UFC News: Miesha Tate Would Fight Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Justino At A Catchweight

There’s really only one dream match in women’s MMA, and that’s Ronda Rousey vs. Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino. However, with Rousey unwilling to move up to Cyborg’s weight class, and with Cyborg unable to move down to Rousey’s, the fight between the two may never happen. But, we could end up getting the next best thing, as Miesha Tate says that she’d be willing to fight Cyborg at a catchweight of 140 pounds.

Tate said during a recent Q&A that, while a fight with “Cyborg” isn’t in her immediate plans, she would be open to fighting the dominant Invicta featherweight.

“It all started at a fan Q&A in Manila when a fan asked me if I would fight ‘Cyborg’ at 140 because Ronda wasn’t willing to. I said, ‘Of course I would.’ It has to make sense, but I would do it. Then the media took it and ran saying I challenged ‘Cyborg,’ and Cris took it very positively. She knows what I meant. Her and I are friends. It’s nothing personal, but it’s the kind of attitude a fighter should have because it’s a challenge and I wouldn’t run away from it.”

“I think her and I are on the same page that if that opportunity presented itself at 140, we would both accept the fight. As far as the logistics of it, I have no idea how that would work with the UFC. Obviously I’m fighting with the UFC, so I’m not going to leave to go over to Invicta and do a catchweight. It would have to happen inside the UFC octagon. They would have to agree to put on a catchweight of 140, which I don’t even know if they really do that anymore or if they would do that.”

As for right now, Miesha Tate is focused her fight that’s taking place on Saturday night against Jessica Eye. Some are saying that if Tate defeats Eye, she could get the next shot at the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey, which she badly wants.

If Rousey and Tate fight again, it would be the third time, with Rousey winning each of the previous two encounters by submission via armbar, and while most fans wouldn’t exactly be dying to see the two of them collide for a third time, Tate is the only one of Rousey’s opponents who has made it out of the first round with her. Furthermore, if Tate wins this weekend and if Rousey destroys Bethe Correia on August 1, there’s really no one else out there for Rousey to fight, and the UFC isn’t just going to have Rousey sit on the sidelines until there is.

[Image via Mitch Viquez / Getty Images]