Miesha Tate (16-5) och Ronda Rousey (11-0) har mötts två gånger och båda gångerna har Rousey vunnit via armbar. Tate säger att hon blir inspirerad varje gång hon ser Rousey i oktagonen och har som mål att möta mästarinnan en tredje gång.
Rouseys tre senaste fighter har tagit 96 sekunder och många skulle tro att en sådan dominans skulle skrämma bort Tate från ytterligare ett möte med Rousey, men så är inte fallet.
“I’m not only impressed, I’m inspired,” Sa Tate på UFC 184 post-fight show på FOX Sports 1. “Every time I watch her fight, I realize she’s on such a different level, and I want to get on that level. That’s what I want. I want to get on that level. I want to figure out what it is – whether I have to train 12 hours a day – I want to figure out how to catch up. She’s a phenomenal athlete, she’s a phenomenal fighter, and I want to get on that level.”
Det är ingen hemlighet att Tate siktar på ett tredje möte med Rousey och vill bli den första att besegra Rousey. Trots Rouseys dominans så ser inte Tate henne som oslagbar.
“I love fighting Ronda Rousey because I think she pulls the best fighter out of me,” Sa Tate. “That’s what it’s really about. For me, I want to be the best fighter I can be and the best person I can be. She motivates me to do both, and I love it. I love the challenge, I love everything she’s been able to do for the sport, and I love being part of that.”
Tate är den enda fightern som har klarat aig längre än en rond mot Rousey och Tate säger själv att Rouseys match mot Cat Zingano (9-1) slutade precis som hon trodde, bara fortare.
“I predicted she would win with a first-round armbar, but I didn’t think it was going to go quite so fast,” Sa Tate. “Cat Zingano wanted to make a statement and wanted to come out with a fast start. Everyone was criticizing the slow start and it led to her demise. She ended up getting that great throw then made some mistakes from there.”
Tate har vunnit sina senaste tre matcher, men är nöjd med att jobba sig tillbaka genom att besegra alla andra utmanare.
“I definitely want all the fans to feel like I’ve earned that (third fight),” sa Tate. “I know that I’m on a three-fight win streak. I know that I’ve fought Ronda twice, but the first one was way back in Strikeforce. I showed improvement in the second fight, took her to the third round.”
“No one else has been able to do that, but at the same time, I don’t want anyone to say, ‘Oh, they’re just giving it to her.’ I want to prove myself, I want to earn it, and I will fight off all the other No. 1 contenders until they have no other option to let us fight.”
