UFC Fight Night: Can Miesha Tate Take That Next Step?

MMA fans were delighted with the return of Miesha Tate.

The former UFC and Strikeforce champion stepped back inside the Octagon in July and finished Marion Reneau.

It marked her first win since 2016 when she claimed the UFC bantamweight title. And it was her first fight since that year when she retired after losing to Raquel Pennington.

Tate looks to keep the momentum going when she faces Ketlen Vieira this weekend. The bout headlines the next UFC Fight Night event live on ESPN+.

For someone with the resume of Tate, what does all this mean? 

In her time away from competing, Tate became a mother twice over. She has a new perspective on life – and fighting at the same time. 

Tate is a founding member of the surge in female MMA. Along with the likes of Sarah Kaufman, Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg and others, the sport grew right in front of our eyes.

In 2011, Tate became the Strikeforce champion, besting Marloes Coenen. She would drop it to Rousey in 2012 in one of the biggest female fights ever at the time.

Tate and Rousey’s feud spilled over to the UFC with a memorable edition of The Ultimate Fighter. She would fall to Rousey a second time in 2013 but eventually went on a five-fight win streak.

The culmination of that was a fifth round submission win over Holly Holm for the UFC title at UFC 196. 

For Tate, another win this weekend would help snowball her momentum into 2022 and move her one step closer to a possible rematch with Amanda Nunes for the title.