Tate: Win over Eye gets me 3rd Rousey fight
Miesha Tate recently appeared on ‘The MMA Road Show’ and said she believes that with a win over Jessica Eye, she will get a third shot at Ronda Rousey.
Top UFC bantamweight Miesha Tate recently appeared on “The MMA Road Show and said she believes that with a win over Jessica Eye, she will get a third shot at division champion Ronda Rousey.
They basically told me that after this next win that I would get another fight with Ronda Rousey, said Tate as transcribed by John Morgan for MMAjunkie. Anything could change. Nothing is ever written in stone, but that is the idea behind it, that I will be getting a fight with Ronda after this next win.
Tate fights Jessica Eye at UFC on FOX 16 on July 25 at Chicago’s United Center.
We’ve always gotten along all right, but I didn’t anticipate that if we got matched up to fight each other that there was going to be an energy change from her, said Tate. She was always nice before, and not to say that she’s rude now, but she’s definitely trying to stir the pot a little bit more. She’s definitely trying to poke the bear a little bit, maybe get this Ronday Rousey-Miesha Tate feud going or whatnot.
I’m not exactly sure of her tactics, but it’s funny.
I really think it’s going to be a good one. I think she is tough, and I think she’s really young and hungry. I think she really wants it. She has yet to have her time to shine, so I can only imagine she’s going to train her butt off and she’s going to come (in hungry), and we’re going to see the best Jessica Eye that anyone has ever seen.”
I just don’t think she stands a chance, really. That’s my opinion. I could be wrong, and anyone can win at any given moment, but I just feel like it’s a really big mismatch because it’s too early in Bethe’s career. She needs to have more time to grow into herself as a fighter, and she hasn’t had that, so I feel like she’s kind of being thrown to the wolves.”
I think everyone does kind of assume that I’m the gatekeeper of the division; I’m the one that they have to get by. The problem is that no one is getting by. You have to get through me to get the title shot, but they’re not doing it. So that’s fine with me.
I can be the gatekeeper until I shut down all the other No. 1 contenders, and then they don’t have a choice but to put me back in there.