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Miesha Tate: Referee Kim Winslow Is ‘Literally Ruining People’s Lives’

If there was any question over whether or not upcoming UFC women’s bantamweight title challenger Miesha Tate still had a bone to pick with referee Kim Winslow, there wasn’t after her recent interview on SiriusXM Fight Club.
“Cupcake…

If there was any question over whether or not upcoming UFC women’s bantamweight title challenger Miesha Tate still had a bone to pick with referee Kim Winslow, there wasn‘t after her recent interview on SiriusXM Fight Club.

“Cupcake” went off on a hateful tirade on the oft-criticized ref, clearly still salty over her TKO loss to Cat Zingano on the The Ultimate Fighter‘s Season 17 finale in April (transcription via MMA Fighting):

There’s no way in hell I’d let Kim Winslow referee another fight of mine. I think she’s horrible. I think some people who are not fighters and watch that fight and are like cringe ’cause they don’t have the fighter mentality and can never possibly understand it and that’s why they’re sitting in the stands. That’s why I’m the one out there fighting, and I can tell you right now I wasn’t done. …

I was so pissed when she stopped the fight. The first thing I did was look up at her and say, ‘Why did you stop the fight?’ And [Winslow] goes, ‘Because your face is a mess.’ I’m like, seriously? That’s why you stopped the fight? Your face is a mess and they still let you work. That’s what I felt like saying to her. I was like, are you serious right now?

That’s just a small excerpt of Tate’s rant, in which she also said that Winslow was like a “yippy Chihuahua” as she shouted commands excessively during the fight in question.

The former Strikeforce champion believes Winslow should not be officiating MMA fights at all, but if she has to, she should be relegated to amateur bouts because “she’s literally ruining people’s lives.”

In the second women’s fight in UFC history, Tate controlled Zingano with her takedowns and ground-and-pound for two rounds and appeared to be well on her way to a unanimous decision victory.

However, Zingano went for broke in the final frame, outstriking Tate on her feet and bloodying her with a series of knees.

Winslow called the fight off as Tate attempted another takedown, one of the primary reasons the 26-year-old believes the action should have continued.

After compiling a six-fight win streak between October 2009 and July 2011, Tate has lost two of her past three bouts, including one in which she lost her Strikeforce belt to Ronda Rousey in March of last year.

Nevertheless, Tate will have a chance to avenge her loss to Rousey—the current UFC women’s bantamweight champ—at UFC 166, which takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 28.

After Zingano suffered a knee injury in training, Tate was tapped as a last-minute replacement to coach opposite Rousey for season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter, the first season that features both male and female competitors.

Is Tate’s bashing of Winslow fair criticism of the controversial referee or is this just more sour grapes over a reasonable stoppage?

John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com.

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5 Reasons to Look Forward to the Weidman vs. Silva Rematch

You may be surprised that the author of “Anderson Silva Should Not Receive an Immedaite Rematch” would write this article. But despite one’s own feelings on “The Spider” receiving an immediate rematch, only a fool would not be e…

There are seemingly countless variables that add intrigue into the bout. From the shaping of the middleweight division to the fight itself, Silva vs. Weidman II is likely to push anticipation to the limit. Regardless of the outcome, both men have created an ever-cresting wave of interest that has more than just the hardcore fans talking.

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Anderson Silva’s Legacy Will Be on the Line in Rematch with Chris Weidman

Anderson Silva is arguably the greatest fighter the UFC has ever seen, but that doesn’t mean his legacy is bulletproof.
The 38-year-old is fresh off of suffering his first-ever UFC loss earlier this July (Silva’s first UFC fight was in June 2006) follo…

Anderson Silva is arguably the greatest fighter the UFC has ever seen, but that doesn’t mean his legacy is bulletproof.

The 38-year-old is fresh off of suffering his first-ever UFC loss earlier this July (Silva’s first UFC fight was in June 2006) following a second-round knockout defeat at the hands of Chris Weidman. The Spider would surrender his UFC middleweight title in the process.

To quickly put Weidman‘s victory in perspective, Silva had successfully defended the middleweight crown a record 10 straight times before the stunning loss on July 6 in Las Vegas.

But even though Silva deserves tons of credit for dominating the middleweight division over the past few years and taking out challenger after challenger, he’s in danger of hurting his legacy with back-to-back losses to Weidman.

An agreement has been reached and the two men will square off in a rematch in the main event at UFC 168 in December, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole.

While Weidman will enter as the favorite after defeating Silva in convincing fashion at UFC 162, the latter has more to lose. Sure, Silva has been champion long enough, but two consecutive losses for the first time in his professional career could have some second-guessing his past accomplishments and would no doubt taint his legacy.

Clearly, Silva is closing in on the twilight of his career, but as several athletes have demonstrated in the past, it’s often times how you finish that counts when it comes to how you are remembered and whether you’re revered.

An impressive victory over Weidman in December would have many labeling Silva’s loss at UFC 162 a fluke and would allow the Spider to pump some much-needed air into his legacy. But another convincing defeat could have a similar effect, only negative.

A second straight Weidman win would reaffirm what many are now thinking: Silva’s run in the middleweight division is all but over.

His 16 straight UFC victories and 10 consecutive successful title defenses would become ancient history and those fans who have recently discovered the UFC would remember him for his vulnerability and inability to protect and win back the crown rather than his reign of invincibility.

It’s not fair to judge Silva’s legacy on one fight, but there’s no question that a second straight loss following a 16-0 start would severely damage the Brazilian superstar’s legacy.

Silva’s UFC records may be safe, but his legacy will be in serious danger at UFC 168.

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter.

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Anderson Silva’s Legacy Will Be on the Line in Rematch with Chris Weidman

Anderson Silva is arguably the greatest fighter the UFC has ever seen, but that doesn’t mean his legacy is bulletproof.

To quickly put Weidman‘s victory in perspective, Silva had successfully defended the middleweight crown a record 10 straight times before the stunning loss on July 6 in Las Vegas.

An agreement has been reached and the two men will square off in a rematch in the main event at UFC 168 in December, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole.

A second straight Weidman win would reaffirm what many are now thinking: Silva’s run in the middleweight division is all but over.

It’s not fair to judge Silva’s legacy on one fight, but there’s no question that a second straight loss following a 16-0 start would severely damage the Brazilian superstar’s legacy.

Silva’s UFC records may be safe, but his legacy will be in serious danger at UFC 168.

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Chael Sonnen: Anderson Silva Will Never Beat Chris Weidman

Two-time UFC middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen thinks current divisional champion, Chris Weidman, has Anderson Silva’s number, regardless how many more times they fight.
Talking to Dave Meltzer and MMA Fighting, “The American Gangster” v…

Two-time UFC middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen thinks current divisional champion, Chris Weidman, has Anderson Silva‘s number, regardless how many more times they fight.

Talking to Dave Meltzer and MMA Fighting, “The American Gangster” voiced his opinion that the legendary Silva’s time at the top has come and gone.

“Well, here’s what you’ve got to understand, he got knocked out cold,” said Sonnen. “It’s not like a Mike Tyson fight where you get hit, you stay down until the ref counts ten, and then get right back up. Silva had two choices in that fight. He’d have fought serious and got beaten up, or he’d clown around and get beaten up. That’s not me speaking out against Anderson. He’s excellent. But Anderson’s not Chris Weidman and he’s never going to be.”

Weidman handed Silva his first knockout loss in 38 career fights at UFC 162. It snapped Silva’s 17-fight win streak, which included 10 successful title defenses of the UFC middleweight strap.

The bout did reach a clear resolution to some. Silva excessively taunted “The All-American” throughout the matchup, leaving his chin wide open for the finishing blow early in the second round.

Clearly, Sonnen does not believe his former Brazilian rival’s antics made a difference one way or another. Sonnen, who says he’s now a full-time 205-pounder, gave an ambiguous answer on whether or not “The Spider” is past his prime.

Again, what is clear is that Sonnen doesn’t believe Silva will ever be able to avenge his loss to Weidman.

“I don’t know if he’s in the downside of his career,” he said. “He’s just not Chris Weidman. He just stuck around too long and the next generation is here. There are guys who can beat him, but only a couple of guys. He’s a top ten fighter, actually he’s ranked No. 2, but he’s not going to beat a 28-year-old All-American wrestler named Chris Weidman. That’s not going to happen.”

UFC President Dana White announced Weidman vs. Silva II on SportsCenter last week. The rematch takes place at UFC 168 on December 28, once again at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

While many fans and analysts believe Silva will easily defeat Weidman in the rematch if he taken seriously, Sonnen strongly disagrees with that theory.

Of course, Sonnen, a former All-American wrestler in his own right, isn’t the most unbiased party in the matter. He battled Silva for the middleweight title on two occasions, UFC 117 and UFC 148, getting finished both times despite showcasing his superior takedowns and top control in each matchup.

After getting crushed by champ Jon Jones at UFC 159 in April, Sonnen looks to show he is still relevant at light heavyweight with a victory over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC Fight Night on Fox Sports 1 in August.

John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC: What Is a Realistic Expectation for Chris Weidman, Middleweight Champion?

Almost two weeks after the fact, and people are still talking: Chris Weidman did the impossible. He beat Anderson Silva.
He’s going to have to do it again, as he’ll headline against the best of all time once again at UFC 168 in December.
Bu…

Almost two weeks after the fact, and people are still talking: Chris Weidman did the impossible. He beat Anderson Silva.

He’s going to have to do it again, as he’ll headline against the best of all time once again at UFC 168 in December.

But for the first guy not named Silva to be middleweight champion since 2006, the MMA world might want to calibrate its expectations for his reign.

Is he going to break Silva’s record for title defenses?

Is he going to even beat Silva again in December?

Is he going to end up somewhere in between?

If the oddsmakers are to be believed, it’s not likely that the last two are going to happen. He’s probably going to lose to Silva in December, which makes that last option moot. However, in fairness to the guy who just became the top 185-pound dog in the yard, one could probably expect more.

It was hard for the world to consider it possible, even as Georges St-Pierre and Gray Maynard assured them it was on every TV spot out there, but Weidman toppling Silva happened—and it could happen again.

That’s where the realistic expectations begin.

Weidman is not a good matchup for Silva. He can wrestle, he’s a decorated grappler and his striking is good and getting better. You’ve heard all that before because that’s how the first fight was sold, but now you’ve seen it, too.

Silva has seen it, too.

But at 38 years old and coming off the first KO loss of his career, it’s conceivable that this fight was the changing of the guard at middleweight. It’s conceivable that this could be the end of Silva as a champion. It happens to all the greats, whether fans and fanboys want to admit it, and it will eventually happen to Silva. Everybody gets old.

If Silva has suddenly become old, or even worse, human, there’s a realistic possibility that Weidman could put a permanent stamp on things with another win at UFC 168.

Should he do that—and it’s much easier to write down the words than it is for him to go out and defend his new title—the sky is basically the limit.

The New Yorker is young and good at everything, a great representative of what the modern mixed martial artist is supposed to be. Truthfully, aside from Silva, it’s hard to envision anyone who’s got the tools to best him inside the cage at this point.

It’s hard to envision because he’s good, and he’s only getting better.

That’s not to say he’ll never lose or that he’ll challenge Silva’s record for title defenses. Champions exist to be beaten, and in MMA, it often happens when you least expect it.

But it’s surely reasonable to expect him to hold onto the title for a few years and look good doing it, because that’s been his career trajectory to date.

The biggest hurdle to that? Beating Silva a second time. That may be the least realistic thing out of it all.

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