UFC 196 fight card primer: Holly Holm vs. Miesha Tate

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In the co-main event of UFC 196, Holly Holm (10-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), makes the first defense of her bantamweight title against former Strikeforce champ, Miesha Tate (17-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) in a fight that has flown under in comparison Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz’s much-hyped fight.

As far as the world of WMMA goes, this is about the best match-up that can be made right now. While Miesha Tate’s talents get discredited regularly, Tate provides an interesting stylistic match up for Holm, who will be looking to further her star power ahead of a huge rematch with Ronda Rousey. The UFC 196 main card airs live on pay-per-view on Saturday, March 5th at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT from Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.

How do these two stack up?

Holm: 34 years old | 5’8″ | 69″ reach
Tate: 29 years old | 5’6″ | 66.5″ reach

What have these two done recently?

Holm: W – Ronda Rousey (KO) | W – Marion Reneau (UD) | W – Raquel Pennington (SD)
Tate: W – Jessica Eye (UD) | W – Sara McMann(MD) | W – Rin Nakai (UD)

How did these two get here?

For a long time Miesha Tate was the second biggest star in women’s MMA, but in 2 rounds in November, Holly Holm shot to stardom with a dominant victory over the previously unbeaten Ronda Rousey. Miesha Tate has only been beaten 3 times in 5-and-a-half years, once against Cat Zingano and twice against Ronda Rousey. Other than the fights with Rousey and Zingano, Tate has showed improvements in each fight, Tate’s last 4 fights have all showcased the talents that make her a bad match up with Holm. Against Nakai and Carmouche, Tate’s boxing looked solid and in her most recent performances against Jessica Eye and Sara McMann, Tate showed the ability to land a diverse striking game and mix in takedowns.

Holly Holm’s UFC career has really been a mixed bag. Many expected Holm to be a star when she signed for the UFC, but her debut performance against Raquel Pennington left fans dejected. In Holm’s second UFC performance she was, once again, slightly underwhelming and some were disappointed when she was given a title shot at Ronda Rousey over Miesha Tate, who was promised a shot with a victory over Jessica Eye. When Holm met Rousey in Australia we witnessed on of the biggest shocks in MMA history. Over the course of two rounds, Holly Holm completely outclassed Rousey before knocking her out in spectacular fashion and setting up this intriguing match-up with Tate.

Why should you care?

This fight is by no means a foregone conclusion. Miesha Tate has the skills to make this a firm test for Holly Holm.

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UFC 196 fight card primer: Holly Holm vs. Miesha Tate