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UFC president Dana White is fond of stating there are no tune-up fights in the UFC — and for the most aspect, he is appropriate. There genuinely aren’t quite a few. But Miesha Tate did get a single this calendar year.
Tate (19-7) returned from a practically 5-calendar year layoff in July and picked up a dominant TKO gain more than Marion Reneau at UFC Combat Night. No disrespect to Reneau whatsoever. She appreciated a 6-year profession in the UFC, which is not straightforward. But that July bout was her retirement combat and her fifth reduction in a row. And her design and style was tailor produced for Tate.
All of that is to say that Tate’s comeback truly starts, in earnest, on Saturday, when she fulfills Ketlen Vieira (11-2) in the primary occasion of UFC Combat Night in Las Vegas. Tate deserves credit for wanting cozy, intense and in peak physical situation in July following these kinds of a extensive layoff, but for this comeback to be actual, Saturday is the legitimate litmus take a look at.
Miesha Tate, the previous women’s bantamweight winner, seems to get back again to the top rated 10 when she faces Ketlen Vieira, ranked eighth by ESPN.
UFC Battle Night time: Vieira vs. Tate
Saturday, Nov. 20, UFC Apex, Las Vegas
• Main card: 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+
• Prelims: 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+
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Vieira, 30, has flirted with title competition but has not really cemented her location in the discussion. She is 5-2 in the UFC and rated No. 7 over-all by the advertising.
She’s been a betting beloved in her four most modern fights, together with this one particular. That places Tate in the function of underdog, a rarity for her. The past time it happened was in March 2016, when she upset Holly Holm to earn the UFC bantamweight championship. Considering the fact that then, she’s been favored in three consecutive bouts, together with from Amanda Nunes again at UFC 200.
Tate, who retired in 2016 to pursue other interests and start out a spouse and children, has made it apparent her objective is to reclaim her UFC title. She informed ESPN this week that if she gets earlier Vieira she intends to acquire a shot at Nunes. Even if Tate ended up to tumble quick in a rematch against Nunes, basically obtaining there would be generating one particular of the bigger fights in women’s MMA.
In buy to get there, nevertheless, Tate has to establish she’s nonetheless who she was five a long time ago, when she was competing at the best amount. Her comeback struggle in July, as spectacular as it was, didn’t give evidence of that. This a single on Saturday, nevertheless, surely could.
Enjoy UFC Struggle Evening: Vieira vs. Tate on Saturday on ESPN+, starting at 3 p.m. ET.
Miesha Tate came out of retirement this previous summer season and received, and now she is again for extra. Michael Reaves/Getty Photos
Quantities matchup: 2- vs. 1-1
Vieira and Tate have faced two prevalent opponents. This is how they did:
Sara McMann: Vieira submitted her in 2017 Tate defeated her by greater part final decision in 2015.
Cat Zingano: Vieira conquer her by split decision in 2018 she knocked out Tate in 2013.
And the winner is …
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“Vieira might be the youthful, considerably less decorated fighter, but her ability is outstanding,” stated Ashlee Evans-Smith, who dropped a final decision to Vieira in 2017. “She holds a black belt in judo and a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Like Tate, Vieira also seems to grapple. These two superior-stage grapplers will neutralize just about every other, in my view. If Vieira uses her longer attain intelligently and utilizes crafty striking, her electric power will be also a lot for ‘Cupcake.'”
Check out how Evans-Smith and other gurus break down the most important event and predict a winner.
ESPN Stats & facts
How to watch the fights on ESPN+
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Saturday’s combat card
ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET
Women’s bantamweight: Ketlen Vieira vs. Miesha Tate
Welterweight: Michael Chiesa vs. Sean Brady
Men’s bantamweight: Rani Yahya vs. Kyung Ho Kang
Women’s flyweight: Joanne Calderwood vs. Taila Santos
Men’s bantamweight: Davey Grant vs. Adrian Yanez
ESPN+, 3 p.m. ET
Men’s featherweight: Tucker Lutz vs. Pat Sabatini
Lightweight: Rafa Garcia vs. Natan Levy
Strawweight: Loma Lookboonmee vs. Loopy Godinez
Light-weight: Fares Ziam vs. Terrance McKinney
Men’s flyweight: Cody Durden vs. Aori Qileng
Men’s featherweight: Sean Soriano vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke
Strawweight: Luana Pinheiro vs. Sam Hughes
Ian Parker’s very best bets
Michael Chiesa vs. Sean Brady: Coming off his 1st decline given that relocating up to the welterweight division, Chiesa will be wanting to get again on keep track of versus a very touted prospect. For Chiesa to get the acquire, he will have to preserve this battle in two positions: from the cage and on major of Brady on the canvas. Chiesa will have an gain if the battle turns into an ugly clinch match. And if Chiesa can acquire the battle to the canvas and obtain major place, I would expect him to be pretty conservative to keep away from producing a error and acquiring submitted. Equally of these fighters went either to a conclusion or at the very least around 2.5 rounds in 3 of their very last 4 fights. Pick: Over 2.5 rounds at -110.
2 Similar
Ketlen Vieira vs. Miesha Tate: When Vieira misplaced by selection to Yana Kunitskaya in February, she fell target to the output, speed and clinch recreation of her opponent over the program of 3 rounds. If Vieira isn’t going to land early or get top rated posture on the floor, there is not a clear route to victory for her. She is battling an opponent who is a horrible stylistic matchup for her. In Tate’s return from retirement in July, her cardio was limitless, and she was in a position to preserve a incredibly solid rate all over the contest. Tate will have the wrestling edge below, and her newly specific and technical boxing will assist set up her takedowns. Search for Tate to dictate the pace and sooner or later tire out Vieira with her wrestling. Choose: Miesha Tate to gain at +105.
For much more tips from Parker on this fight card’s greatest bets, go listed here.
Four more points to know (from ESPN Stats & Information)
1. Michael Chiesa, who faces unbeaten Sean Brady in the co-most important celebration, absorbs the fewest strikes per minute (.7) in UFC welterweight history. But Brady’s putting precision of 65.7% by means of 4 UFC fights is practically 10% increased than the recent qualifying all-time leader among the 170-pounders, Gunnar Nelson. Brady desires 5 fights to qualify for the UFC document e book.
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2. Rani Yahya is hunting to be a part of Marlon Vera (9), TJ Dillashaw (8) and Urijah Faber (7) as the only UFC bantamweights with at least 7 finishes. In his combat with Kyung Ho Kang, Yahya also can pass Faber for the most submission wins in division background. They every single have 6.
3. Joanne Wooden has landed the most considerable strikes per minute (7.36) and most significant strikes (715), and has the most effective putting differential for each minute (2.56) and fourth-best important strike precision (51.1%) in women’s flyweight history. If she beats Taila Santos, Wooden would sign up for Valentina Shevchenko (8), Katlyn Chookagian (7), Lauren Murphy (6) and Gillian Robertson (6) as the only 125-pound ladies with at the very least six wins.
4. Adrian Yanez, who faces Davey Grant, is seeking to turn out to be the very first bantamweight to get started his UFC career with four finishes. He could turn into the 1st 135-pounder to start off a UFC vocation with 4 consecutive knockouts.
ESPN’s Jeff Wagenheim contributed to this struggle preview.
