Tate: I’d fight Cyborg at 140 lbs.
Ronda Rousey has been adamant she would only fight Cyborg at the bantamweight limit, but Miesha Tate would be happy to meet her in the middle at a catchweight.
The big woman’s fight that anyone has talked about happening in recent years is Cris Cyborg versus UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. Rousey has been adamant she would only fight Cyborg at the bantamweight limit, but Miesha Tate would be happy to meet her in the middle at a catchweight:
Although it’s not in her immediate plans, Tate said during a recent Q&A that she would be open to the matchup at a 140-pound catchweight. Cyborg responded in kind following her 45-second victory and title defense over Faith Van Duin at Invicta FC 13 earlier this month.
It all started at a fan Q&A in Manila when a fan asked me if I would fight ‘Cyborg’ at 140 because Ronda wasn’t willing to, Tate told MMAjunkie. I said, ‘Of course I would.’ It has to make sense, but I would do it. Then the media took it and ran saying I challenged ‘Cyborg,’ and Cris took it very positively. She knows what I meant. Her and I are friends. It’s nothing personal, but it’s the kind of attitude a fighter should have because it’s a challenge and I wouldn’t run away from it.
I think her and I are on the same page that if that opportunity presented itself at 140, we would both accept the fight. Tate said. As far as the logistics of it, I have no idea how that would work with the UFC. Obviously I’m fighting with the UFC, so I’m not going to leave to go over to Invicta and do a catchweight. It would have to happen inside the UFC octagon. They would have to agree to put on a catchweight of 140, which I don’t even know if they really do that anymore or if they would do that.
I haven’t talked to (UFC President) Dana White or (UFC matchmaker) Sean Shelby about that either, so I don’t know what their take is on it.