After a five year hiatus, Miesha Tate is back and ready to fight in the UFC again.
There have been many changes in Tate’s life since she last competed inside the UFC Octagon. In particular, the former bantamweight champion now has two children to care for. However, ever since they entered her life, it reinvigorated Tate as a person but also as a fighter. With a renewed sense of something greater to fight for, the former champion is eager to show her two kids what motherly motivation looks like.
At 34-years old, the former champion has a lot of gas left in the tank, and that’s partially why she made her MMA return. Overall, it seems like making her kids proud is a new reason “Cupcake” is so passionate about returning to her old stomping grounds.
“There are definitely times when I think about it and I’m like, ‘I really want to make my kids proud,’” Tate told BJPenn. “I want my daughter to be that woman. I want her to understand her strength, her capabilities, and never limit her dreams or goals. That’s the biggest thing. I don’t necessarily want her to be a fighter, I want her to believe she’s capable of doing whatever it is she sets her mind to. I want her to be that strong woman and I want my son to appreciate that strong woman.”
With the recent engagement to her partner, Tate is fired up and ready to get back in the cage to support her new family. The former champion loves the fight game, but is unsure if her kids will ever follow her footsteps as a world class fighter.
“When you talk about that family dynamic, it’s that love and support that pushes me and drives me and I do want to be that example for my children, you know?” Tate said. “I want them to understand that winning is not everything. Losing is an opportunity to learn and winning is an opportunity to learn. And how to handle both in a gracious and humble way, that’s what I hope I can teach my kids through this.”
Miesha Tate will square off with Marion Reneau on July 17. Interestingly, this will be the final fight of Reneau’s career in the UFC, as she departs, it looks like we may have a new player back in the bantamweight division. Although, the momentum of “Cupcake” will dissipate fast if she isn’t successful in her UFC return.
Who is your early pick between Meisha Tate and Marion Reneau?
