Miesha Tate Predicts The Winner Of Ronda Rousey vs. Amanda Nunes

The former champ–who has fought both women–reveals her pick to win tonight’s UFC megafight.

There aren’t many women who’ve shared the Octagon with both Ronda Rousey and Amanda Nunes. Miesha Tate is one of them. The recently-retired, former UFC women’s bantamweight champ squared off with Rousey twice, once in 2012 and again in 2013.

Each time Tate lost by armbar, and once she nearly had the damn thing ripped off. More recently, Nunes beat Tate in July, in the fight that made the Brazilian brawler champion and sent Tate into retirement. 

Given her experience against both women headlining UFC 207 Friday night in Las Vegas, Tate is in a unique position to predict the winner of what is the most anticipated women’s UFC fight since the last time Rousey stepped into the cage.

Here are Tate’s predictions on how it will go down:

How Ronda Rousey can win:
“I think the way that Ronda wins this fight is getting to the clinch and getting to the ground and going for her signature armbar. If I were Ronda, I would not play with fire. I wouldn’t play the striking game. I just don’t feel she has the advantage there. I have been hit by both women. I can really say Amanda is the much more powerful striker. She’s longer and that’s where her advantage is. Ronda Rousey needs to get it to the clinch and get it to the ground.”

How Amanda Nunes can win:
“I think the key for Amanda is patient persistence. She needs to pick when she lands her shots carefully because overcommitting is exactly what Ronda is looking for. If she overcommits and ends up in the clinch, it’s the last place she wants to be with Ronda. So, how she wins is using her jab and getting Ronda frustrated. Then she needs to take angles and that’s when she needs to throw her combinations.” 

“I’d also like to see her use calf kicks. Ronda has bad knees from judo and it’s something that Amanda, with her long legs and powerful kicks, could capitalize on.”

Tate’s pick to win the fight:
“It’s so weird because I feel like it’s totally changed after the weigh-ins. Amanda looks strong and she’s certainly capable and my gut has told me to pick her up to this point. But I’m telling you, when I saw Ronda weigh in and saw her demeanor change, it really seemed like she did want to be here. It really seemed like she was focused. Honestly, if Ronda is coming as focused as she looked at the weigh-ins, I have to give it to Ronda, by armbar.”