'Cupcake,' one of the most popular women to ever set foot in the cage, was back. Tate won by third-round TKO - her first knockout in the UFC.

Tate said that White was hesitant at first, but a few weeks later she was booked for a return bout against Marion Reneau. This time, he had no choice but to listen to her pitch. She showed up unannounced to White's office. And in early 2021, Tate took things a step further with the UFC. Tate returned to Vegas with Daxton and their daughter, Amaia, that September. Subscribe to ESPN+ to get exclusive live UFC events, weigh-ins and more Dana White's Contender Series and more exclusive MMA content.ĭespite the lack of communication from White, Tate and Nunez went forward with their move back to the United States. Miesha Tate, the former women's bantamweight champion, looks to get back to the top 10 when she faces Ketlen Vieira, ranked eighth by ESPN. 'He totally ghosted me,' Tate said with a laugh. With those thoughts in mind, Tate sent White a message on Instagram asking what the UFC boss thought about her - the former UFC women's bantamweight champion - returning to competition for the first time since 2016. But COVID-19 restrictions were making things difficult for the young family and they were planning on moving back home to Las Vegas. Tate was working in an office role for Asia-based One Championship, and Nunez was fighting for that MMA promotion. Tate and her husband, Johnny Nunez, had just had their second child, Daxton, and Tate was contemplating a comeback to the Octagon.Īt the time, Tate and Nunez were living in Singapore. Miesha Tate reached out to UFC president Dana White in the summer of 2020. He can’t explain why he keeps getting drawn into conversations with Thea instead.Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff Writer Nov 17, 2021, 08:00 AM ET She’s everything Blake thought he wanted in a girlfriend. At least that’s the plan.īlake never expected meeting his soulmate to be so complicated. Doe and Blake are meant to be together, so Thea will back off. It doesn’t matter that Thea’s the one who loves Blake’s jokes, or that his dimples make her want to keep causing his smiles forever. Thea is the first to meet the gorgeous hockey player but as soon as she finds out he might be Doe’s Blake, she takes her best shot at getting the two of them to hit it off. With Doe’s soulmark reading ‘Blake’ and Thea’s being ‘Frederick’, this has never been a problem they thought they might encounter.Įnter Blake Ashbury. Thea and Doe are best friends who would never fall out over a man. Everyone in the world carries their soulmate’s name written on their skin.

Best Shot by Camellia Tate