Miesha Tate might make a dramatic career adjustment on the heels of Julianna Pena’s epic title win over Amanda Nunes at UFC 269.
Tate (19-8 MMA, 6-5 UFC), a former UFC and Strikeforce champion who is a good friend and occasional training partner of new women’s bantamweight titleholder Peña (11-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC), has designs on getting a world title back around her waist before re-retiring from active competition. If she was going to do that, it was long believed she needed to go through Nunes (21-5 MMA, 14-2 UFC), who took the belt from her at UFC 200 in July 2016 and held it until this past weekend.
But then Peña pulled off what many viewed as an unthinkable upset, submitting Nunes in the second round as a gigantic betting underdog. The pair are expected to rematch in 2022, and the outcome of that fight is likely to play a big role in how Tate proceeds with her own career, as she’s not particularly keen on fighting Peña.
Tate, who is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Ketlen Vieira at UFC Fight Night 198 in November, said a number of things have to fall in place before a matchup with Peña becomes a realistic discussion, but if push comes to shove, she said she would rather change weight classes and move down to women’s flyweight before having to share the octagon with her friend, who she chose with her first pick on Season 18 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series.
“This definitely changes the entire landscape of the bantamweight division,” Tate told MMA Junkie. “I think what will be next will be Amanda and Julie. All signs point to that will be the next fight and I think Julie wins that fight again, especially because Amanda has already been broken by her once. I believe Julianna can definitely do that again, probably with more ease the second time. I need to get in the win column again so I will probably fight in March, probably is what I’m looking at. I don’t want to fight Julie because I’ve rooted for so long for her to get there.
“A lot can change between now and then, so I have to win and do my job so I think what really I’ve got to do is win and focus on that. If Julie’s still the champion by the time that I get there, then I think that’s a conversation we have at that time. I’ve probably got to get two wins until I’m looking at a championship fight, at least, so I’ve got to focus on me and I’m going to continue to cheer on Julie and pray that we don’t ever have to fight each other.
“I know that Julianna can make 125 and I can make 125. There’s also those things too. It’s not out of the question for either of us to go hunting Valentina (Shevchenko) at some point. There’s lots of dynamics. I know she really wants that fight too so we’d have to see what happens if everything continues to play out in that direction, there’s always that possibility of us going to 125 for either of us too.”
Tate, 35, said a simple change in weight doesn’t necessarily erase any crossover with Peña, who apparently also has designs at fighting at 125 pounds at some point in the future. It could be the logical career move if the stars align, but Tate said it’s not going to happen right away.
According to Tate, cutting an additional 10 pounds would require a lifestyle change, and it’s not one she’s chomping at the bit to make at this particular moment. She also doesn’t want to flee fighting at women’s bantamweight after suffering a loss, so Tate said she wants to get back on the winning track before making a final decision.
“It’s something I’ve definitely thought about, but I definitely don’t want people thinking that I’m running at 135,” Tate said. “I hate the idea of leaving a division on a loss. It really bugs me. Something really bothers me about that, leaving the division on a loss. It’s something I’ve thought about, but at the same time, I feel like I need more time to digest all of that. It’s not out of the question by any means, but it would be a long process to get down to 125. I’ve been pretty vocal that I’m not a fan of big weight cuts, so I would probably have to do some things to change my body to get down to that weight, but it’s not something that’s way out in left field.
“It’s definitely something I feel like it would be an option. I just have to decide to. I’m definitely leaning toward staying at 135 especially given the change-ups, but it’s definitely not something out of the question.”
Although Peña’s title win adds some complications to Tate’s own pursuit of the belt, “Cupcake” said she couldn’t be more proud of her friend. She said prior to UFC 269 that Peña had a very good chance of dethroning Nunes, but many dismissed her opinion as biased due to her relationship with the now-champion.
Tate said she ranks Peña’s win as the second-biggest upset in UFC history behind Holly Holm’s stunning knockout of Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 in November 2015. Peña’s game plan for Nunes couldn’t have been any better executed, Tate said, and she thinks the Brazilian folded under the pressure and attack that Peña brought to the table.
“Amanda realized that Julie was not going away – she was going to make it a fight no matter where this fight was, and Amanda lost the will to win,” Tate said. “I don’t even think it was necessarily so much of a fatigue thing. Sure she was probably feeling a little tired. I’m sure Amanda’s been a lot more tired than she was that little bit into Round 2.
“It was the fact that Julie has no respect – that might be the wrong word – in the fight she had no time for Amanda. She knew Amanda was going to hit her back and she knew, ‘I will make this a fight. I do not respect you any more than any woman on this planet. I’m your equal tonight.’ Amanda realized that, and once she realized that, the aura that is Amanda was not that to Julie. Julie didn’t believe Amanda was larger than life. Julie did not believe Amanda was going to knock her out with the right hand. She didn’t think Amanda was anything more special than what she brought. When Amanda realized that too, Amanda broke mentally.”
While Tate acknowledges that Nunes may very well be the better athlete between the two fighters, it was Peña’s mental toughness that overcame any physical advantages during the fight.
“I don’t think it was as much fatigue as some people are calculating,” Tate said. “I think it was all (in her head). Julie had a bigger dog in her. Much bigger. Amanda might be more technically sound, she might be the better athlete, she might be more powerful. There might be a lot of things you could say perhaps that Amanda has over Julie, but it’s not heart and it’s not will and it’s not desire and it’s not discipline, because Julianna is truly one of the hardest-working women.”
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Miesha Tate ponders drop to 125 after Julianna Peña ‘broke’ Amanda Nunes to win UFC gold
