Miesha Tate talks motherly motivation, ‘I really want to make my kids proud’

Miesha Tate is headed back into the Octagon.

A lot has changed since “Cupcake’s” initial run in the sport. For her personally, she’s now a mother of two.

“There are definitely times when I think about it and I’m like, ‘I really want to make my kids proud,'” Tate told BJPenn.com. “I want my daughter to be that woman. I want her to understand her strength, her capabilities, and never limit her dreams or goals. That’s the biggest thing. I don’t necessarily want her to be a fighter, I want her to believe she’s capable of doing whatever it is she sets her mind to. I want her to be that strong woman and I want my son to appreciate that strong woman.

“I want him to see that and see how daddy supports that, how daddy’s not jealous, how daddy does his thing, how daddy’s great, and mommy’s great, and they’re both great, and they’re great together. That’s what I want for my son.”

Tate just recently got engaged to her partner and fellow fighter Johnny Nunez when the pair was in Colorado to do some training with Trevor Whittman and Justin Gaethje. Before heading back to Las Vegas, Nunez popped the question up in the misty mountains and received a shocked, but easy, “yes” from the former UFC champ.

Having this type of support in the form of a direct family is something entirely new for the bantamweight pioneer.

“When you talk about that family dynamic, it’s that love and support that pushes me and drives me and I do want to be that example for my children, you know?” Tate said. “I want them to understand that winning is not everything. Losing is an opportunity to learn and winning is an opportunity to learn. And how to handle both in a gracious and humble way, that’s what I hope I can teach my kids through this.”

Miesha Tate takes on the No. 12 ranked UFC contender Marion Reneau on July 17. While the fight is Tate’s first in five years, it will be Reneau’s last of her 18-fight, 11-year career.