Miesha Tate has been synonymous with the bantamweight division during her entire UFC career. She became champion in the weight class and fought for the belt multiple times.
Miesha Tate is now moving down to flyweight and she plans on eventually challenging for the belt. The former UFC bantamweight champion recently explained why she chose to move down.
“I have made the commitment to go down to 125 [pounds],” Tate told The MMA Hour. “A few reasons [why] — I think I automatically assumed 135 was always my weight class because that’s all there ever was. When I got into Strikeforce, it was only 135 and 145.
“When I got into the UFC, it was only 135, and by the time 125 came around, I was just so enveloped at 135 trying to win the title and then obviously the rivalry with Ronda [Rousey], and then I did win it against Holly [Holm]. But as the sport has evolved, I’ve just very rarely ever had a reach advantage. I’ve rarely had a height advantage.”
There were many good examples for Miesha Tate to follow as she planned to move down a weight class. Many UFC champions actually went down and had really good runs.
“I started thinking about things like Jose Aldo dropping weight classes,” Tate explained. “There’s been a lot of different instances. Henry Cejudo, he was a two-weight class champion. But even Valentina Shevchenko — she was a great fighter at 135, but she was never dominant. I’ve just seen it a lot of times, where I think that might be my true weight class, if I’m being honest.
“I think that I can actually have some physical advantages in that weight class that I rarely have at 135. I don’t feel there’s a strength discrepancy at 135, but I could only imagine fighting women that are built to be 10 pounds smaller, could lend itself to showing my greatness as opposed to fighting these goliaths.”