Ronda Rousey doesn’t have too much sympathy for Miesha Tate, and doesn’t think her former two-time foe is serious about considering retirement after having a third fight between them taken away.
In an interview with ESPN.com, Rousey suggested that she could be out of the sport in short order anyway, and that Tate should stick around to take up the mantle after she’s left active competition.
“I think it’s an empty threat because to be honest, I have more miles on me than she does,” Rousey said. “Her best bet really, for her career, is to wait for me to retire and then her and Holly will probably end up fighting for the title. I think that would actually be a really good fight.
“I think her best shot is to wait for me to retire and it’s not going to take that long. I’m the one with all the surgeries and arthritis. So, I don’t know why she’s talking… I don’t feel bad for her at all. She didn’t feel that I deserved a title shot when I got one [for the Strikeforce championship in 2012].
“She has already gotten more chances than anybody else.”
Penick’s Analysis: If Rousey’s going to be out of the sport within two years (and that seems a very real possibility), then Tate still has plenty of time to be the face of the division in the future, whether she gets another shot at Rousey or not. Of course, Tate has every right to be upset with the way things were handled on the UFC end, and the fighters on the roster should be taken better care of overall, but there is something to the idea that once Rousey’s gone, there are a few of these other fighters who will make things competitive between themselves for a time. Of course, there will be less interest and money in the division when Rousey leaves; that’s just the nature of that level of stardom, and we’ve seen it in several other divisions when they’ve lost their star attractions. Still, Tate and Holm could very well be at the forefront of the next era in the field when Rousey leaves, it just depends on how far out that exit is going to be.
[Photo (c) Jason da Silva via USA Today Sports]
And when the first Tate-headlined PPV sells 193,548 PPV buys, then she can shut up.