CHICAGO, IL - JULY 25: Miesha Tate stands in the Octagon before her women's bantamweight bout during the UFC event at the United Center on July 25, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
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 the former world champion's life, he also eroded a great deal of trust between the athlete and the UFC. As Tate explained to a GNPTV interviewer, she doesn't feel as though 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 will also 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 away 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 as though she's fighting better opponents than the champion Ronda Rousey is, of late.
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 number one contenders. Amanda Nunes is ranked number four in the world, and Holly Holm is ranked number eight 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."
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