UFC's Miesha Tate: 'Hate me if you want' but Ronda Rousey rematch is vindication

(This story originally appeared on usatoday.com)

UFC bantamweight Miesha Tate still feels she was denied a golden opportunity last month when a referee stopped her fight as she was battered by a flurry of elbows and knees.

It was then that the undefeated Cat Zingano (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) earned a third-round TKO over Tate (13-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and the chance to coach a co-ed group of UFC hopefuls opposite champ Ronda Rousey (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) on “The Ultimate Fighter 18,” which debuts Sept. 4 on FOX Sports 1.

Not only that, Zingano would get a chance to win Rousey’s belt at the end of the reality show.

“People, hate me if you want to, but the fighter in me says I wasn’t finished,” Tate told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “I would have honestly rather the referee let it go and have her knock me out if that’s what was destined to be.”

It seems, though, that destiny still is in the ex-Strikeforce champ’s corner. As reported Tuesday, Zingano suffered a serious knee injury in training and is expected to be sidelined for six to nine months. On Monday, Tate reported to Las Vegas and shocked Rousey when she turned up on the reality-show set.

“I did not expect this by any means after the loss to Cat, but I got it,” she said. “I get to fight Ronda again. Everyone knows that I want that. Everyone knows that we don’t like each other, and I think that makes for more interesting TV. It just feels right.”

More than a year ago, Rousey developed a heated rivalry with Tate before capturing her title with a brutal first-round armbar under the Strikeforce MMA banner. Rousey later became the first ever women’s UFC champ when the promotion was shuttered.

When Tate received a call this past week to fly to Las Vegas for a meeting with UFC President Dana White, she wasn’t thinking about a rematch. Although she was scheduled to compete at UFC on FOX 8 in July, she worried that she might be released from her contract.

“I know Dana,” Tate said. “He’s never had something this serious where he wanted to see me in person and have it not be something good.”

It was. She was shuttled to the set and hidden away from everyone until filming began. She thought she would be introduced after the contestants and Rousey, but when she walked through a set of doors leading to the main training and fighting area, she found only Rousey.

“It’s already a gritty start to the season,” Tate said.

Critics have wondered aloud why she’s been granted the coaching job and title shot after a loss, but Tate feels she’s right where she’s supposed to be.

“As far as why the decision was made, you’d have to ask Dana,” she said. “Life unfolds in mysterious ways sometimes. But I can say in my heart that I really felt like I was supposed to be here.”

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