathes on the Internet and therefore implicitly understands the medium, seemed to get the better of the exchange. He dispensed with the subtle and just called names. It was the better strategy.

In all, there were enough LOLs involved in their back-and-forth that their feud doesn’t feel stale yet, even the second time around.

That momentum likely can’t sustain itself for much longer, however.

The sooner the UFC gets this fight scheduled, the better. This week, Cormier inked a new eight-fight deal with the UFC but so far has been noncommittal about when he’ll be ready and willing to fight Jones. For their part, Jones’ team says they won’t allow Cormier to dictate terms of the rematch.

But all the elements are there. If Cormier and Jones can get fight again in a reasonable time, their bout will no doubt be one of the highlights of the UFC’s early 2016 slate.

It figures to be another crackerjack.

If we’re lucky, it will also bring a little glamor back to a light heavyweight division that sorely needs it.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Dear MMA Fighters: Never, *Ever* Attempt to Stop a Takedown Like This

As painful as it is to be knocked out via a Rock Bottom-style slam (or must be, I have no idea), at least you can take solace in the fact that, should that scenario befall you, you’d still more than likely get to walk away from the fight in one piece.

Thus, we come to option B for how to deal with a takedown/slam: The “Arm Resist Motion.” It’s an objectively terrible decision no matter how you look at it, yet also understandable given how we instinctively react to falling as a species. Unfortunately in MMA, it’s an instinct that usually results in a horrific injury like the one about to take place above, which happened during a middleweight contest between Pat McCrohan and Buck “Knuckles” Pineau at CES 31 over the weekend.

The post Dear MMA Fighters: Never, *Ever* Attempt to Stop a Takedown Like This appeared first on Cagepotato.

As painful as it is to be knocked out via a Rock Bottom-style slam (or must be, I have no idea), at least you can take solace in the fact that, should that scenario befall you, you’d still more than likely get to walk away from the fight in one piece.

Thus, we come to option B for how to deal with a takedown/slam: The “Arm Resist Motion.” It’s an objectively terrible decision no matter how you look at it, yet also understandable given how we instinctively react to falling as a species. Unfortunately in MMA, it’s an instinct that usually results in a horrific injury like the one about to take place above, which happened during a middleweight contest between Pat McCrohan and Buck “Knuckles” Pineau at CES 31 over the weekend.

Less than a minute into the fight, McCrohan snatched up his opponent for a big slam, leading Pineau to reach out and brace for impact. Rather than soften his landing, however, Pineau’s arm shattered like it was being used as a kickstand for a whale carcass, forcing him to instantaneously tap out in agony.

Tough luck, Knuckles (or as you’ll soon be known, “Stumpy”), but this is how we learn.

(Props: ZombieProphet)

The post Dear MMA Fighters: Never, *Ever* Attempt to Stop a Takedown Like This appeared first on Cagepotato.

Uninterrupted: Ronda Rousey Discusses Her Day in Australia

Ronda Rousey discusses her daily preparation, leading up to her fight on November 14 in Australia.  Uninterrupted is a platform that allows personalities to connect with fans on a much deeper level, with insight and content not fit for other platf…

Ronda Rousey discusses her daily preparation, leading up to her fight on November 14 in Australia.  

Uninterrupted is a platform that allows personalities to connect with fans on a much deeper level, with insight and content not fit for other platforms, media outlets or channels.

Interested fans get a unique perspective that brings them closer than ever to the personalities they care about.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Behold, the First “Rock Bottom” Knockout in MMA History [VIDEO]


(Hat tip: MiddleEasy)

I’ve been saying that more MMA fighters should start incorporating professional wrestling moves into their arsenal from the very moment that Anthony Pettis channeled Rey Mysterio Jr. to kick Ben Henderson in the face. Mixed martial arts is sports entertainment at the end of the day, and who among us wouldn’t pay to, even three times as much for a ticket if there was even the slightest chance of seeing a knockout via The Worm?

Goldy: “Scotty Too Hotty-esque in his fluidity is Demetrious Johnson, Joe.”

Rogan: “UN-BE-LIEV-A-BLE!!”

Thankfully, it appears that former Bellator bantamweight Luis Nogueira has been listening to my impassioned cries for change and delivered just that in the form of MMA’s first ever Rock Bottom KO.

Video after the jump. 

The post Behold, the First “Rock Bottom” Knockout in MMA History [VIDEO] appeared first on Cagepotato.


(Hat tip: MiddleEasy)

I’ve been saying that more MMA fighters should start incorporating professional wrestling moves into their arsenal from the very moment that Anthony Pettis channeled Rey Mysterio Jr. to kick Ben Henderson in the face. Mixed martial arts is sports entertainment at the end of the day, and who among us wouldn’t pay to, even three times as much for a ticket if there was even the slightest chance of seeing a knockout via The Worm?

Goldy: “Scotty Too Hotty-esque in his fluidity is Demetrious Johnson, Joe.”

Rogan: “UN-BE-LIEV-A-BLE!!”

Thankfully, it appears that former Bellator bantamweight Luis Nogueira has been listening to my impassioned cries for change and delivered just that in the form of MMA’s first ever Rock Bottom KO.

Video after the jump. 

On the undercard of last weekend’s Pancrase event, Nogueira effortlessly dispatched his journeyman opponent, Yuki “Brave Devil” Baba, with a hellacious slam that would’ve made Dwayne Johnson shed a tear and then wipe it up with a $1000 bill. Check out the finish below.

Now, I suppose you could *technically* write this off as just another run-of-the-mill slam KO, but I’d like to think that Nogueira had just finished watching a WWE Ultimate Rock Bottom Compilation in the locker room and decided to put theory to practice.

In any case, the win improved Nogueira to 20-4 overall and dropped Baba to 11-7. Now if Nogueira can go ahead and figure out a way to chokeslam his next opponent into a flaming casket, we’ll finally be making some progress with this while MMA thing.

The post Behold, the First “Rock Bottom” Knockout in MMA History [VIDEO] appeared first on Cagepotato.

Glover Teixeira vs. Patrick Cummins: A Head-to-Toe Breakdown

The UFC returns to your television screens this weekend, and all eyes are on the third matchup between Vitor Belfort and Dan Henderson. Going a bit unnoticed, however, is a top-10 light heavyweight tilt.
The co-main event between No. 4-ranked Glover Te…

The UFC returns to your television screens this weekend, and all eyes are on the third matchup between Vitor Belfort and Dan Henderson. Going a bit unnoticed, however, is a top-10 light heavyweight tilt.

The co-main event between No. 4-ranked Glover Teixeira and No. 9-ranked Patrick Cummins is arguably the most significant and meaningful bout on the card.

After dropping back-to-back fights against Jon Jones and Phil Davis, Teixeira bounced back in August with a submission win over Ovince Saint Preux in Nashville, Tennessee. The Brazilian gets to defend his home turf this weekend against his American opponent.

Cummins returned to action in August and upended Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante by third-round TKO. This will be his second consecutive trip to Brazil, so the hostile territory should not come into play.

How do these two size up against one another, and who will come out on top? Let’s take a look at the head-to-toe breakdown for Saturday’s co-main event. 

Begin Slideshow