Miesha Theresa Tate is an American retired mixed martial artist who competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and is a former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion. Primarily known for her grappling ability, Tate became a wrestler while attending Franklin Pierce High School in Tacoma, Washington and won a state championship during her senior year in 2005. She began her professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career in 2007, and won the bantamweight championship of the Freestyle Cage Fighting promotion in 2009. Tate gained increased recognition in 2011, when she won the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Championship. She has also won a silver medal in the FILA Grappling Championships. Outside of MMA, Tate has modeled for numerous websites and publications, including ESPN The Magazine and Fitness Gurls. She is featured as a playable character in the video game EA Sports UFC. In 2015, Tate was announced as a cast member in the feature film Fight Valley. Her fighting style, which focused on wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, has earned praise from multiple peers and media outlets. Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White has credited Tate’s fight with Ronda Rousey on March 3, 2012 as the key factor in the creation of women’s divisions in the UFC. Tate’s final victory in MMA came on March 5, 2016, when she won the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship after beating Holly Holm via technical submission. On July 9, 2016, she lost the UFC title to Amanda Nunes at UFC 200. In November 2016, she announced her retirement from MMA after a loss by decision to Raquel Pennington at UFC 205. Post retirement, Tate has shown interest in competing in no-gi grappling matches, the first of which was against former MMA opponent Jessica Eye at Submission Underground 2, which Tate won by decision. Tate has also signed a contract with Fox Sports, joining the UFC analytical desk for FS1. Tate is a fan of the Seattle Seahawks. She is currently dating fellow UFC fighter Bryan Caraway, whom she met at her MMA fitness club at Central Washington University. In 2014, Tate was credited with saving the life of Bryan’s mother, Chris Caraway, when the latter suffered an asthma attack while scuba diving, stopped breathing and became completely unresponsive. On September 5, 2016, she helped carry a 6-year-old girl with a broken arm while hiking in Nevada.
