Coming off from 2 straight losses, Kevin Harvick’s KHI driver and his UFC friend bounced back in stellar fashion dominating Julia Avila for 3 rounds before she got the back and cranked up a vicious choke. Former women’s bantamweight champion, Miesha Tate issued a strong statement proving all her detractors wrong when she overcame the tough challenge in the form of the 35-year-old to get back the 20th win of her UFC career.

As Tate got back on her winning ways, dominating Avila throughout the fight before she sank in the rear naked choke, her friend Harvick reached out to the veteran star, congratulating her on her epic comeback.

Kevin Harvick lauds Miesha Tate’s Austin comeback

The scene was electric for ardent fight fans as Tate put on a clinic dominating Avila from the get-go. In fact, the fight was a masterclass on how to counter a striker with methodical pressure and timely takedowns. From the moment the bell rang, Tate wasted no time, moving in with accurate moves, trying to take down the stand-up expert.

The grappling champion quickly found the chink in her opponent’s armor in round 3 after investing heavily in takedowns, sapping out Avila’s stamina with precisely timed takedowns. While a quick scramble in round 1 got the Strikeforce champion in a tight guillotine, she quickly seized control getting out of the submission hold to pound Avila on the ground, ending and dominating the round with brutal elbows that split Avila’s guard wide open.

The following 2 rounds were just a follow-up of Tate’s round 1 strategy – shoot for a takedown, slam her opponent to the mat then work her way into submissions while she lit her up with brutal ground impound. Finally, the “Raging Panda” had enough when she tapped out to a neck crank in the 1.15 minutes of round 3.

And just like that Tate proved her mettle to return to her winning ways with a cold submission. Her NASCAR buddy, Kevin Harvick was happy for the 37-year-old, reaching out to congratulate the former champion on the dominating finish. His tweet read, “Congratulations @MieshaTate what a performance!!! @ufc @KHIManagement.” 

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Tate’s heartwarming farewell to Harvick

The 2023 season was a heartbreak for ardent Harvick fans. The 47-year-old let the cat out of the bag when he announced his retirement plans earlier in the year, drawing fans in sorrow. The situation only got worse for #4 fanatics seeing the 2014 Cup Series champion go out without a win.

Even though the veteran made it past the regular season solely on points, fans did not get what they wanted – to see their champion end his 2-decade-long career on a high note, going out with a stellar win. While this still remains a longing ache for avid NASCA fans, Harvick certainly has left a legacy for himself and the #4 SHR.

With Harvick going out emotionally, the sports world chimed in with their wishes, extending their gratitude for giving them some iconic NASCAR moments. His KHI driver, Tate also dropped a heartwarming farewell tribute to the veteran, posting a thread of images with the driver holding her UFC championship belt.

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Above all, Tate’s post just became a lot merrier with her Austin triumph as the fighter during her tribute to Harvick wrote, “It’s been one hell of a ride! Your last race is today, my next fight is December 2nd and then we celebrate your retirement! Do WORK today Kevin!“