Miesha Tate makes no secret of the fact that she can’t stand her UFC rival Ronda Rousey, but the real reason for the resentment has nothing to do with their battles inside the cage or their war of words outside of it.
Tate, who is set to face Rousey Saturday at UFC 168 , said her resentment stems from the fact that Rousey isn’t deserving of the fame she’s gotten.
“Every single woman that fights MMA has done just as much work as Ronda has, we just haven’t gotten as much turnaround,” Tate told FOX Sports on Monday. “Those women who came before her haven’t been on magazine covers, they weren’t plastered everywhere by the UFC. They didn’t get the same reward back. She got 10 times back what she was putting in and maybe everyone else was getting 1 to 1.”
Part of the ill feelings came from their differing paths to the UFC. Tate made her way up the MMA circuit, fighting in small venues across the country as she built up her name and moved up the ranks. Rousey, meanwhile, jumped almost directly into the UFC after winning an Olympic bronze medal for Judo in 2008. She still has only seven career fights.
Miesha Tate said the resentment toward Ronda Rousey is motivating her going into their battle next weekend, saying she’s not going to shy away from the issue.
“I’m gonna talk about that,” Tate said. “I’ve been there and experienced it. I’m gonna share some of the limelight. These are the girls who deserve a pat on the back.”
Ronda Rousey has become one of the biggest crossover stars of the UFC, appearing on the cover of ESPN twice and scoring a role in the upcoming Expendables 3 .
Miesha Tate said Rousey is using some of this image to win over fans.
“A lot of fans out there have the WWE mentality,” Tate said. “Those are the fans that fell hook line and sinker and loved her. She was that controversial one, that s**t talker, she started drama.”
Tate herself has scored some attention outside the cage, posing naked in the recent ESPN the Magazine’s Body Issue.
Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey will have a chance to settle their problems inside the cage this weekend at UFC 168.