"What a great matchup" - Fans abuzz as Miesha Tate announces return against 10-fight UFC vet 

Miesha Tate has not entered the octagon since December 2023 when she defeated Julia Avila via third-round submission at UFC on ESPN 52. The former UFC and Strikeforce women's bantamweight champion recently announced that she is set to make her return against Yana Santos at UFC Fight Night 258 later this year.

'Cupcake' took to Instagram to announce her return, sharing a post with the caption:

"It's Official: May 3rd vs @yanamma I’ve still got what it takes and if you doubt me, please stick around. Mark your calendars 🗓️"

Check out the fight announcement from Miesha Tate below:

Many fans shared their reaction to the announcement. @top_quality_tony showed support for the former champion:

"I’m in your corner Miesha! Go go go! You got this."

@alexchambersmma simply wrote:

"I can't wait!! What a great matchup!!"

@sir_horace_harkness suggested that Tate's upbringing in Tacoma, Washington has prepared her:

"Never doubted you champ. Growing up in Tacoma makes you hardened, as my wife likes to say. People out there are just different"

@datboy_darian noted that the No.11-ranked women's bantamweight is a former champion for a reason:

"Don't let the cupcake nickname fool ya the women is a former champion for a reason 💪 💪"

@ccarmell revealed they are a long-time fan of Tate:

"Cannot wait @mieshatate ! Been following since the Steikeforce days and we getting the W on May 3rd!!"

Check out the best fan reactions below:

Fan reactions

Miesha Tate claimed Ronda Rousey is holding onto resentment of how her career ended

While Ronda Rousey was among the most popular stars in mixed martial arts during her tenure in the UFC, she has largely stayed away from the sport since her last bout, which took place at UFC 207 back in 2016. Miesha Tate, who faced her in both the UFC and Strikeforce, suggested that 'Rowdy' has held onto resentment about how her career ended.

Speaking to Ryan McKinnell of MMA on SiriusXM, the No.11-ranked women's bantamweight claimed:

"It certainly seems like she's holding on to the resentment, the frustration, the anger and allowing it to dictate her next move. I personally do not think that the MMA community, in large part, ever turned their back on Ronda... She forgot that there were hundreds of thousands of little girls around the world that were still idolizing her. They didn't care if she won or she lost. They thought she was amazing either way... I think she's still really hurt by it, but I think she's still very focused on self, instead of self-growth."

Check out Miesha Tate's full comments on Ronda Rousey below:

Tate noted that every champion has fans waiting to see their downfall. She added that the majority of mixed martial arts fans supported Rousey and wanted to see her succeed but were forgotten about.