Misha Tate shared insights on how a battle against Kayla Harrison might aid her in healing emotional scars stemming from her encounter with Rhonda Rousey.
Going Head-to-Head with HarrisonFormer UFC ladies' bantamweight goldholder Misha Tate sees a bout against Kayla Harrison as a kind of recompense for the past encounters she couldn't have with Ronda Rousey. Their rivalry with Rousey was one of the fiercest in MMA, with Tate suffering two defeats but eventually surpassing Holly Holm, who dethroned Rousey. "Cupcake" then hung up her gloves and showed no intention of coming back.
Now that UFC has brought in two-time Olympic judo champ Kayla Harrison, Tate gets a chance to test herself against an adversary with a similar style. In an interview with MMA Fighting, Tate said:
"I wanted to prove just how much better I’ve become against judokas now. I lost to Ronda twice and couldn't understand why. Now I have a completely different coaching squad."
Tate further added, "I didn't have partners who could mimic judo before - women who were willing to take hits while I worked on not getting thrown. I trained with men, but they weren't as technical as Ronda - they relied more on muscle."
However, Tate emphasized that in contrast to her rivalry with Rousey, she harbors no personal animosity towards Harrison - only a sporting interest. Tate is currently readying herself for her fight against Janna Santos at UFC on May 4th.
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🎯 Misha Tate's New Strategy: Focusing on Technical Judo Defense
Miesha Tate's new approach to possible matches against Kayla Harrison shows the strategies she's developed since her days duking it out with Ronda Rousey. Tate now emphasizes specialized coaching to counter judo-based fighters, learning from the difficulties she faced against Rousey's grappling.
Key enhancements in Tate's camp include:- Judo-specific training: Tate now trains with coaches specialized in replicating high-level judo moves, a gap she faced in the past when searching for female training partners who excelled in both judo and striking[1].- ** Strategic development: Tate's team now focuses on combining defensive grappling with striking finesse, aiming to nullify Harrison's Olympic-level judo without relying on brute force[1].- ** Modern MMA adaptation: Tate trains with partners who emulate Harrison's physicality and style, avoiding the strategic shortcomings apparent in her losses to Rousey, such as trouble in managing clinch exchanges and takedown defense[1].
While no specific trainers are mentioned, Tate's emphasis on technical finesse over muscle-driven strategies demonstrates her growth since her UFC title reign in 2016. The potential Harrison fight represents a chance to rectify her judoka-related setbacks, building upon years of refined preparation[1][2].
- Miesha Tate, eager to prove her growth against judokas like Kayla Harrison, is focusing on specialized coaching to counter judo-based fighters, a strategy developed since her encounters with Ronda Rousey.
- Tate's new approach includes judo-specific training, with coaches replicating high-level judo moves, a gap present in her past when searching for female training partners who excelled in both judo and striking.
- Tate's team now strategies on combining defensive grappling with striking finesse, aiming to nullify Harrison's Olympic-level judo without relying on brute force.
- This shift in strategy shows Tate's focus on technical finesse over muscle-driven strategies, demonstrating her growth since her UFC title reign in 2016, as she prepares to potentially rectify her judoka-related setbacks in her upcoming fight.
