LAS VEGAS — The UFC women’s bantamweight division had three champions in a recent four-month span, but Miesha Tate is determined to keep the belt for a long time.
And she let Amanda Nunes, her opponent in Saturday night’s UFC 200 showdown, know it with a knockout one-liner.
“I just think I have more tenacity, I have more heart, more determination to be here and to stay here than she does,” Tate said at Wednesday’s pre-fight press conference, before delivering the most savage line of all.
“She has a tendency to break in fights, and I have a tendency to break people in fights.”
Wow.
As the MGM Grand KA Theatre crowd roared in approval, Tate flashed a broad smile, then delivered a knowing chuckle. Nunes, the fourth-ranked women’s bantamweight contender, delivered little in the way of a response, other than to admit Tate was the best in the division and that she planned to beat her.
“Saturday night, you guys are going to see a new champion,” Nunes said.
Right now, though, Tate is the champ, both in the octagon and in the press conference.