Ronda Rousey has declared hopes for a Cat Zingano victory when Zingano collides with Miesha Tate at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale , according to comments reported on Saturday by Inside MMA .
“I’ve had my eye on Cat for a while. She is one of the only other undefeated 135ers at the moment and so I’m very interested to see how that fight goes,” Rousey said. “I think it would be nice to have Cat win and just to have another name that’s kind of well known within the girls ranks.”
Rousey, the first UFC women’s champion, will be one-half of another first with The Ultimate Fighter 18 coming later this year. The other half will be decided by the winner of the Zingano-Tate fight on April 13.
Asked for a response and her thoughts on the opportunity to coach at The Ultimate Fighter 18 , Zingano said she loved coaching and had “a lot to offer” as one, but her focus remained on Tate.
“I have my eye on the prize, which is that world title. Miesha is the task at hand for right now, and that’s what I’m focusing on. I’m looking straight at her. I’m not looking past it,” Zingano said.
Given Rousey’s past with Miesha Tate, it’s not surprising the champ would want new blood since the opposing coach will also get a shot at her newly minted belt, which she “defended” against Liz Carmouche in the first ever women’s bout inside a UFC octagon at UFC 157 .
Prior to that win, Rousey met Tate at a March 2012 Strikeforce event, which was preceded by a weigh-in that turned physical.
Tate got in Rousey’s face to which Rousey almost head-butted the then-Strikeforce champion as a response. Tate later called Rousey a “phony,” who “tries too hard” on Twitter.
Rousey responded by dislocating Tate’s elbow on fight night and taking the bantamweight belt, MMA Rising noted. That belt would essentially become the UFC bantamweight title awarded to Rousey prior to her bout with Carmouche.
While the trash-talking would certainly continue if Tate were to defeat Zingano at TUF 17 finale, Tate approached her new opponent under more respectful tones when speaking to Inside MMA .
“She’s got a good wrestling background, a good grappling game, and she throws hard leather from the feet, so stylistically, we’re actually very similar,” Tate said. “I really think it’s going to make for an interesting matchup to see whose strengths can play out where better.”
Who do you think will win between Cat Zingano and Miesha Tate? And do you think Tate deserves a second shot at Ronda Rousey?