Tate: Win Against Eye Is ‘Final Step’ to Third Ronda Rousey Match

Perennial top contender in the UFC’s bantamweight division Miesha Tate is set to square off with Jessica “Evil” Eye at UFC on FOX 16. “Cupcake” believes that if she can secure a win over Eye, she will be setting herself up for a trilogy fight with bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.

The first two meetings with Rousey did not go as planned for Tate. At UFC 168, Tate was submitted less than a minute into the third round with Rousey’s signature armbar. The two had met before at a 2012 Strikeforce event, but Tate didn’t wasn’t able to make it out of the first round.

Now, Tate’s sights are set on Jessica Eye for their July 25th meeting in Chicago, Illinois.

“This is definitely an important fight. The next fight is always the most important, but this one is really the final step in the right direction before I get another fight with Ronda,” Tate told MMA Mania. “I mean, it’s a girl I’ve never fought before. She’s up and coming, but she’s good. She’s well rounded. She has good striking. Stylistically I like the match up. I feel very confident about it. I feel really good going into the fight. I realize at this point in my career there are no easy fights.”

Eye, who is 1-1-1 in her last three UFC fights, wants to prove to the world that she can hang with the likes of Tate. Tate, however, plans to end the fight before the final horn sounds. “I know it is going to be a tough one, but like you said, it is important and I want to go out there and get a finish.”

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