When Ronda Rousey returns to the UFC, she’ll be receiving her rematch for the Women’s Bantamweight Championship. It simply won’t be against the woman who defeated her for that title.
After Miesha Tate completed the upset victory Saturday night and defeated Holly Holm via submission to become the new champion, Dana White made it clear what his plans were for Tate’s first title defense.
“I think that Ronda now will fight Miesha Tate for the title,” White said when speaking to ESPN after UFC 196 concluded. “That’s what’s going to happen. That’s what I said before this fight even happened. Whoever wins tonight will fight Ronda for the title.
“I texted Ronda — Ronda wasn’t watching the fight. I text Ronda and she said ‘what happened?’ I said ‘Miesha just choked her unconscious’ and she said ‘looks like I’ve got to get back to work.’ She’s scheduled to not come back until October or November but it doesn’t mean I can’t ask.”
Following her win, Tate was non-committal to what comes next other than a celebration tonight after finally reaching the top of the mountain to become bantamweight champion.
“The right move feels like drinking a Budweiser and eating cupcakes,” Tate said with a smile at the UFC 196 post fight press conference. “That’s what the right move feels like. Then I will talk to KHI, my management team and we’ll talk to the UFC.
“My job as the champion is to fight the next best person — so whoever that is I’ll fight them.”