Roundtables
ROUNDTABLE: Can the UFC effectively sell a third Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate bout?
Jul 29, 2015 - 5:20:24 PM ROUNDTABLE: Can the UFC effectively sell a third Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate bout?

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Is a third Ronda Rousey-Miesha Tate fight something the UFC can effectively sell? Do you think there's anything Tate can do to avoid the same result of the first two matchups?


MICHAEL BANE, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

The UFC can effectively sell Ronda Rousey fighting anybody, no matter how uninteresting or unqualified they may be (see Bethe Correia). The reason we watch Rousey fights anymore is not because we think they may be competitive, but rather we hope to be amazed by the sheer and almost unimaginable dominance that Rousey is capable of displaying. Who else can so effectively dismantle a number one contender in 14 seconds and leave us both almost un-surprised and somehow feeling like we got our money's worth?

Rousey is the sell here. Miesha Tate is on a hot enough streak against some really tough fighters that she can add to the promotion. Her history with Rousey, and the legitimate dislike they have for each other, can both be played up during the promotion. Add to that Tate's continued growth as a fighter - she out wrestled an Olympic wrestler and out struck the supposed premier striker in her division - and there's some definite material to work with. It doesn't hurt that Tate is a good speaker in her own right, so she should provide a good amount of natural promotional material.

I don't expect Tate to win, but the smartest thing she did recently was working on her punching power. You have to give Tate credit, she really wants that belt, and you can't deny that she isn't doing everything she can think of to try to make it a reality. While Tate is an athlete, Rousey is has the type of world-class natural gifts that set her apart from every other fighter in that division to this point. It's a gap that Tate is just never going to be able to close, so bettering the tools she had is about the best she can do.

Tate's best chance at pulling a stunning upset start with her stopping trying to take Rousey down. While much of Tate's career has been built on wrestling and grinding, going to the floor with someone who has infinite ways to rip your arm off is a poor decision. What's worse is Tate tried to take Rousey down numerous times in the last fight, only to have Rousey perfectly use her momentum against her with her skillful Judo throws. Not only did Tate foolishly end up on the ground, she was on the bottom. Next, she needs to hope she can crack Rousey with the type of punch that put Jessica Eye on the floor last week. It's entirely possible Rousey does the same to her, but if I'm Tate I'd take my chances in a standing fight versus a ground war any day.


DAN MOORE, MMATORCH UK COLUMNIST

Four wins on the bounce and consecutive victories over two very credible opponents mean Miesha Tate is clearly the second best in her division at this moment in time. Clearly she's a million miles behind Ronda Rousey, but she's ahead of the rest (including Zingano now). Yet again last Saturday she showed the type of grit and determination that fight fans tend to get behind and root for.

There aren't many trilogy fights I want to see when one fighter has been so dominant over the other, but I will make an exception for Rousey vs. Tate. They despise each other, and Tate did better than anyone else in their last fight. She has zero chance to beat Rousey, but at least it will create some interest, and that's enough for me until Cyborg gets her act together and moves to 135 lbs.


FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

No, and no. Tate hasn't done enough in her fights since losing to Rousey the second time to make you think that anything will be different. Four (somewhat) plodding decision wins isn't going to come near enough to cut it against one of the best fighters of all time. The UFC will sell this fight solely based on the opportunity to watch Rousey fight. Tate isn't dangerous enough to give them the chance to try to sell it on her pulling off the huge upset. If she were to beat Rousey, Tate would have to beat her by decision, and that's just not likely to happen. She's not likely to win even a round against Rousey, let alone three or more. Tate just has to keep working on her submission defense but also work on her striking power. If you're going to beat Rousey, it's going to be by knocking her out. There's very little chance of that, but it's a better chance than going to the ground with her.


TOM STRONG, MMATORCH UK CONTRIBUTOR

I don't know why so many people are up in arms about Tate getting a third crack for the Ronda; we're saying Ronda as there isn't a chance she loses to Bethe Correia this coming Saturday at UFC 190. It's an easy sell for the UFC, much easier than Ronda's last few opponents; the pair genuinely dislike each other, and whether you like it or not Tate is the only credible opponent for Ronda outside of Cris Cyborg.

That being said the outcome of the fight won't be any different from their first two encounters, with Ronda being victorious for the third time. What we can guarantee with Tate is she'll put up a fight, she won't get blown away inside 20 seconds (famous last words) and it'll be entertaining whilst it lasts. Tate showed much improved striking defeating Jessica Eye which could cause Ronda some troubles but unless Tate can keep Ronda from taking her down the submission will be inevitable!


DAYNE FOX, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

They have effectively sold Rousey-Correira... why wouldn't they be able to sell another fight with Tate? You know the UFC is going to push the fact that Tate pushed Rousey further than any other competitor has... which means getting out of the first round. Because there are a lot of people that simply want to see Rousey fall off the mountain, I see this strategy working better than it should. Tate built up a nice fanbase in the lead up to their second bout (thanks to TUF) and she hasn't done anything to turn those fans off to her; her looks don't hurt in that regard either.

Tate isn't going to do any better against Rousey this time around despite her improvements since Rousey has clearly improved as well since their last meeting. Perhaps the better question is if she can take Rousey to decision rather than if she can beat her... but I'll be impressed if she lasts longer than she did in their first meeting.