Former Strikeforce and UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate retired after UFC 205 and returned to action again in 2021. She would defeat Marion Reneau in her first bout back but lose in her next fight to Ketlen Vieira halting her run to try and reclaim the championship. She was then set to face Lauren Murphy but that fight was rescheduled twice in 2022 in what was supposed to be Tate’s first time fighting at flyweight. The bout is scheduled again for Saturday, July 16 at UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. Rodriguez and this time it appears good to go.
The New York Post caught up with Tate and when asked about Murphy’s withdrawal from their previously scheduled bout she expressed her frustration.
I just thought it was the worst news I could possibly receive regarding the fight. I wasn’t sure if that meant I was gonna get a replacement or if I was gonna fight her at a later date. I tried everything that I could to get a replacement but to no avail. So, finally agreed on a later date when her camp proposed July 16. Then we finally said, OK and I just moved my sights set for there. And I was frustrated, but what can you do?
She also spoke about how the cancellations did not affect her as much as they would have in the past. In fact she chalked it up to divine intervention.
At this point, I’m good. I’m in a good place. I feel like it happened for a reason. You can’t be mad because, sometimes, there’s just somebody bigger than you looking out for those better than you do. So that’s where I’m at with it. I’ve just kind of put that trust and faith into divine intervention, and it’s all good. Now we get to fight in New York, which is also great, because I can’t wait to win this fight and enjoy some good New York food. Probably four of my favorite restaurants are in New York, plus my favorite cupcake in the entire world, so this is going to be a real treat. No better place to have a fight and be able to enjoy the aftermath.
Tate won a Celebrity Big Brother competition and despite the victory she opened up about her unpleasant experience on the show.
It was not good. I didn’t like it. The only reason I think it was worth it was because I’m a glutton for punishment, and I won. I won the show. I won a lot of money, and that was great. I can endure a lot, so I was able to handle it. But no, it was not good for me. It didn’t help me in my career with fighting. Just put a little bit of a roadblock. It’s done now. I wouldn’t do it again.
Finally, she gave her honest take on Murphy as an opponent.
She is very durable and very gritty. She has a tremendous will. She has a good will to win. She’s fundamentally sound. I don’t think that she’s very creative. I don’t think she is the type of fighter where you’re gonna necessarily see something you’ve never seen before, especially in my situation. But what she does, she does well. She sticks to basics, and basics win fights. So I can’t knock her for that.
Who do you think takes this one? Murphy or ‘Cupcake’?