If you think that Gina Carano returning from five years away from MMA and getting a shot at Ronda Rousey in her first fight back is a little ridiculous, you’re not alone. Another top female fighter, Miesha Tate, feels the same way.
In an interview with MMA Junkie radio, Tate said she felt like Carano fighting Rousey right away would be “kind of a joke.”
“I really feel that it’s just kind of a joke,” Tate told MMAjunkie Radio. “It really is. Gina was a great fighter, and she’s a beautiful woman. Ronda is a great fighter, and she’s an attractive girl. But to say that Gina should be able to come in after five years of nothing and take on arguably the best female fighter ever? Come on.”
Carano hasn’t fought since August 2009 when she lost to Cyborg for her lone defeat. Rousey, on the other hand, has been fighting regularly since making her professional debut a little over three years ago. Carano has been making movies while Rousey has been mastering her sport. The two are at two completely different points in their careers.
But don’t take this to mean that Tate feels Carano is undeserving of fighting in the UFC; she just feels Carano is undeserving of an immediate title shot. Instead, she thinks Carano should face someone like her as a challenge first before getting the shot at Rousey.
Tate also knows exactly why the UFC want to do a fight between Carano and Rousey. It’s pretty obvious for anyone with eyes.
“The only thing that drives that is they’re both attractive,” Tate said. “It makes the women’s title hold no value. It makes it look like it’s a joke and they just put whatever’s going to sell. If we’re going to really legitimize women’s MMA as a sport and have it respected as a sport, then you have to treat it as such.”
I’ve said the exact same thing. There’s no way the UFC could legitimately have Carano return and fight Rousey immediately. She would need a tune-up fight first — someone she could beat — before that fight is made. But maybe the UFC does not want to risk the possibility of Carano losing a first fight and having the marquee matchup between Gina and Ronda go away.
