Miesha Tate replaces injured Cat Zingano for 'TUF 18' coaching gig, title fight

A knee injury has forced Cat Zingano (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) to withdraw from an upcoming coaching spot on Season 18 of “The Ultimate Fighter” and a title fight with UFC women’s bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC).

Taking Zingano’s place is Rousey rival and ex-champ Miesha Tate (13-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who lost to Zingano in a fight to determine the champ’s opposing coach and next title challenger.

Yahoo! Sports first reported the switch, and UFC officials subsequently confirmed the news.

“This is what we really wanted all along,” Rousey told Yahoo! Sports. “Everyone said an ‘Ultimate Fighter’ between me and Miesha would be the best. We have a personal history with each other and this is a personal show. “For some reason, me and Miesha are intertwined in fate like Ali and Frazier or something like that. I think people will look back at this as one of monumental rivalries and look back at this as one of those things that really cemented women’s MMA.”

Before the shakeup, Tate was scheduled to meet Liz Carmouche at UFC on FOX 8, which takes place July 27 in Seattle. Carmouche’s manager, Lex McMahon, didn’t know whether a replacement opponent had been found, and UFC officials told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that no plans for a new opponent for Carmouche have been finalized.

Filming began today in Las Vegas for the reality show, which debuts Sept. 4 on FOX Sports 1 and features both men and women vying for a UFC contract. Tate reported to set alongside Rousey, who reportedly was none too happy to see her former opponent.

“It was rewarding to see that,” she told Yahoo! “I was like, ‘Yay! This is getting good.’ I watched her go to her corner and her corner was up in arms. I was just sitting there in the doorway thinking, ‘This is awesome.’”

The two fought in March 2012 under the Strikeforce banner with Rousey cinching a first-round armbar to take Tate’s bantamweight title. Rousey became UFC champ shortly before Strikeforce was disbanded and defended her title with another first-round armbar of Carmouche at UFC 157 in February.

Tate believed it was a chance to redeem herself after losing to Zingano via third-round TKO at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale.

“I felt I was cheated a little in that fight with Cat,” she told Yahoo! “I had two solid rounds and one not-so-good round. Either way, I felt I was meant to be here and it’s come full circle.”

Following “TUF 18,” Rousey and Tate are tentatively scheduled to meet on a year-end pay-per-view card set for Dec. 28, likely in Las Vegas.

Zingano, who injured herself during her strength and conditioning routine, underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn ACL and meniscus. She is expected to be out for six to nine months.

The fighter on Tuesday night tweeted out a photo of her in a hospital bed, post-surgery, thanking the UFC for its support.

“I was jumping over tunnels that were about 12 inches high,” she told Yahoo! “I’d jumped over them like 10 times already. This one time, I jumped up and my left knee came down right on track and my right knee bent outward. Snap, crackle, pop, and I hit the floor. That was all she wrote. It was terrible. It hurt bad, but the thing that bothered me most was the sound. I never experienced anything like that.”

For more on UFC on FOX 8 and the rest of UFC’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Miesha Tate)