Miesha Tate talks about losing trust with the UFC & needing promises in writing
When UFC president Dana White went back on his word and substituted Holly Holm in for Miesha Tate against Ronda Rousey without telling Tate or her management first, he did more than disrupt Tate's life. He also eroded a great deal of trust between the former Strikeforce champion and the UFC. As Tate explained to a GNPTV interviewer, she doesn't feel she can take the UFC at its word anymore.
"More things are going to have to be contractually agreed upon, instead of verbally," she said.
"That's just what happens when you can't come to a verbal trust point. I'm going to have to have things just written down from now on."
In addition to writing their promises in contract form, the UFC also will have to work a lot harder to get her to fight the likes of top contender Amanda Nunes, after "Takedown" had her promised title shot snatched from her. When the interviewer began to speak about Tate's supposed next opponent, Nunes, Miesha cut him off saying, "Actually, no."
Tate made it seem like she was offered the tough fight with Nunes after the promised Rousey bout was taken away from her, and that she's not interested. "I'm frustrated with the UFC so I'm not in a position where I feel like I need to be pushed around and just, 'Oh, you take this fight, you take that fight,'" she reasoned.
The 29-year-old has won four straight fights, including against contender Jessica Eye and former title challengers Sara McMann and Liz Carmouche. Tate feels she's fighting better opponents than the champion Rousey is.
She may have been fine with that arrangement if it meant earning another title shot. Since having that taken away from her, however, Tate finds herself in an awkward and less agreeable position.
"It makes no sense why I am not the champion, yet I'm fighting all the No. 1 contenders. Amanda Nunes is ranked No. 4 in the world, and Holly Holm is ranked No. 8 in the world. What is wrong with that picture, when I'm not the champion yet I'm fighting better girls than the champion is fighting, and I'm not getting paid what the champion is getting paid," she said.
"That is the champion's job, to fight the best girls in the world, so when I'm the champion, then we'll talk."
Tate admitted that she doesn't know what her next step will be. However, it is clear that she feels wronged by the UFC, and is intent on not letting them push her around.
"I don't know. I'm just in an awkward stage in my career where I don't what is the best next step for me," she concluded.
"But I do know that I'm not going to be pushed around by anybody."
