Miesha Tate: Gina Carano vs. Ronda Rousey 'a joke'
The UFC seems to be working hard to entice former Strikeforce champion Gina Carano to come back to MMA competition and take on UFC champ Ronda Rousey. Rousey, of course, fights Alexis Davis next and
Carano's last bout came nearly five years ago, when she lost badly to "Cyborg" Justino.
Two-time world title challenger Miesha Tate isn't a big fan of an immediate Rousey vs. Carano title bout. “I really feel that it’s just kind of a joke,” Tate recently said on MMA Junkie Radio.
“It really is. Gina was a great fighter, and she’s a beautiful women. Ronda is a great fighter, and she’s an attractive girl. But to say that Gina should be able to come in after five years of nothing and take on arguably the best female fighter ever? Come on."
Tate has faced and lost to Rousey twice and recently earned her first ever UFC win. The popular star believes that giving Carano an immediate title shot would set back women's MMA.
“Women’s MMA has been working to legitimize ourselves for so long, and we finally broke the ice, we’re finally in the UFC, and we’re getting some credibility. Don’t take that away by putting a fight together that is based entirely on looks and has little to nothing to do with skill set," she said.
“The only thing that drives that is they’re both attractive. It makes the women’s title hold no value. It makes it look like it’s a joke and they just put whatever’s going to sell. If we’re going to really legitimize women’s MMA as a sport and have it respected as a sport, then you have to treat it as such."
At the end of the day, Tate believes that if Carano does sign to fight Rousey, she'd just be doing it for the pay-day. "Cupcake" doesn't think that Carano poses much of a threat to Rousey.
“I think what would happen is Gina would get a big payday and sign on the line. Worst-case scenario she gets thrown on her head and has to tap out to an armbar. I don’t see Gina beating Ronda. I know her striking is good and everything, but it doesn’t really matter if you can’t stop the takedown," she said.
Tate did offer a solution to the problem - let her fight Carano. “If Gina is serious about making a comeback, then I think I would be the perfect person for her to step in to fight against," Tate said.
"I’m not the champion, and it makes kind of a mockery of women’s MMA to have her come in and fight the champion. “If she can beat me, I’ll wish her well on her way to the title, and I’ll definitely be rooting for her.”
Do you agree with Tate? Let us know in the comments section.
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