Miesha Tate Says Amanda Nunes’ Right Hand Could be “A Big, Big Problem” For Rousey

Last November, Ronda Rousey was knocked stiff by Holly Holm, surrendering the UFC women’s bantamweight title in the process. She has not stepped foot in the Octagon since.

Luckily for Rousey fans, that could soon change, as recent rumors have suggested she’ll return to action at UFC 207, where she would take on reigning bantamweight queen Amanda Nunes.

On Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour, fan favourite Miesha Tate weighed in on this potential showdown. Given that she’s fought both women, her thoughts on this rumored title fight are especially interesting.

When asked what she thought about Nunes waiting for Rousey to make her return, instead of taking on another bantamweight contender, Tate simply said that this isn’t the way she’d do things if she were still the champ.

“My personal opinion is that as the champion you don’t wait for people; you step up when you should,” she said. “You should stay busy.”  

She did, however, add that she understands Nunes’ choice to hold out for a fight with Rousey.

“It’s her choice, it’s her life, and she’s probably being advised to wait and I can’t blame the girl,” Tate said. “It’s going to be a big fight; it’s going to be a big money fight. Financially, career-wise, it probably makes sense to wait, but you gotta balance it out. Are you in it for the money and doing the quote, unquote ‘smart thing’, or are you passionate and driven, and do you want to do what ‘the fighter,’ quote, unquote would do?” 

Tate also offered up her thoughts on the outcome of this potential showdown. The result, she said, depends largely on which version of Ronda Rousey returns to the Octagon.

“A long layoff [like Rousey’s] can definitely have some adverse effects on coming back and getting right back in there with the best of the best, so I guess we’ll kind of see how it all plays out,” Tate explained when she was asked for her prediction. 

“I feel like there are so many weird variables,” she continued. “It’s really, really hard to say. Who knows what we’re going to get out of Ronda when she comes back. If we’re getting Ronda at the best she’s ever been, then I say Ronda. But if we’re getting Ronda coming back with half-ass mentality, kind of like ‘oh I just feel like I have to do this one time,’ and she’s got a lot of ring-rust and she’s maybe a little punch shy, since she hasn’t fought since Holly…”

“We all saw that obviously Amanda has incredible power in her right hand,” Tate added. “So, you know, if she gets Ronda with one of those it could be a problem for Ronda; a big, big problem. It’s kind of hard to say honestly, I really just don’t know what we’re going to get with Ronda. I know what we’re going to get with Amanda, I just have no idea what we’re gonna get with Ronda.”

How do you think a potential Rousey vs. Nunes bout would go? Sound off, PENN nation!