On March 5th 2016 Miesha Tate stepped into the Octagon once again in an attempt to dethrone the UFC champion of the Women’s Bantamweight Division. Tate, no stranger to the Octagon had been in this position before, faced with an awesome opportunity to earn her title as the division champion against then reigning champion Rhonda Rousey back in December of 2013. Tate’s 2013 attempt at the title ended when Rousey ended the fight in the 3rd round with her signature arm bar submission. Rhonda Rousey had been the undefeated women’s champion in the UFC’s Bantamweight division for two years eight months and had successfully defended her title six times against top-notch competitors, but on November 15th 2015, Rhonda sealed her fate when attempting to go toe to toe and blow for blow with Holly Holms a world class boxer and kickboxer who in her own career had defended her titles eighteen times. Holms knocked the longtime UFC champion”Rowdy” Rhonda Rousey out with a 2nd round head kick. As great of an achievement as this was, it seems it was not meant to last as on March 5th 2016 Holms and Tate met in the Octagon for what promised to be a knock down drag out fight, what happened was unexpected. Spectators saw a hungry Miesha Tate at one corner of the Octagon and what appeared to be a drained Holly Holms in the other. For a champion in the upper echelon of the combat sports, Holms appeared unenthusiastic or even motivated to hold on to her title. She seemed very unsure of herself, placing strikes haphazardly and in lack of better word dormant. The crowd was waiting for a volcanic explosion of raw power and aggression to explode from the champion, but this never happened. In the 5th round of the championship bout Meisha Tate secured a submission via rear naked choke and rightfully claimed her position amongst the UFC’s best. Tate currently has a record of 18 wins and 5 loses in her professional career and is the reigning UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion.
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS 