Strikeforce
Strikeforce Champ Miesha Tate warns Ronda Rousey to "keep that pretty little chin tucked" on March 3
Jan 24, 2012 - 6:20:31 PM Strikeforce Champ Miesha Tate warns Ronda Rousey to "keep that pretty little chin tucked" on March 3

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate has spent much of her career showcasing her grappling game, out-wrestling and submitting most of her opponents. Now, her next challenge is a fight against an Olympic Bronze Medalist in Judo in Ronda Rousey. Still, while her challenger has considerable accolades to her name, Tate doesn't believe Rousey has been up against anyone on her level.

"I think what she's done has been impressive," Tate said in an interview with MMAJunkie.com. "However, I know she hasn't fought anybody of my caliber or my style. I really feel that she's highly, highly, highly underestimating my ability.

"Most of my opponents that I've fought haven't challenged me too much on the ground. I do believe she'll be a challenge. But my opponents also haven't pulled the most out of me. If she thinks that's all that I've got, she's sorely mistaken. And if she thinks I don't have knockout power or that my standup is so-so, she's mistaken again."

Tate believes this fight will play out more on the feet than it will on the ground, and because of that she sees herself having a big advantage.

"When you're striking to strike, you can develop a lot power because you're trying to stay at a certain range where your punches have the most power," she said. "I can do both. She better keep that pretty little chin tucked if she doesn't want to wake up with the lights in her eyes."

Rousey talking her way into the fight has bred contempt from Tate, and as the two have increased their trash talking against one another, Tate's desire to win the fight has risen considerably as well.

"I think that this fight is exactly what I need because I think my other fights, I've maintained a very calm and very focused demeanor, but I really don't want this fight to be calm," Tate said. "I want this fight to be explosive and powerful, and I want it to say a lot. I feel like the energy I feel in myself coming into this whole thing, I'm still several weeks out, and I'm just so amped for this fight to happen. I haven't experienced that in a long time.

"She's probably the person I dislike the most out of anyone in my career I've had the opportunity to fight, and I think that adds an interesting element. I'm going to have a lot more passion, a lot more fire and a lot more just wanting to beat her ass. I really do. I want to go out there and punch her in the face. I want to elbow here. I'm going to try and cut her open if I can. I'm not just going out there to win this fight. I really want to hurt this girl."

Penick's Analysis: This animosity from Tate towards Rousey could work for her in the cage, or she could be too driven by her emotions in the fight and slip up. We've seen fighters use these types of emotions both ways, most recently in the negative by Donald Cerrone at UFC 141. If she can use her strong dislike of Rousey in a positive way, and channel the emotions to her benefit, we might see the most impressive Miesha Tate we've seen in the cage to date. If not, however, it could be a disappointing end for Tate in her first title defense.