Tate: If Rousey loses to Nunes, that could be it

Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey has said she is winding her MMA career down. Rousey fights current division champion Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 on December 30, 2016, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. And former bantamweight champion Miesha Tate believes if Rousey loses, that could be it.

And Tate knows Rousey well. ‘Rowdy’ took Tate’s strikeforce belt in 2012, and then beat her again the next year in the UFC. And the pair were opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter 18.

The comments began when a TMZ Sports stringer asked Tate about Rousey’s recent remarks on winding down in MMA.

“I already knew that,” said Tate, as transcribed by Dan Hiergesell for MMA Mania. “Didn’t everyone already know that? I don’t know why everyone is so surprised by it, honestly. She was already talking about that before she fought Holly. So it’s no surprise to me. I already kind of knew this would probably be one of her last ones, if not potentially her last one if she doesn’t win it. I think it could be her last one.”

“I really would like another crack at her. I don’t want a half-hearted version of Ronda anyway so I hope she comes back strong and I hope it’s not too much of a race against the clock. Definitely would like to face her in the future.”

If Tate wins vs. Raquel Pennington at UFC 205 on November 12 in New York, New York, and Rousey wins in December, then ‘Cupcake’ could yet get her wish. Unless Rousey’s next fight is vs. Cris ‘Cyborg’.