A mixed martial arts icon is coming out of retirement. Former UFC bantamweight champion Miesha Tate is returning to the Octagon to face 43-year-old veteran Marion Reneau who, interestingly, announced she will be retiring after the bout.
Tate said her time away from the sport has provided added motivation to get back into the Octagon and take care of unfinished business:
“My heart is full of passion, the fire has been lit!” Miesha Tate told ESPN via text message, per Brett Okamoto. “The sport has been calling for me, it's time I answer.”
The UFC has yet to announce the date or location of the fight, though Okamoto noted it is expected to be a UFC Fight Night rather than a prelim bout on a pay-per-view card.
Tate is one of the most influential fighters in mixed martial arts history. Her rivalry with Ronda Rousey in the Strikeforce promotion played a role in convincing UFC president Dana White to allow women to fight in the company.
Tate first fought Rousey for the bantamweight belt at UFC 168 back in December of 2013. She came up empty in that fight, but promptly ripped off a streak of five straight wins to earn another title shot against Holly Holm after the “Preacher's Daughter” shockingly knocked Rousey out at UFC 193.
In a stunning display of grit, Tate withstood a vicious striking assault from Holm and earned a submission win by rear naked choke in the fifth and final round. It was the first UFC title win of her career.
Tate would lose the belt in her very next fight to Amanda Nunes, who has not lost a bantamweight fight since. She retired after a loss to Raquel Pennington at UFC 205.
The 34-year-old became a mother to two children in retirement and served as a correspondent for ONE Championship. Now, she will make her UFC return after a five-year hiatus.
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