UFC 196's Miesha Tate: I’m more challenging matchup for Holm than Rousey was

Miesha Tate gets that people think she only has one way to beat Holly Holm at UFC 196. They can keep thinking that way.

“I disagree, but that’s fine, and they have their opinion,” she told MMAjunkie Radio.

Tate has on several occasions been in this position, dissenting from popular opinion about how she’ll fare in a fight. Sometimes, she’s been proven wrong – badly wrong. But this time, she feels, it’s different.

“It all seems like it circulated right to where it’s supposed to be, and I think when the dust settles, I’m meant to be the champion after March 5,” she said.

Tate (17-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) contemplated retirement after being promised a title shot only to see Holm (10-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) get a fight with now-former champ Ronda Rousey (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC). When Holm knocked out the women’s MMA star at UFC 193, a path to the belt suddenly reappeared.

The UFC wanted to stage an immediate Holm-Rousey rematch, but the former champ’s return was delayed by the effects of her knockout loss. Holm needed an opponent, and the UFC had one on hand.

Holm and Tate co-headline the pay-per-view main card of UFC 196 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena.

“In my opinion, I’m a more challenging style matchup than Ronda was, just because of the forms of attack, and the experience I have, and just being well-rounded,” Tate said. “I can take a punch to give a punch, and I think that makes me dangerous.”

Unlike Rousey, Tate has taken a lot of punches (and kicks) in her career. Some, she couldn’t recover from fast enough. She had her nose broken in her first amateur bout. She was knocked out in her second professional fight by a head kick, and she was stopped by knees and punches in her 17th pro bout.

Others, she pressed ahead after getting rocked and pushed her opponents to the brink. Often, she wound up breaking them.

“I can make this fight a lot uglier,” she said. “I think that if I allowed Holly to use that impeccable range and keep me right where she wants me, then it could be Holly’s fight on the feet all day long. But that’s not the kind of fighter that I am. I make fights ugly if I need to, and I’ve been working on my striking a lot.”

After falling short to Rousey two years ago for the UFC belt, Tate resuscitated her UFC career. She won four straight bouts to get into title contention while showcasing an improved striking game to go with her skills on the mat.

Against onetime title challenger Sara McMann, she was knocked down by a punch and battled back to secure a decision win. In her previous bout against Jessica Eye, she scored a knockdown, her first in the promotion, and controlled the fight for another decision.

Tate’s point going into the Holm bout is that there are a lot of steps between striking and grappling, and she’s best positioned to exploit them.

“I can make this fight a lot uglier,” she said. “I think that if I allowed Holly to use that impeccable range and keep me right where she wants me, then it could be Holly’s fight on the feet all day long.

“But that’s not the kind of fighter that I am. I can knock her out, I can choke her out, and if I need to, I can grind out a decision. I’m capable of all three, I’ve done all three, and I’ve been in this spot before.”

And this time, she feels like too many things have aligned in her favor to be by accident.

For more on UFC 196, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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