UFC 197's Miesha Tate 'anxious' to fight Holm because she's 'more dangerous' than Rousey

LAS VEGAS – After months of disappointment, Miesha Tate will finally get her shot at the UFC women’s bantamweight title when she challenges champ Holly Holm at UFC 197.

Tate (17-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) was first named No. 1 contender following a unanimous decision win over Jessica Eye at UFC on FOX 16 this past July. UFC President Dana White said “Cupcake” would be next to fight then-champ Ronda Rousey, but shortly thereafter the company altered plans and placed Holm (10-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in the spot.

Holm made the most of the situation, because she knocked Rousey out cold with a head kick at UFC 193 in November to take the 135-pound belt and start a new era in the weight class. Tate, like everyone else, was left stunned by the result, and she admits she didn’t know what it meant for her future.

Tate was disgruntled with the way in which the situation was handled from the UFC’s perspective, to the point she considered retirement. Fortunately for her, however, Holm didn’t want to wait around for a Rousey rematch and instead asked for another contender.

There was no more obvious choice than Tate, who said that despite the bumpy road, felt everything that’s happened was “meant to be.”

“I think it was meant to be; that’s all I can really say,” Tate told MMAjunkie on Wednesday at a UFC 197 pre-fight news conference. “I didn’t know where I was at with everything; honestly, it was just a whirlwind of emotions. I don’t take anything to do with the title lightly. I put my whole life into this sport right here. I put everything that I have to give, and when I think I’m going to get a title shot I’m like a hungry beast and it’s like you just took that steak away from me. I’m pretty pissed.

“But now here we are and everything worked out the way it was meant to work out. Fate does have a way of finding itself, and I think this is where I’m supposed to be.”

UFC 197 takes place March 5 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Tate, No. 3 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA women’s bantamweight rankings, will bring a four-fight UFC winning streak (the longest in the division) into her second UFC title shot. She suffered a third-round submission loss to Rousey at UFC 168 in December 2013, but has rebounded with a solid run of victories.

Another fight with Rousey has seemed like inevitable for some time, but everything changed when No. 1-ranked Holm brutally knocked out “Rowdy” to end her undefeated streak and take the title. The relationship between Tate and Rousey was hostile and confrontational, but with Holm it’s quite the opposite, Tate said.

The lack of personal tension allows Tate to focus more on the task at hand, she said. When assessing Holm’s style, Tate said she sees an opponent that won’t give her anything inside the octagon that’s not earned through extreme effort.

“I’m a fan of respectfulness; I think Holly’s a true sportsman,” Tate said. “I like this fight, I like the matchup and it’s a little refreshing for it to not have to be against Ronda and not go through all the drama of having to see each other all the time. Holly and I are very friendly, so it’s just different. It’s nice.

“Holly’s the kind of competitor that will raise to any level of competition, and that’s what makes her dangerous. I think my style’s very different from Ronda’s, so it will be a different puzzle for Holly. But Holly will be a different puzzle for me and that’s what makes this sport interesting.”

Outside of Rousey, there have been no common opponents shared by Tate and Holm under the UFC banner. Judging from the outcomes of those fights, though, the advantage would seemingly be in Holm’s favor going into UFC 197.

Tate is not so sure about that, though, she said. Although Holm nearly took Rousey’s head off with a kick in their fight while Rousey twice submitted Tate with an armbar, that’s not necessarily indicative of how the next fight will play out, Tate said.

One thing Tate said she is confident of, though, is that Holm is likely going to be the most difficult challenge of her career. She praised “The Preacher’s Daughter” as a greater threat than Rousey, and because of that she’s going to make sure to be more prepared than ever on March 5.

“Styles make fights, and I think she does have an awesome camp that’s going to put together an amazing, great game plan; I think I have an amazing camp that’s going to put together an amazing game plan,” Tate said. “If anything, I’m probably a little more anxious for this fight than I would be for another one with Ronda because I feel like this is a whole new puzzle. I feel like I was just kind of starting to figure out that Ronda puzzle, but this is like an entirely new challenge.

“I think that Holly’s coaches are far better than Ronda’s and I think that makes her a more dangerous opponent. She will rise to any occasion as we’ve seen.”

For more on UFC 197, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.