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Miesha Tate Explains Why Julianna Pena Defeated Amanda Nunes at UFC 269

Published 12/17/2021, 3:11 PM EST

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Former women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate shared her thoughts on her teammate Julianna Pena defeating Amanda Nunes at UFC 269. Tate was in attendance at the venue when Pena pulled the biggest upset of the year by defeating the GOAT Amanda Nunes.

Speaking in a recent interview, Miesha Tate shared her thoughts on Pena getting the finish. She said, “Amanda realized that Juli was not going away. She was gonna make this a fight where ever this fight was, and Amanda lost the will to win.”

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Speaking of the mindset that Pena brought into the fight, Tate said, “Juli didn’t believe Amanda was larger-than-life. Juli didn’t believe that Amanda was gonna knock her out with the right hand. Juli didn’t believe that Amanda was anything more special than what she brought, and when Amanda realised that too Amanda broke mentally.”

Tate was convinced that walking into the ring, Julianna was mentally prepared. Elaborating on that, she said, “Juli had a bigger dog in her, much bigger than Amanda did. Amanda might be more technically sound, she might be the better athlete, she might be more powerful. There might be a lot of things that you could say perhaps, that Amanda has over Juli, but it’s not heart, it’s not will, and it’s not desire, and it’s not discipline.” She went on to say, “Julianna truly is one of the hardest working women, and she believes in herself and that’s more important than anything, I think.”

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When will Miesha Tate return to the octagon?

Miesha Tate recently lost a five-round fight to Brazilian prospect Ketlen Vieira at UFC fight night Vegas 43. The fight mostly saw both fighters keep on their feet, where Vieira craftily used her reach advantage to land jabs and straight rights consistently.

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“Cupcake” Tate is looking to get back into the win column following her loss and so is targeting a return in March or April. she believes she is two big wins away from a title shot.

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There are many potential opponents that Tate could face for her next fight. She could take the rematch with Holly Holm or maybe settle the feud with Aspen Ladd for her next octagon appearance. Tate also revealed that she might drop down to flyweight for her next bout, but didn’t confirm it.

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What do you think is next for Tate? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by:

Nahum Lobo

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Nahum Lobo is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. Currently pursuing a media degree from St.Xavier's College, Nahum is a religious follower of events churned out by MMA promotions like Bellator and UFC.
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