Miesha Tate on TUF 17 Finale: 'I Want Ronda to Be Scared'
UFC women's bantamweight contender Miesha Tate has the opportunity to coach the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter (via MMAJunkie.com) and rematch her nemesis Ronda Rousey, the current UFC women's champ.
Of course, neither of those things will happen if she doesn't get past undefeated prospect Cat Zingano (7-0) at the season 17 finale of TUF this weekend.
In a Fighter Diary interview conducted by the UFC, "Cupcake" explained that she foresees a definitive Saturday night performance that will put Rousey on notice.
"I want that impressive win, I want to make that bold statement and I want Ronda to be scared when she watches me fight this Saturday. I want her to know that I'm coming for her, I want Cat to feel like it was a mistake ever calling me out in the first place and I want to get my first win in the UFC.
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Tate, a staple in Strikeforce's 135-pound women's division, lost the promotion's bantamweight title to Rousey in March 2012, tapping out to a brutal armbar at the tail end of a competitive first round.
A former Washington State wrestling champion in high school, Tate posted a 6-2 record in Strikeforce, defeating the likes of Zoila Gurgel, Marloes Coenen and Julie Kedzie.
Her losses came at the hands of Rousey and fellow former Strikeforce titleholder Sarah Kaufman.
Tate enters this pivotal matchup after winning seven of her past eight bouts since October 2009, with the loss to Rousey being the only blemish on her record during that stretch.
Zingano will be another tough test for Tate. Zingano has notched six finishes in seven career victories and boasts aggressive ground-and-pound and above-average submission skills.
Will Tate earn her long-awaited rematch with Rousey or will "Rowdy" end up squaring off against new blood in the form of Zingano?
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com and contributes MMA videos to The Young Turks Sports Show.
