'Happier' Miesha Tate set for UFC featherweight debut

MANILA, Philippines – When Miesha Tate takes to the Octagon at UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. Rodriguez on Sunday (July 17, Manila time), she will be making her debut in the featherweight class (125 pounds).

Tate (19-8, 6-4 in the UFC) will be fighting Lauren Murphy (15-5, 7-5 in the UFC), with the winner possibly in line for a shot at the title.

“I’m so excited for this fight. I worked hard to get down to 125 pounds for this weight class. This fight has been postponed a couple of times, I cannot wait,” Tate told Philstar.com.

Tate last fought in the UFC bantamweight class in November 2021, losing to Ketlen Vieira via unanimous decision.

“I look at that last fight as a narrow win for myself. I think there are arguments to be made that I could have won it. But there are changes that could be made,” Tate said. 

“It was a close fight with a woman who could potentially be the division champion at 135 pounds. But I would have not made the change to 125 if I had won that fight. Now I am back at 125 where I belong.”

At 35 turning 36 (this August 18), so much has changed since Tate made her professional mixed martial arts debut in 2007. She has been crowned bantamweight champion in three different promotions — Full Contact Fight, Strikeforce and the UFC — has worked in a corporate position, and has become a mother twice over.

And she’s back fighting.

“There is certainly a lot more on my plate,” she admitted. “But I have a better perspective and ability to handle all of that. Being a mother has given me more of a sense of peace.”

The pressure that I felt before that took away the fun in the process isn't there. The reason why I retired was because I was exhausted and not able to enjoy this. I asked myself, ‘What am I doing here? If you don’t want to be there, then don’t because it is a dangerous job.’ Now it is fulfilling. For the first time I am doing something for myself that makes me happy. Now I feel like a complete person and bring that person to the Octagon and have fun.”

She is in a huge fight this Sunday because she will be up against Murphy, who saw her five-match UFC win streak halted by current champion Valentina Shevchenko on September 25, 2021 via fourth round technical knockout. 

Murphy would love to get another shot at Shevchenko, and it means going through a certified MMA legend and former UFC champion in Tate. 

“It is a big moment,” Tate noted of this bout with Murphy. “A lot of people want to know if I will be successful at 125 or not. Getting past Lauren who just fought the world champion in her last fight will put me close to a shot at the title.”

And the immediate goal? “Make a successful flyweight debut and make a statement in my career and make my way towards Valentina and be a world champion in two weight classes. That is what I am gunning for.”

“In 2007, it was a much different time. We were trying to figure it all out. Now I feel like I have my footing. Not as a fighter but as a human being. Now I have my fiancée by my side, and two children have made everything so beautiful and complete for me. Fighting is a bonus. For me I am a very chill person. I don’t need a ton of pressure on myself. This second time around for me is an opportunity to fight the right way. Now you will see an opportunity to see something amazing (this Sunday.)”

UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. Rodriguez will be aired in the Philippines on Sunday on the Premier Sports Channel on Skycable and Cignal as well as on the TapGo streaming application. The fight begins at 6 a.m.