Sure, it’s not going to get as many eyes as the Conor McGregor show, though that doesn’t mean Holly Holm‘s first women’s bantamweight title defense against Miesha Tate at UFC 196 won’t be equally exciting. In fact, you could make a good argument that this fight is being criminally overlooked … just like Holm was going into her shocking upset KO of Ronda Rousey at UFC 193.
Well, don’t make the same mistake twice, folks. Make sure you tune into this one.
5. Miesha Tate's Underrated Skills
David Manning-USA TODAY SportsLook, losing twice to Ronda Rousey shouldn't be a huge knock on anyone's resume, but it's made some think that Tate isn't one of the best female fighters in the world. Four straight wins in the Octagon against top contenders (two of whom fought against Rousey) should tell you otherwise. She's improved every time out, and is still in her prime at 29. Tate could be a champion yet.
4. Intriguing Striker vs. Grappler Matchup
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Holly Holm will again be testing her elite kickboxing skills against a strong grappler in Miesha Tate, who will look to drag the champ down and use her strong top game to gut out a victory. That said, where Rousey's singular game plan led to her downfall, Tate will undoubtedly bring a more varied arsenal to the table with a mix of wrestling and BJJ proficiency. Matchups make fights, and Tate is arguably a tougher matchup for Holm than Rousey.
3. High Stakes For Tate's Career
Getty ImagesThere's no sugarcoating it: Should Miesha Tate be unsuccessful in her title challenge, it could spell the end for her status as a UFC title contender for good. She'll have lost to two champions, and doesn't seem to have any interest in being a gatekeeper for the division. In fact, given that she's already publicly expressed her various grievances with the UFC, you have to wonder whether she'll continue fighting with another loss in a title fight.
2. Holm Still Has Something To Prove
Matt Roberts-USA Today SportsA common belief is that a champion isn't legitimate until they successfully defend the title, and a win against Tate would cement Holm's status as the reigning queen of WMMA. You'd think a dominant victory over Rousey would've done that, but let's not forget that Holm didn't look like a world-beater in her first two UFC bouts until she turned in a nearly perfect performance. The champ is an elite athlete, though she still has something to prove.
1. Consequences For Ronda Rousey
Matt Roberts-USA TODAY SportsLike it or not, all of this goes back to Rousey, arguably still the UFC's most mainstream star. Whenever Rowdy fights next, her title challenge against either Holm or Tate will have a compelling storyline. We'd either get a rubber match between bitter rivals from the Strikeforce days, with Tate looking for redemption, or we'd get to see whether Holm can shatter what remains of Rousey's myth — and potentially her MMA career — for good.
