Miesha Tate vs. Sara McMann: What We Learned from the Bantamweight Tilt

Miesha Tate and Sara McMann squared off to conclude the UFC 183 prelims on Saturday night in Las Vegas in a scrappy exchange between two of the best 135-pound women in the sport.

The bout was a back-and-forth affair; McMann looked dominant in the first round before Tate took things over late and began to roll over the Olympic silver medalist in surprising fashion to take the majority decision.

It was a great way to finish the early portion of the card, and the outcome likely placed Tate within a win or two of getting a third bout with her nemesis, Ronda Rousey.

Here’s what we learned.

What We’ll Remember About This Fight

Early on, this fight seemed like it would show how much McMann had improved on the feet, but then Tate reminded us why she has been firmly entrenched atop the women’s bantamweight class for a long time now.

What We Learned About Miesha Tate

She’s as game as anyone in the business.

That’s not news, as she’s made a career out of getting into wild brawls and rarely taking a backward step. Still, people sometimes look past what she does in the cage because she’s a pretty face and among the most recognizable athletes on the UFC roster.

For her to put in the dreadful first round that she did at UFC 183 and still hang around for the duration—and actually end up taking it to McMann by the time it was all said and done—it speaks to her athletic credentials.

What We Learned About Sara McMann

She has all the tools but may run out of time before she gets to put them together in MMA.

She’s one of the most talented wrestlers—male or female—in the UFC. She's the most purely powerful athlete in the women’s bantamweight division and an encouraging work-in-progress in the stand-up game, but it just may not be enough.

She’s 34 years old with a lifetime of hard, high-level competition behind her, and she may not have the time left to work her way back to a second shot at Rousey. McMann is elite, but she could end up as a case study in “what might have been?” as opposed to the second Olympian to hold the women’s bantamweight title since its inception.

What’s Next for Tate

It’s either a rematch with Cat Zingano (should she lose to Rousey at UFC 184) or perhaps a matchup with Alexis Davis.

Nobody else makes sense for her as an opponent at the top of the division, and it’s too early for her to fight Rousey for a third time.

What’s Next for McMann

A fight with Jessica Eye would provide a stern test and flesh out where both parties are sitting in the division going forward.

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