“Sometimes It’s Just People You’d Least Expect” – Following Gut-Wrenching Passing of Her Coach, UFC Star Miesha Tate Delivers Powerful Message

December 15 was a particularly tough day for Miesha Tate. Along with the fact that she suffered a devastating defeat in her bout against the ‘grappling goat’ Bia Mesquita, at the UFC Fight Pass Invitational 3; She also lost her long-time coach, Robert Follis, who trained her for the championship fight against Holly Holm.

The ‘Cupcake’ went live on her Instagram recently, to connect with her fans after the fight, and talked about her viewpoint on Bia Mesquita and what led to her defeat. And soon after that, the conversation took a hard turn towards discussing some more serious topics, testing deep waters on the subjects like suicide and depression.

Tate even brought up the suicide news of Stephen Boss, a.k.a ‘tWitch’. That, along with the loss of her coach, prompted her to deliver a powerful message to the people.

Miesha Tate talks about Bia Mesquita, suicide, and more

Following her loss against Bia Mesquita, the former UFC bantamweight champion regarded her as the greatest grappler on the planet. The 36-year-old said, “Bia Mesquita is like… the sh*t, when it comes to women’s grappling. She’s the most credential female to walk the face of the planet, and stepping over in her world was a lot of fun for me. And gave me an opportunity to test my mental clarity”

Read more: Fans React as ‘Grappling Goat’ Bia Mesquita Dominates Miesha Tate in Overtime Submission at UFC Fight Pass Invitational 3

Furthermore, Tate even mentioned that she wasn’t destined to win this fight, since Mesquita was way superior to her. “I was not supposed to win that match against Bia Mesquita, because she’s like 10 times ADCC world champion… She’s just a beast of a woman.”

However, the conversation soon turned into probing more deeply into some sensitive matters.

Soon after talking about her loss at the UFC Fight Pass Invitational 3, Miesha Tate recalled her coach’s passing and subsequently talked about the passing of The Ellen DeGeneres Show fame Stephen Boss, a.k.a ‘tWitch’. It made the UFC fighter delve into emotions, and she further passed on a strong message to her fans regarding suicide awareness and mental health.

Tate said, “Sometimes it’s just people you’d least expect… Check on your friends and just let them know you’re there for them.” She further added, “It’s a lot easier to just bury it and pretend like it’s not a thing, than it is to open-up and be vulnerable. So, I don’t see crying as weakness, I see it as strength.”

Moreover, further in her Instagram live, she even talked about her coming back sometime in 2023, and also gave a shocking update on what her future in fighting looks like.

Tate to quit fighting?

During the same live session, a fan asked Tate about how long she plans to continue fighting, to which the 36-year-old gave an answer that not many would like to hear. It appears that we may witness Miesha Tate‘s last fight very soon.

“Probably one year. One or two. Not much longer, you guys. I feel like I’ve done it all. I’m having fun. Like, I really just wanna see if I can get my mindset on point and that was part of the reason why I took this grappling match, was to see if I can harness my focus and just to keep my focus and presence in there.” said Tate. Now that is indeed a sad thing to know. But she will always be one of the best female fighters in the UFC.

Watch this story: Five Fascinating Facts About Miesha Tate

How do you feel about this update from Miesha Tate on her fighting career? Let us know in the comments below.