Does Miesha Tate Deserve to Be Named Among Best in Women's MMA?

Michael Jordan is known as the basketball player that kept many other greats from winning an NBA championship. Men such as Karl Malone, John Stockton and Charles Barkley never lifted the Larry O'Brien trophy over their heads because Jordan always had the final laugh.

Miesha Tate has a similar situation in the form of Ronda Rousey. Even though Miesha may never hold UFC gold, she deserves to be recognized as one of the best in women's MMA.

Miesha Tate is a special individual within the women's bantamweight division. She overcame being badly hurt by Sara McMann in the opening round of their fight at UFC 183 to earn a majority-decision victory. This gave Tate her third straight win and more importantly, a win over the then-ranked No. 3 competitor within the women's division. Even though McMann has been moved down to No. 4, that win is perhaps Tate's biggest to date.

Tate is a former champion, winning the Strikeforce women's bantamweight title back in 2011. That title was snatched away by Rousey, and Tate has yet to be able to give her any payback. She's 0-2 against the “Rowdy” one and that fact may keep many from recognizing Tate as one of the best female fighters to ever compete.

Tate knows she's far off from earning another shot at the champion.

“I've already told everyone I'm willing to do what it takes to get back to that. I'm not asking for it right now. I'm not asking for any handouts. I'm willing to put my nose to the grindstone,” Tate said during the post-fight press conference for UFC 183 (video provided by MMA Fighting). “I'm willing to beat all of the other top contenders until I am the only option left if that's what I have to do.”

That may be the path Miesha has to take in order to get back into the Octagon with Ronda. Earning a win over her rival would help solidify the argument she is among the best in women's mixed martial arts.

Yet those who know Tate and the true history behind women's MMA know Tate already deserves recognition that may not immediately come when describing her legacy.

“I have mixed feelings as far as recognition goes,” Tate said in a FightLand piece by Sascha Matuszak. “I know I that had a big part to do with women’s mixed martial arts, and I was paving the road when no one was paying attention to that road; fighting for free my first six fights, scrounging to find opponents, fighting girls 20 lbs bigger than me, no regulations, no medical, no insurance...we were just trying to make a way, trying to get women's mixed martial arts noticed.”

The time has come for that recognition. Tate doesn't currently have a UFC title reign to her resume, and she may never reach that point. Whether that happens or not should not impact the credit she deserves for being one of the top women in the sport.