Meisha Tate is back! The former bantamweight champion will make her much anticipated comeback to the UFC Octagon after four years in retirement to take on MMA veteran Marion Reneau at a UFC event set for July 17. The news was first reported by ESPN.
The 43-year old Marion Reneau also revealed that her next fight against Meisha Tate will also be her last. The high-school teacher turned mixed martial artist, Raneau will welcome Tate in her retirement fight in what promises to be an intriguing match-up between two of the best women fighters to ever step inside the Octagon.
Meisha Tate announced her retirement after back-to-back losses against Amanda Nunes and Raquel Pennington. Tate rose to stardom after her scintillating submission win over Holly Holm back at UFC 196 to win the Bantamweight Championship. However, she failed to defend her title and later revealed that she did not feel like showing up again to the Octagon.
Meisha Tate’s legacy goes beyond the UFC banner, with her most dominant run coming during her time as the women’s Strikeforce Bantamweight champion. Tate’s rivalry with Ronda Rousey is also incredibly well known.
Meisha Tate to face Marion Reneau in her comeback fight
Meisha Tate is 34 years old, and it will be interesting to see her step inside the Octagon once again after all these years away from the cage. Needless to say, inactivity will be a huge factor. However, UFC has made the right choice by offering her a fairly easier fight in the form of 43-year old Marion Reneau.
With no disrespect to Marion Reneau, who has picked up notable wins over fighters like Jessica Andrade and Sara McMann, Reneau just hasn’t been the same fighter in the last couple of years. She is coming off four back-to-back losses to her name and will look to end her fighting career with a huge win over Tate.
Meanwhile, it will be a litmus test for Tate who will better understand her position in the MMA world after four years of inactivity by going against a veteran who is way past her prime.
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