In the co-main event at UFC 168: Weidman vs. Silva 2, UFC Women's Bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey (7-0 MMA; 1-0 UFC) rematches her Ultimate Fighter rival, Miesha Tate (13-4 MMA; 0-1 UFC). This five-round title fight is the second-to-last on the five-fight main card live on PPV. The UFC Rankings have champion Rousey at #10 on the Pound-for-Pound list, while Tate stands as the #2 contender for the belt. UFC 168: Weidman vs. Silva 2 airs live from Las Vegas this Saturday, December 28, with a fight time of 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT for the PPV main card.
Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate first met in the Strikeforce cage back in 2012, with Rousey winning and taking Tate's Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight championship home. Since then, the two have been at odds, with their rivalry heating up on the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter. On that show, Tate was portrayed as the nice girl, Rousey as the crazy bully, but that's far too simplistic a look at these rivals. Reality editing aside, this is a very personal battle with a lot on the line for both fighters.
How do these two stack up?
Rousey: 26 years old | 5'6" | 66" reach
Tate: 27 years old | 5'6" | 64" reach
What have these two done recently?
Rousey: W - Liz Carmouche (Sub) | W - Sarah Kaufman (Sub) | W - Miesha Tate (Sub)
Tate: L - Cat Zingano (TKO) | W - Julie Kedzie (Sub) | L - Ronda Rousey (Sub)
How did these two get here?
Ronda Rousey is the first ever Women's UFC champion, bringing the belt over from Strikeforce earlier this year. Here, she attempts to make her third combined title defense. A former Olympic Judo medalist, Rousey is incredibly focused, and that personality has rubbed people the wrong way. Inside the ring, she has one thing she does better than anyone in MMA right now - the armbar. The statistics speak for themselves; 7 pro fights, 7 wins, 7 first-round stoppages, 7 armbars. In fact, Tate is one of only two women to get past the 1 minute mark against Rousey. It's an incredible streak, and one you know she will try to keep alive here.
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Miesha Tate is a 6-year pro who has fought many of Women's MMA's best. She won the Strikeforce belt from the tough Marloes Coenen back in 2011 and was one of the sport's top women fighters at that time. Since the loss to Rousey, she's 1-1, winning a tough fight with Julie Kedzie in Strikeforce, then losing in a #1 contender fight to Cat Zingano. When Zingano was injured, Tate slid into her spot on TUF and in this fight. For her to win here, she'll need to have improved since their last encounter and show that she can stop the Rousey arm assault.
Why should you care?
This might get a bit ugly due to the bad blood, but more than that, Rousey is just a must-see fighter right now. Can she make it 8 in a row? I want to find out.
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