Tate and Caraway to corner each other and fight at UFC on FOX 16
Miesha Tate: “We’re making some history, so it’s cool. This is the first time in UFC history that a couple has fought on the same night.”
Fighting is stressful. Watching someone you love fight is really stressful, coaching more still. Coaching and fighting on the same night is really, really, really stressful.
At UFC on FOX 16: Dillashaw vs. Barao on Saturday, Miesha Tate and Bryan Caraway are going superhero, fighting and cornering each other on the same night. Tate will be fighting Jessica Eye for the #1 women’s bantamweight contender spot. Caraway will be fighting returning Eddie Wineland on the prelim card, also at 135.
There is not a big precedent for fights like this one. Joe Lauzon cornered brother Dany at UFC 108 and then lost a decision to Sam Stout. Anthony Pettis cornered brother Sergio at UFC 185, and then lost a decision to new division champion Rafael dos Anjos. The compounded pressures of watching, coaching, and fighting are extraordinary.
The training camp has been great because we’re both on the same schedule, the same routine for dieting, eating and everything like that, said Tate to Mike Bohn for MMAjunkie. We’re both eating clean and neither one of us has the desire or energy to want to go out and do anything. That’s been great. I like having our camps together, but the night of the fight, I don’t know. It’s going to be interesting.
I have every bit of confidence that he’s going to. Regardless, unless he was like rushed off in an ambulance unconscious, then I would probably be freaking the f— out and probably be like, ‘I’m not fighting, I’m going to the hospital.’ Bryan is so durable and has a crazy chin and he’s very talented. I love the style matchup for him, so I think he’s gong to go out there and win and have a very positive vibe going into my fight.
Regardless of what happens, I’ve had crazy things going on outside my fights and lots of distractions, but once the cage door closes I always perform under the pressure. I don’t carry that excess baggage into the octagon with me. I never have before so I don’t imagine it will be any different this time.”
It’s definitely going to be a little bit more chaotic than we’re used to, but I know for me and for him, when the cage door closes everything else just goes out the window. It doesn’t matter anymore about anything else. You’re in that moment, so I think we’ll be fine. The UFC put Bryan on earlier in the card and me later in the card so we can still corner each other and have enough time to go back and relax after he fights. It’ll be crazy, but we’re making some history, so it’s cool. This is the first time in UFC history that a couple has fought on the same night.
Regardless of what happens, Miesha Tate and Bryan Caraway are heroic just for trying.
