Miesha Tate: Dana White is ignorant (about women’s MMA)
Strikeforce held a media call with main event heavyweights Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson, as well as women’s bantamweight champion…
Strikeforce held a media call with main event heavyweights Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson, as well as women’s bantamweight champion Marloes Coenen and number one women’s bantamweight contender Miesha Tate.
With the UFC’s purchase of Strikeforce the females must be feeling added pressure to impress UFC president Dana White. In an interview with the MMA2DAY Show right before the announced purchase, Miesha Tate stated Dana White was ignorant. She was not using the word in a derogatory way but rather in its true form. She explained as far as her knowledge White does not watch female fights at all. Indicating he had only watched one, ever.
During the conference call Penny Buffington executive producer of MMA2DAY Show asked Miesha to explain?
“I just feel he’s not informed, therefore he doesn’t know enough about women’s MMA to make a judgment call about it at this point. I feel with the purchase of Strikeforce, he’s going to be paying closer attention to it. With that in the back of my mind, it’s not really added pressure. I always hate that [term]. It has negative connotation to it. To me, it’s extra motivation.”
“I feel it’s exciting because now, I’m going to have that opportunity to say, ‘Hey Dana, this is what women’s MMA is all about. This is what you’ve been missing out in the UFC,'” Tate said. “I just hope Marloes and myself go out there and put on a very impressive performance.”
“I think ring rust is more of a mentality than anything. If you let it get to you, if you think ‘Oh my gosh, it’s been a year since I competed,’ and put that pressure on yourself, it’ll get to you. To me, I’m excited. I’m really looking forward to it. It hasn’t been a year since I fought. I do that on a daily basis with men in the gym. So for me it’s just getting back in there. It’s exciting for me. I’ll be happy and joyful to do it.”
Neither Tate nor Coenen knows exactly what this championship means in the grand scheme of Zuffa things, but they know that at least for a few minutes, the spotlight will be on them. At least for a few minutes, the only match that matters will be one with two women. The world could well be watching, but the eyes of an influential few will be far more important.