UFC Vegas 31: Miesha Tate reveals she gave up six-figure salary to return to UFC

Miesha Tate will end her nearly five-year retirement to face Marion Reneau at the UFC Vegas 31 Main Co-Event, which takes place tonight (Saturday, July 17, 2021) in Las Vegas, Nevada. This will be the first “Cupcake” fight since 2016, lost to Raquel Pennington in what at the time was his last professional fight.

After calling her a day after slapping her face, Tate – a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s bantamweight champion – accepted a position at ONE Championship as vice president of promotion.

And it was also a cushy gig, which paid off really well, according to Tate. In fact, she recently revealed that she ditched the six-figure salary to go back to her fighting roots, proving that her Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) isn’t all about money.

“When I do this comeback, I don’t do it because I don’t have any other options,” she said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “I don’t do it because I hurt for the money. I actually walk away from a six-figure job to fight.

While not giving exact numbers, Tate did explain how many times she would have to fight inside the Octagon to match her annual salary with ONE.

“I have to win three fights to do more than I would with my job at ONE Championship. Win three fights. Again, it was never about money for me. It’s not the # 1 motivator.

Job security is something everyone longs for, especially in the era of the pandemic where unemployment is at a high level. But, Tate knows that the decision she made was the right one for her.

“Hard to give it up? No, because I know it’s the right decision, but I feel a little bad because ONE Championship has been so good for me, ”said Tate. “They continue to support me 110% which is really amazing. It’s not very often that you find a friend in the business world who is successful but shares an understanding and passion for the sport. I think Chatri [Sityodtong] is a very special person and that’s why I really appreciate his support.

“My # 1 goal was to compete again,” she continued. “I have to do it myself. The decision was already made. I knew that if I was to leave ONE Championship to fight for the UFC, that was the decision that had to be made regardless of anything else. The decision was already made and it wasn’t that hard.

Tate, 34, is currently on a two-game losing streak with her last win in March 2016, a submission victory over Holly Holm to capture the 135-pound strap (see her again here). Tate hasn’t revealed how many fights she has on her current UFC contract, but a win will ensure we’ll see her in the Octagon a few more times.

And who knows, if she can pull off some impressive wins quickly, a rematch against current division champion Amanda Nunes might be in order.

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