Should Miesha Tate Apologize To Ronda Rousey For Her Comments?

It’s no secret that MMA fighters Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate cannot stand each other. Their rivalry dated back to their Strikeforce days, and continued through to the establishment of a women’s bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

It’s been Rousey that has thus far got the better of Tate, beating her and becoming a dominant women’s champion in the UFC. That dominance was unceremoniously shattered in November thanks to a stunning defeat at the hands (or rather, the feet) of current Women’s Bantamweight Champion, Holly Holm.

https://youtu.be/Y-Mb8DwmY-8

The loss left Ronda Rousey in a dark place mentally. ABC News reports that she even considered suicide following the defeat.

“[I was] literally sitting there thinking about killing myself. In that exact second, I’m like, ‘I’m nothing. What do I do anymore?”

What’s particularly telling about the above quote is that it demonstrates what a horrible effect the cruel jokes and memes by others had on Ronda Rousey. It’s worth noting that Miesha Tate was not only gleeful about her longtime rival’s terrible loss, but she also joined in on the “fun” of mocking Ronda.

According to MMA Junkie, the initial reaction from Miesha “Cupcake” Tate was what you’d expect from someone who just watched their biggest, most-hated rival get the beating of a lifetime.

“I’m f**king stoked; f**k Ronda Rousey. F**k her and her ‘Nobody has the right to beat me.’ Nobody has the right to beat you? Well you just got beat, b***h. “

She later had a softer response to the Rousey loss, though her opinion of the former champion remained critical. Said Tate, “[Ronda’s] always portrayed herself as invincible and everybody bought into that so much that nobody was going to beat her, that she was going to retire undefeated and everything that she’s said.”

“When you make a comment like, ‘I can beat everyone in my division with one arm tied behind my back,’ I guess you should kind of expect that kind of backlash.”

Though Miesha Tate initially seemed apologetic about her knee-jerk reaction, in recent weeks she has returned to harping on the fallen Ronda Rousey.

Miesha Tate: Ronda Rousey was the bull, Holly Holm was the matadorhttps://t.co/kNjZIQUOE4#UFC #UFC196 pic.twitter.com/mnm2yYuez2

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) February 13, 2016

Fox Sports reports that Tate referred to Rousey as a “bull” and Holm as the “matador” who beat her. She has, in fact, repeatedly harped on Ronda for losing. What’s interesting about this is the criticism seems to ignore the fact that Tate herself has yet to overcome Ronda. Rousey beat her during their Strikeforce days and in the UFC. Although Tate was unarguably cheated out of a rematch, those previous results still stand.

It’s also important to note that Miesha Tate is still staring down a potential beat down herself should Holly Holm get the best of her — something that’s a very real possibility.

Perhaps Miesha Tate has let her rivalry with Ronda get the better of her; it seems that she lacks the record to back the level of personal criticism she’s often aimed at Rousey. And that’s before you consider Rousey’s recent admission of suicidal thoughts.

Ronda Rousey reveals she had suicidal thoughts after Holly Holm loss https://t.co/UFrYFOBLbg pic.twitter.com/2FyizyyyuJ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 16, 2016

For her part, Holly Holm has admitted a reluctance to say anything in response to Ronda Rousey’s Ellen interview. “I don’t want to say I’m glad that she felt that way,” said Holly during an interview. “I don’t want to say oh I am so sorry. It’s something I think you have to dig through on your own.” She added, “In the long run [Ronda Rousey] will be stronger mentally from [the loss].”

Meanwhile, it’s only a matter of time before we hear from Miesha Tate on the subject — she is rarely silent on issues concerning her rival. Will she follow Holly up the high road, or cave to her dislike of Ronda? It’s very possible, given her backtracking in the past, that Tate might hold back on criticism from this point forward. Still, it won’t erase the way Miesha has repeatedly mocked and criticized Ronda since that bad loss in November.

Should Tate be sorry for her part — however large or small — in damaging Ronda Rousey’s psyche?

[Photo by Quinn Rooney/Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images]