UFC
Miesha Tate says she felt it was "absolutely necessary" to improve her striking power
Jul 27, 2015 - 10:45:20 AM Miesha Tate says she felt it was "absolutely necessary" to improve her striking power

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Miesha Tate made some improvements in her striking game into Saturday's UFC on Fox 16 event, showing off some newfound power with some knock downs on Jessica Eye. The power advantage helped her steal a first round she was losing, and she continued that effort over the final ten minutes to secure a big fourth win in a row.

"I felt so much stronger and more powerful," Tate said at the post-fight press conference (transcribed by MMAFighting.com). "I felt like the power I was able to deliver is absolutely necessary, for not only Ronda but anyone I'm fighting - especially Ronda now that I'm looking forward to that. She doesn't like to be hit and I need to be able to deliver that finishing power on the feet.

"Not only the punching power, but the conditioning to continue to throw the punching power all three rounds," she continued. "Sometimes you throw power and you're not really conditioned for it and you gas out in the first round. Man, it takes a lot of energy and it takes a lot of strength to be able to do that, but with the new strength and conditioning program I felt like I was able to deliver the same power in the first round and the same power in the third round."

While Tate has been primarily a wrestler first throughout her MMA career, she said there was something "addicting" in the success she had on the feet, and it's something she's likely to implement further in the future.

"I made the adjustments and I didn't feel like the urgency to have to take her down. I was like, 'hey man I can put this girl away on her feet,'" Tate said. "Like, hey it would be nice to get a knockout. I knocked her down two times and it's kind of addicting in a fight. You knock someone down two times in the first round and it's like smelling blood."

Tate is expected to get a third shot at Ronda Rousey with the win over Eye, provided Rousey defeats Bethe Correia at UFC 190.

Penick's Analysis: Tate's gain in power was extremely impressive on Saturday. Though she was saying she'd improved that aspect of her game, it's something that fighters say all the time, when it doesn't necessarily come to fruition. She's absolutely improved her power striking, and that's a great development for her. I don't think it changes anything for another fight with Ronda Rousey, but it absolutely makes her a better overall fighter.