"135 is going to suck the life out of her" - Miesha Tate gives surprising take on UFC 300 showdown between Kayla Harrison and Holly Holm
Miesha Tate recently shared her perspective on the highly anticipated showdown between Kayla Harrison and Holly Holm at UFC 300.
On Wednesday, UFC CEO Dana White announced that the two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka has signed an exclusive contract and will be competing against Holm in a bantamweight matchup. The bout will take place on the promotion's historic card scheduled for April 13 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Harrison is prepared to meet the 135-pound weight limit for her debut in the octagon at UFC 300, marking a significant 20-pound drop from her previous tenure as a two-time PFL women's lightweight champion.
After the fight was confirmed, the MMA community expressed reservations about whether Harrison could fulfill the weight requirement. 'Cupcake' also shares a similar view on the matter.
During her recent appearance on the SiriusXM Fight Nation podcast, Tate said:
"When I saw that it was at 135 [pounds], I was shocked. Kayla Harrison begged for a 155-pound division at PFL, and she got it, and I think she has been great there. But I know she made 145 pounds before, and I think it was tough for her."
She added:
"I think 135 is going to really suck the life out of her and it's not the best move. I guess I'm speaking from my personal experience."
Check out Miesha Tate's comments below:
Harrison is coming off a unanimous decision victory in her last bout against UFC veteran Aspen Ladd at the 2023 PFL World Championship in November 2023. She currently holds a professional MMA record of 16-1.
How many bouts are officially confirmed for the UFC 300 card?
While the main event for UFC 300 is yet to be disclosed, the UFC has unveiled a strong lineup featuring several surprising matchups.
A recent noteworthy addition to the event is a women's bantamweight bout featuring Holly Holm and Kayla Harrison. Additionally, the MMA promotion has confirmed a featherweight matchup between Sodiq Yusuff and Diego Lopes. Another notable fight on the card includes Justin Gaethje facing off against Max Holloway for the honorary 'BMF' title.
Elsewhere on the card, Zhang Weili is scheduled to defend her UFC strawweight title against Yan Xiaonan. This fight is accompanied by the earlier announcement of several exciting matchups – a lightweight firecracker between Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan, a light heavyweight showdown featuring Jiri Prochazka and Aleksandar Rakic, a featherweight clash between Calvin Kattar and Aljamain Sterling, and a middleweight bout involving Bo Nickal and Cody Brundage.
Moreover, there is a lightweight clash between seasoned fighters Jim Miller and Bobby Green, along with a bantamweight matchup featuring Deiveson Figueiredo and Cody Garbrandt.