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Miesha Tate was ‘Really Bummed Out’ When Ronda Rousey Trilogy Got Shot Down

Miesha Tate's Advice to Ronda Rousey: ‘Pick Yourself Up by the Boot Straps'

We’re raised on a reward system. We’re promised prizes for good behavior and given trophies, ribbons, and medals for athletic accomplishments. When we’re guaranteed something and it’s not delivered, we feel slighted.

That’s what happened to top-ranked women’s bantamweight Meisha Tate when it was announced that Holly Holm would face champion Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 instead of her.

It was announced during the UFC on Fox 16 post-fight press conference that Tate had earned a third fight against Rousey after defeating Jessica Eye by unanimous decision.

“Miesha is such a durable human being,” said UFC president Dana White. “She has worked her way back to Ronda Rousey.”

Rousey and Tate have squared off two times before. In each contest, Rousey finished Tate by armbar.

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Despite the two losses, Tate has lasted the longest out of all opponents that have faced the UFC women’s bantamweight champion, taking her into the third round in their December 2013 bout.

“I found out later than half the world even because I was still asleep, I guess, when it was announced. I woke up to about 30 texts on my phone saying, ‘oh, I’m really sorry.’ I was just like, what? It kind of sucked not finding out from the promotion itself. I felt a little bit disappointed. My feelings were kind of hurt to be honest, and I was really bummed out,” Tate said during the Invicta FC 14 broadcast on Saturday.

Since the loss to Rousey at UFC 168, Tate has put together a four-fight winning streak and is ranked at the top of the women’s 135-pound division.

“I was really motived, and I really felt that I had hit a new level. I was training for her already. I didn’t take any time off after my last fight. It really shot me in the heart. I thought that was what I was going to get. The world thought that’s what I was going to get. It was a pretty heartbreaking process for me.”

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