Miesha Tate, the former Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion, will fight Cat Zingano during The Ultimate Fighter season 17 finale, marking the second women’s bout in UFC history.
The two will enter the Octagon on April 13 in Las Vegas.
Tate (13-3) last fought Julie Kedzie (16-11) on August 18, 2012, at Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman . It was her first fight and first loss after defeating Marloes Coenen for the bantamweight tile at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson on July 30, 2011. Tate, who is ranked the No. 4 135-pound female MMA fighter, became the second woman — after Rousey — to sign a multi-fight deal with the UFC.
In a press release to Fighters.com , Tate said:
“It is every mixed martial artist’s dream to compete in the UFC. It’s exciting knowing that the deal is officially in place, and I can begin working to book my first UFC opponent. I want to thank the UFC and [manager] Malki Kawa for helping to make this dream a reality.”
Tate also told MMA Weekly , “We’re at the top of the mountain now, that’s kind of how I feel anyways. With this accomplishment coming into the UFC, we’ve kind of reached that final goal.”
While Zingano has less than half the number of fights Tate has under her belt, she is ranked the No. 9 135-pound female MMA fighter in the world and brings to the UFC a perfect 7-0 record.
Tate and Zingano’s fight will happen a little less than two months after Rousey faces Liz Carmouche at UFC 157 on February 24. Also fighting during the TUF season finale are Gabriel Gonzaga and Travis Browne in a heavyweight bout.
