When the UFC announced the opponent for Miesha Tate’s first title defense on Wednesday, many wondered why the newly crowned women’s bantamweight queen was slotted to face Amanda Nunes instead of Ronda Rousey or former champion Holly Holm in an immediate rematch.
Holm’s manager, Lenny Fresquez also implied that Tate was actually offered to fight Holm, but turned down the offer.
“She chose to take a weaker opponent,” said Fresquez. “She’s not as stand-up as Holly. She said she’d take on the best, but she’s not willing to take on the best.” The champion denied the statement via MMA Junkie, and revealed that it was in fact the UFC’s idea that she fights Nunes next.
“They thought that Amanda was the next best girl in line,” Tate said. “They were like, ‘Look, you just beat Holly. You finished her.’ They didn’t feel that it was necessary to have an immediate rematch; it didn’t warrant an immediate rematch. It wasn’t one of those performances or such a crazy fight that we’ve got to have an immediate rematch.
“It was kind of like, ‘Let’s open up the division – we’d like you to fight Amanda,'” Tate added. “I said, ‘Cool.’ Amanda’s someone I’ve had my eye on for a while, and I know she’s had her eye on me. Now’s the time we get to get in there and do what we do.”
Miesha Tate dethroned Holly Holm at UFC 196 in March with a late submission victory and will defend her belt for the first time against Amanda Nunes at UFC 200 on July 9.