Miesha Tate believes that Kayla Harrison’s toughest challenge in the UFC may be managing the extreme weight cuts to reach 135 pounds, as she herself experienced significant physical and hormonal struggles from a similar weight-cutting process.
Miesha Tate has firsthand insights into the challenges Kayla Harrison faces in the UFC. It’s not just about the opponents; it’s about the grueling battle with her own body to hit 135 pounds consistently.
Harrison, who previously fought at lightweight and featherweight, made a splashy bantamweight debut by submitting Holly Holm at UFC 300. She’s aiming for a repeat performance at UFC 307. But Tate knows all too well how tough that weight cut can be, having gone through her own intense experience in 2022.
"I tried 125," Tate shared on MMA Today. "It was brutal on my body, and it took me a year to bounce back."
Her sole flyweight bout against Lauren Murphy ended in a loss, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. The real struggle came afterward.
Tate realized cutting to 125 was a mistake. It took monumental effort to return her body to normal after months of muscle-shedding.
"It was brutal," she confessed. "My hormone levels were all over the place. As a woman, you deal with irregular cycles when you cut weight. I lost mine for a while."
She described a bizarre internal battle: full yet still hungry—a common plight for fighters, especially females, dealing with hormonal chaos.
Her eating habits suffered, feeling like she was on a starvation diet just to maintain weight while dropping to 125 pounds.
The ordeal’s aftermath lingered long after she stepped off the scale from that ill-fated flyweight attempt.
"My relationship with food changed," Tate admitted. "I deprived myself so long it took forever to lean out. Even when I could eat, my mind screamed hunger."
Recovery wasn’t swift. "It took ages to level things out," she said.
While Tate can’t predict Harrison’s long-term handling of these cuts, she’s concerned about their toll.
"Kayla’s strong and athletic but not naturally a 135’er," Tate noted. "Forcing her body might not be healthy or good in the long run—it’ll wear on her."