In the wake of Miesha Tate‘s bantamweight title win over Holly Holm at UFC 196, the challenger already seems set in stone.
According to UFC president Dana White via Damon Martin of FOX Sports, former title holder Ronda Rousey will fight Tate for the bantamweight championship when she returns later in the year.
“I think that Ronda now will fight Miesha Tate for the title,” White said when speaking to ESPN after UFC 196 concluded. “That’s what’s going to happen. That’s what I said before this fight even happened. Whoever wins tonight will fight Ronda for the title.
“I texted Ronda — Ronda wasn’t watching the fight. I text Ronda and she said ‘what happened?’ I said ‘Miesha just choked her unconscious’ and she said ‘looks like I’ve got to get back to work.’ She’s scheduled to not come back until October or November but it doesn’t mean I can’t ask.”
Rousey facing the champion whether it was Tate or Holm upon her return was pretty foreseen ever since she suffered a stunning knockout to Holm back in November. At the same time, it would seem anticipated that Holm would eventually face the winner between Tate and Rousey considering she was the first fighter to take down what seemed to be an unbeatable Rousey at the time.
But when it comes to Tate and Rousey, their upcoming match will be the third between them with Rousey taking the first two back in 2012 and 2013 via submission.
Look for Rousey to make her return in either October or November of 2016.
