Miesha Tate’s Advice to Ronda Rousey: ‘Pick Yourself Up by the Boot Straps’

Newly crowned UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate has had a roller coaster ride to the women’s 135-pound title. Despite having lost her Strikeforce belt to Ronda Rousey and being defeated a second time by “Rowdy” in the UFC, Tate sort of relates to Rousey taking her knockout loss to Holly Holm so badly.

After hearing that Rousey momentarily considered taking her own life after losing the title, Tate said she knows what it’s like to be down and out after a loss.

“I felt bad in a way, because I sympathize for [Rousey] in those emotions of feeling so down. I’ve never been to the point where I’ve considered taking my own life over this sport, but I have been down to the point where I felt like my soul was dead. So I can sympathize with that, and I know how hard it is,” Tate said during a recent appearance on The Jim Rome Show.

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Tate’s been there before. She’s lost two title fights and was passed over by the lower -ranked Holm after being promised a title shot following her win over Jessica Eye.

Tate hopes the loss humbles the former champion and gives her perspective on how her previous opponents felt.

“Now maybe she can understand what’s it’s been like for everyone she’s defeated and just kind of walked over. When you lose, it’s really, really hard. It’s really devastating, and I understand what she’s going through, because I’ve been there before, and we all go through those things in life,” said Tate.

The UFC 193 knockout loss to Holm was the first time Rousey tasted defeat in her mixed martial arts career. Surprisingly, Tate offered advice to her career nemesis. “Cupcake” says Rousey needs to dust herself off and pick up the pieces.

“Those emotions you get when you get down and out and you get knocked down and get kicked while you’re down, you’ve just got to kind of pick yourself up by the boot straps, put one foot in front of the other, and that’s the reason why I’m the world champion today.”

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