The hanging head and dismal look on Miesha Tate’s face has become all too familiar when it pertains to UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. Twice we have seen Rousey throw Tate on her head and force her into submission.
But the woman who goes by “Cupcake” isn’t as soft as her sweetened nickname suggests. Twice we have also watched Tate climb up from the bowels of defeat back into title contention. She had trudged her way back with decision victories over Sara McMann, Rin Nakai and Liz Carmouche.
At UFC on Fox 16, she hoped to cross Jessica Eye’s name off the long list of contenders vying for a shot at Rousey’s title.
Eye, who was coming off a TKO by (warning: graphic images) ear explosion against Leslie Smith, was determined to play spoiler to Tate’s potential third dance with Rousey. But there was no turning back Tate, who took home another decision and cemented herself as the frontrunner for UFC gold.
Here’s what we learned from the UFC on Fox 16 co-main event.
What We’ll Remember About the Fight
The talk leading up to this fight was about the extra muscle Tate had packed on. During Friday's weigh-ins, UFC analyst Brian Stann talked about a discussion he had with Tate’s head coach, Robert Follis.
“She put on a little bit of size for this fight and wanted to be stronger,” said Stann. “Follis told me it has shown in the gym. She’s been throwing people around, taking people down easier now being a bigger bantamweight.”
One of the biggest questions heading into the fight was whether Eye would be able to deal with Tate’s takedowns. The former women’s Strikeforce bantamweight champ had out-grappled McMann, a former Olympic silver medal winner in wrestling. Eye had never faced anyone with Tate’s wrestling pedigree.
But instead of takedowns, we got an opportunity to witness the evolution in Tate's striking. After getting lit up early in the first round, she turned the tide in the fight with a hard overhand off a takedown feint that dropped Eye. She then dropped Eye again with the same punch in the second round.
What a shot by @MieshaTate! #UFCChicago http://t.co/ZTAuTTXzbP
— #UFCChicago (@ufc) July 26, 2015
There really wasn’t any secret to what Eye wanted to do in this fight. She hoped to goad Tate into standing and trading, and she got exactly what she wished for. But surprisingly, Tate ended up on the winning end of the exchanges.
What We Learned About Tate
Tate is beginning to separate herself from the rest of the bantamweight herd.
It was impressive to watch her outwork McMann at UFC 183 on the ground, and to add to that performance, she came in and ousted another top contender in Eye on the feet. No other fighter in the bantamweight division has lasted as long as Tate did against Rousey.
That isn’t saying a lot, seeing as she was handled convincingly by the UFC champ twice. But it does generate some level of intrigue.
If Tate can continue to make strides with her grappling, perhaps she can finally find herself in a position to keep the fight standing against Rousey for a longer period of time, which would make things interesting.
Obviously, that’s easier said than done. Rousey has been known to toss grown men on their heads.
What We Learned About Eye
We learned Eye still has gaps to fill in her overall fight game, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
It was only a matter of time before she came up against a fighter with Tate’s wrestling chops. The threat of a takedown can really change the dynamic of an entire fight. While Eye was able to shutdown most of Tate's offensive wrestling, the threat of being taken down made her susceptible to feints.
Tate would often feint for a takedown and come over the top with the overhand. Another issue for Eye was head movement. She would often leave her head stationary at the end of her combinations. Great wrestling is always a factor, even if it doesn’t show up on the scorecards.
Eye, who turns 29 later this month, can chalk this loss up as a learning experience that will surely help her mature as a fighter.
She is still one of the better strikers in the bantamweight division. Improved head movement, kicks and grappling would put her in an even better position to someday contend for UFC gold.
What’s Next for Tate
Everything for Tate seems dependent upon the outcome of the bantamweight title fight between Rousey and Bethe Correia on August 1. If the winner emerges healthy, you would think Tate’s name would get called as the next contender.
Cat Zingano is coming off a 14-second loss to Rousey in her title bid at UFC 184, and Holly Holm is still in need of more MMA experience before she gets chucked into the lion’s den. Things would get interesting if Rousey successfully defends her title against Correia.
It’s rare to see a UFC contender get a third crack at the champ after two straight losses. But there is no contender more deserving than Tate currently competing at 135 pounds.
What’s Next for Eye
This was a tough loss for Eye, who failed to capitalize on a golden opportunity to earn a UFC title shot. Rousey’s dominance in the division has the UFC scrambling for title contenders.
Correia is competing for the title in the main event of UFC 190, and she has yet to even defeat a top-10 opponent. That’s the kind of division this is.
Eye could expedite her climb back to the top by fighting and defeating the loser of Rousey vs. Correia, or the UFC could pair her against Zingano, Holm or Amanda Nunes.
