Miesha Tate is frustrated with the narrative that her UFC 196 title win over Holly Holm was a fluke, arguing that she was not as far behind in the fight as fans suggest, and is calling for a rematch to prove she is the better fighter.
Miesha Tate doesn’t appreciate the narrative that’s been built around her UFC 196 title win over Holly Holm. Every time a fan praises her for her last-minute submission victory in 2016, she’s reminded of it.
“People still think for some reason that I was just getting my ass kicked in that fight,” Tate says. She recently broke a two-fight losing streak at UFC Austin. On The MMA Hour, she added, “People still were like, ‘Man, that was like the greatest comeback ever, like, so lucky you got that submission.’”
Sure, Tate managed an impressive move at a crucial time when she choked out Holm. But she insists she wasn’t as far behind as fans would have you believe. As the fifth and final round approached, all three judges had Holm leading 38-37 due to a 10-8 score for Tate in the second round. So, it wasn’t exactly a thrashing.
“Yes, because the title was on the line – if I didn’t get the submission, it would have been a draw,” Tate explains. She continues to lay out the scoring, “Technically, if we were [going to] the scorecards, had I won the last round. Let’s say I just rode her out, and it was kind of like round two, and I didn’t get the sub on the scorecards, it would have been a draw, and I don’t think many people remember that.”
Tate’s still irked that people believe she was getting beat up until her submission. “Oh man, she was getting her – I look at the comments, go look at any comments that she was getting her ass kicked, kicking her ass until she got that submission. It’s like, not really.”
Despite this, Tate wants to prove unequivocally that she’s the superior fighter. She’s consistently called for a rematch with Holm, and the feeling is mutual. However, they’ve never had the opportunity to settle the score.
UFC 300 could be the perfect venue for this, provided Tate gets a clean bill of health following her UFC Austin win over Julia Avila. “I think it’s a great time,” Tate says. “I think that sounds reasonable. I did I get a little bit of an injury leaving that fight. So I’ve got to get an MRI and check myself out just make sure. But it’s not very severe … I’ve been walking around, and I think I’m actually all right. I think I’ll be OK. So if if I can do that, then I think Holly would be a fantastic one.”
Holm is five months out from a bout with Mayra Bueno Silva that ended in a submission loss. However, the official result was overturned when Silva tested positive for undeclared ADHD medication. So technically, Holm isn’t coming off a loss.
Last Saturday, Tate showcased her grappling skills to sweep the scorecards. Importantly, she didn’t force positions she didn’t have, moving from one fight to the next so she was always one step ahead.
In her fight against Holm, Tate admits she was working with a different mindset, trying to force her strategy to the detriment of what was happening in the moment. She wasn’t dominating the fight, but she wasn’t fighting to the best of her abilities either.
Now, with a new team and a mental coach behind her, Tate says she’s showing up in a way she never before has. “She was kind of like edging me on the feet, I’ll give her that,” Tate says of Holm. “I absolutely smashed her on the ground. … So anyway, to answer your question, I think it would be fun to run that one back.”