Miesha Tate And Ronda Rousey Rising To UFC Superstardom

Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey are fierce rivals inside the cage, but in the media the two groundbreaking fighters are quickly becoming the most marketable UFC stars.

For both of the fit and young fighters, that has translated to naked photo shoots showing off their ripped physiques and prominent spots on the UFC marketing slate.

Tate and Rousey, who met up in Saturday’s UFC 168, have quickly become the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s most prominent female fighters. Their public stature now rivals that of longtime UFC fighters like Anderson Silva.

Promoters have been quick to capitalize off the popularity of both Tate and Rousey, including the UFC itself. Aside from numerous advertising campaigns, the women were prominently featured in the league’s reality fighting competition, The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate.

Advertisers have also called on both Rousey and Tate — both fit an attractive — to pose naked. Both have been featured in ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue last year, with Rousey on the cover.

Miesha Tate may be up for another naked photoshoot in the next Body Issue, and says she doesn’t believe baring her skin has any reflection on her as a fighter.

“It’s not my goal to go out there and say, ‘Hey, I’m sexy, look at me, I can fight.’ I’ve always been feminine. I’ve always been proud of being a strong and empowered woman, and I don’t see anything wrong with embracing that. It just has to be tastefully done,” Tate said.

But Ronda Rousey thinks Miesha’s looks, not her fighting skills, are the source of her popularity.

“Miesha has a nice ass and an ongoing rivalry with me, and that’s the only reason she was picked for this fight,” Rousey said of their UFC 168 bout.

So while Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate may appear naked together in the next ESPN The Magazine Body issue, don’t expect them to be grabbing lunch together anytime soon.