Miesha Tate has a string of wins under her belt following two losses to Ronda Rousey, and even though two of those wins were over title contenders, the idea of a third fight with Rousey still hangs over her head.
Tate will go up against Jessica Eye on Saturday for a highly-touted match, which will see the winner take on the champ from the August 1 fight between Rousey and Bethe Correia. Seeing as how Rousey has defeated her last three opponents in a combined time of 96 seconds, it’s not unreasonable to believe that Tate and Rousey will go head to head once more. For Tate, the opportunity to go up against Ronda Rousey a third time isn’t so much daunting as it is a chance to prove herself.
“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.
Miesha says that doesn’t mean she’s underestimating Jessica Eye; far from it. But she believes she’s the more powerful athlete, and when she makes a hit, she makes the most of it.
“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.