"So grounded and always up for the biggest challenge" - Miesha Tate heaps praise on Holly Holm in wake of Ronda Rousey's concussion claims
Miesha Tate has revealed that her favorite fighter is one of her biggest rivals.
With many eyeing the UFC debut of Kayla Harrison on UFC 300 against Holly Holm, some have drawn comparisons with Holm's previous fight with Ronda Rousey. The 2015 matchup provided one of the most iconic moments in UFC history as Holm pulled off a historic upset by knocking out Rousey in the second round. As such, several reporters asked Holm questions about Rousey during fight week, prompting Tate to leave a comment on social media.
The 42-year-old former champion responded to recent comments made by Rousey, claiming that the former champion 'was not better' than her, causing Tate to call Holm her 'favorite fighter.' Tate tweeted:
"Holly is my favorite fighter. So grounded and always up for the biggest challenge. Best wishes for #UFC300... Hopefully she will go on to win the title as I look to continue winning as well. Maybe this way we meet again for gold"
In her post, Tate took responsibility for the oft-rumored rematch between herself and Holm never occurring, stating that injuries and poor timing prevented the fight from happening again. The first meeting at UFC 196 resulted in one of the most memorable comeback victories in UFC title fight history as Tate submitted Holm in the final round to become the bantamweight champion.
Ronda Rousey's comments on the loss to Holly Holm
Holly Holm will be facing Kayla Harrison on April 13 but many reporters asked the former champion for her thoughts on recent comments from old foe Ronda Rousey during UFC 300 fight week. In promotion for the release of her book, 'Our Fight,' Rousey made numerous public comments on her career — particularly her infamous loss to Holm — that rubbed fans the wrong way.
In an interview, Rousey claimed that she was forced to retire due to concussions piling up throughout her career, a problem she insisted her team kept from the public. 'Rowdy' also noted in her book that she was concussed entering the fight with Holm, a factor that led to the upset.
When asked for her reaction to the comments during UFC 300 media day, Holm said:
"Every fighter at this point, if you've made a career out of fighting, you've had a concussion at some point... I think it's hard for her to want to admit that I was just the better fighter. Was she still dominant and a good champion? 100 percent. I give her that. But she wasn't better than me, especially [not] that night."
Check out Holly Holm's comments below: