Miesha Tate explains why finishing Ketlen Vieira at UFC Vegas 43 is so important to her

UFC women’s bantamweight contender Miesha Tate explained why finishing rival Ketlen Vieira at UFC Vegas 43 is so important to her.

Tate returns to the Octagon on Saturday at UFC Vegas 43 when she takes on Vieira in a five-round headliner. For Tate, this is her second fight back since returning to the sport following a five-year layoff after starting a family. She defeated Marion Reneau in her last outing back in July via third-round TKO, and now she is looking to do the same to Vieira.

Speaking to the media ahead of UFC Vegas 43, Tate explained why getting a finish is so important for her. While getting a win is the goal, Tate knows that getting a stoppage win will mean more people start talking about her, and it means a title shot could come sooner.

“I really want to get a finish. I know every fight, people will say they want to finish, and that’s true. You want to finish every fight. But I feel like it’s really imperative this fight, because that’s what will put me in title talks, right?” Tate said (via MMAjunkie.com). “It’s not that I won’t be happy if I got a decision win. Of course, a win is a win. But I really want that finish – like, really want that because I want to be talked about being in as the No. 1 contender.”

Vieira is coming off of a decision loss to Yana Kunitskaya but she did get finished by Irene Aldana with strikes just two fights ago. Should Tate go in there and finish Tate with strikes, she would have much more of an argument to get fast-tracked to a title shot against UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes.

Do you think that Miesha Tate has what it takes to finish Ketlen Vieira at UFC Vegas 43?