Jessica Eye put up a hard fight against Miesha Tate on Saturday, but ultimately Tate was announced the winner with a score of 30-27. Now, depending on the outcome of a fight between Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correia in August, Miesha may just get another chance to come out the victor after losing twice to Rousey.
Rousey has defeated her last three opponents in a combined time of 96 seconds, but Tate says she isn’t intimidated. For her, this could be a chance to prove herself after two losses to Rousey’s famous armbar.
“I could never give up on myself. That would be sad. Especially if you’re a role model like I want to be for others. How could I tell others not to give up on themselves if I gave up on myself? You pick yourself up, learn more, get better and try again. As for this fight, I think Ronda brings out the best in me. I feel as though I learn every time we fight. I think the third time will be the charm,” Tate told Fox Sports.
While Jessica Eye called Miesha an “easy equation” before the fight, Tate didn’t make the mistake of underestimating her opponent, calling her “dangerous.”
“She’s dangerous, and she’s good in a lot of different areas and I think she’s pretty well-rounded. I really think her biggest strength is on her feet. She has some of the best boxing in the women’s bantamweight division. She has good footwork, she has great head movement and she has accurate punches. Those are essential things to be a good striker. So would I say Jessica is a good striker, yeah, I would. But I feel I’m the better, more well-rounded mixed martial artist. I also feel I’m the more powerful athlete. Sometimes, when Jessica punches, they don’t all matter. But when I hit you, I feel like, ‘It might be one, but it’s going to count,’” Tate said.
If Ronda Rousey comes out the victor in the August 1 bout against Correia, Tate will get her wish, but she’s got a lot of odds stacked against her. Rousey, who is currently undefeated, has been called the “most dangerous woman living in the world.”
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