Miesha Tate

And that was the last thing that I was thinking. I was thinking, I just didn't prepare right. I didn't know anything about fighting. I watched some fights. I dove right in three weeks of training and I I didn't, I, there were things I didn't know. It's not that I couldn't have won that fight. I just didn't prepare for it. And anything you want to do well, you have to prepare for.

And that was the last thing that I was thinking. I was thinking, I just didn't prepare right. I didn't know anything about fighting. I watched some fights. I dove right in three weeks of training and I I didn't, I, there were things I didn't know. It's not that I couldn't have won that fight. I just didn't prepare for it. And anything you want to do well, you have to prepare for.

So I remember I had, my face looked like something like a raccoon lion hybrid. So I had two giant black eyes and my nose was wide and flat and I was extremely swollen and I, Yeah, I really didn't have a leg to stand on or argue with people looking like one in that condition. But I know what I was thinking. I was thinking, I'm going to go back and I'm going to start training.

So I remember I had, my face looked like something like a raccoon lion hybrid. So I had two giant black eyes and my nose was wide and flat and I was extremely swollen and I, Yeah, I really didn't have a leg to stand on or argue with people looking like one in that condition. But I know what I was thinking. I was thinking, I'm going to go back and I'm going to start training.

And I'm going to do this better. And at that time, that didn't mean that I was thinking I was going to have a career in this at all. I thought... One step at a time. I just want to do better than that. I just want to like win a fight and I want to, I want to prepare for it correctly, be challenged and, and see what I actually can do with proper preparation.

And I'm going to do this better. And at that time, that didn't mean that I was thinking I was going to have a career in this at all. I thought... One step at a time. I just want to do better than that. I just want to like win a fight and I want to, I want to prepare for it correctly, be challenged and, and see what I actually can do with proper preparation.

So that's what I did, but then another fight turned into another fight turned into another fight, and pretty soon I had won six amateur fights, and I was getting a call to turn pro. And I think that the second moment that I knew that this was going to be something more serious was...

So that's what I did, but then another fight turned into another fight turned into another fight, and pretty soon I had won six amateur fights, and I was getting a call to turn pro. And I think that the second moment that I knew that this was going to be something more serious was...

When I got a call from Strikeforce to come down to San Jose, where they were based out of, and fight Elena Maxwell. Her nickname was Beef. Elena Beef Maxwell. So I fight at 135 pounds bantamweight. She fought at 145 pounds. So the call was to fight her upper weight class. And she's a two-time K-1 kickboxing world champion. I'm just...

When I got a call from Strikeforce to come down to San Jose, where they were based out of, and fight Elena Maxwell. Her nickname was Beef. Elena Beef Maxwell. So I fight at 135 pounds bantamweight. She fought at 145 pounds. So the call was to fight her upper weight class. And she's a two-time K-1 kickboxing world champion. I'm just...

You know, some wrestler out of Washington who's a bit smaller that probably should be easy pickings for the hometown girl, right? So I go down there and I win this fight. Wow. And they then offered me a multi-fight contract. And that was the turning point of my career when I said, oh my gosh. I'm actually guaranteed three fights a year. And if I keep winning, I make more money.

You know, some wrestler out of Washington who's a bit smaller that probably should be easy pickings for the hometown girl, right? So I go down there and I win this fight. Wow. And they then offered me a multi-fight contract. And that was the turning point of my career when I said, oh my gosh. I'm actually guaranteed three fights a year. And if I keep winning, I make more money.

And mind you, when I say more, this was like pennies on the dollar. I think that my fight with Elena Maxwell was like $1,500 to show and $1,500 to win. So, but, but when you're not making any money, that was a good chunk of money, you know? And, and, um, I was already in a passion pursuit at that point. Um, I had given up the luxuries of life. I was, I didn't have an apartment.

And mind you, when I say more, this was like pennies on the dollar. I think that my fight with Elena Maxwell was like $1,500 to show and $1,500 to win. So, but, but when you're not making any money, that was a good chunk of money, you know? And, and, um, I was already in a passion pursuit at that point. Um, I had given up the luxuries of life. I was, I didn't have an apartment.

I, um, went in on a 22 foot RV with two other fighters and we bought this, put it on Dennis Hallman's property, uh, and lived there for. a year and a half, two years. So really had sacrificed everything just to be able to train. So at Dennis Hallman's, he had a, basically a glorified gym with padded walls and it was called victory athletics.

I, um, went in on a 22 foot RV with two other fighters and we bought this, put it on Dennis Hallman's property, uh, and lived there for. a year and a half, two years. So really had sacrificed everything just to be able to train. So at Dennis Hallman's, he had a, basically a glorified gym with padded walls and it was called victory athletics.

So every day there was pro practice and we would train and we would spar and we would fight and we would learn and, And when I got that contract that said, Hey, you'll be able to fight guaranteed three times a year. I said, man, like this is, this is the dream. Like I didn't know what I was working for exactly. Cause there wasn't a clear path for women. Remember women were not fighting in the UFC.

So every day there was pro practice and we would train and we would spar and we would fight and we would learn and, And when I got that contract that said, Hey, you'll be able to fight guaranteed three times a year. I said, man, like this is, this is the dream. Like I didn't know what I was working for exactly. Cause there wasn't a clear path for women. Remember women were not fighting in the UFC.

Strike force was a huge deal because it was actually televised. It was the challenger series. I'm trying to remember what it was on. It was HD net at first. And then I think it moved up to a little bit more of a visible channel and it Then Gina Carano, shortly after that, ended up fighting Cyborg, which was the biggest selling event in Strike Force history at that point.

Strike force was a huge deal because it was actually televised. It was the challenger series. I'm trying to remember what it was on. It was HD net at first. And then I think it moved up to a little bit more of a visible channel and it Then Gina Carano, shortly after that, ended up fighting Cyborg, which was the biggest selling event in Strike Force history at that point.