Gina Carano, Ronda Rousey Matchup ‘A Joke’ Says Miesha Tate
For some time now, there has been speculation, widely reported in the media, about a matchup between Gina Carano and Ronda Rousey and, of course, in MMA circles. But is it going to happen?
Not according to Former UFC title challenger Miesha Tate, who spoke to MMAjunkie Radio. Tate thinks that the very idea of a fight between the two woman is preposterous. After all, by what right does a bantamweight champion challenge a strikeforce veteran like Gina Carano?
According to Tate the very idea is, in her words, “a mockery of women’s MMA,” suggesting that it would hurt the great progress made in the female side of the UFC.
Tate said to the station: “I really feel that it’s just kind of a joke. It really is. Gina was a great fighter, and she’s a beautiful woman. Ronda is a great fighter, and she’s an attractive girl. But to say that Gina should be able to come in after five years of nothing and take on arguably the best female fighter ever? Come on.”
On top of that Miesha Tate feels that pitting Gina Carano against Ronda Rousey would take away creditability from the UFC’s decision to intoduce a woman’s division.
“Women’s MMA has been working to legitimize ourselves for so long, and we finally broke the ice, we’re finally in the UFC, and we’re getting some credibility. Don’t take that away by putting a fight together that is based entirely on looks and has little to nothing to do with skill set.”
UFC President Dana White and Ronda Rousey herself have both publicly stated that they have no problem with it going ahead.
Tate took issue with the fact that both Carano and Rousey are considered to be attractive woman and the fight would have little to do with credentials and more to do with looks.
“The only thing that drives that is they’re both attractive. It makes the women’s title hold no value. It makes it look like it’s a joke and they just put whatever’s going to sell. If we’re going to really legitimize women’s MMA as a sport and have it respected as a sport, then you have to treat it as such,” she said.
It remains to be seen whether or not a matchup between Gina Carano and Ronda Rousey will happen. The result of that fight will be an interesting one, even if most people agree the winner is a foregone conclusion.
