Miesha Tate Bio
Miesha Theresa Tate is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the women’s bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She is a former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion and a former Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion. Widely known by her ring nickname Cupcake, Tate has been one of the most recognizable figures in women’s mixed martial arts since her Strikeforce debut in 2008.
Born on August 18, 1986, in Tacoma, Washington, Tate built her career on a foundation in amateur wrestling before transitioning to MMA in the mid-2000s. Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, she trains out of Xtreme Couture and remains active in the sport after a brief retirement. She is also a former Vice President of ONE Championship.
Early Life and Background
Miesha Theresa Tate was born on August 18, 1986, in Tacoma, Washington, to Michelle Tate and was raised by her mother and stepfather Robert Schmidt. Growing up as a tomboy, she often socialized with boys in her neighborhood and developed a comfort with physical competition from an early age. That comfort eventually drew her toward organized athletics during her high school years.
While attending Franklin Pierce High School, Tate searched for a sport to call her own and chose amateur wrestling over basketball. She competed on the boys’ wrestling team from her freshman year all the way through graduation, absorbing tough losses early on before steadily improving. By her senior year in 2005, she had become so accomplished that she won the girls’ state championship, a major milestone that set the stage for her future in combat sports.
After high school, Tate enrolled at Central Washington University, where she first encountered mixed martial arts through a friend who invited her to the campus MMA club. Surrounded by fellow wrestlers, she found a natural fit and decided to give the sport a serious try.
Path to MMA
Tate was initially hesitant about MMA, admitting that she did not want to get punched. After watching her training partners compete, however, she accepted her first amateur bout in March 2006 against Muay Thai specialist Elizabeth Posener. Despite suffering a cut from a clinch knee, Tate showed grit by unleashing punches from the top position before her corner stopped the bout after the second round due to the injury. She compiled a 5-1 amateur record before turning professional.
Her professional debut came in November 2007 at the HOOKnSHOOT Women’s Grand Prix, where she defeated Jan Finney by decision. Later that same night, she was knocked out by eventual tournament champion Kaitlin Young. Throughout 2008 and 2009, Tate kept busy on the regional circuit, picking up wins over Jamie Lyn Welsh, Jessica Bednark, and Dora Baptiste while sharpening her grappling-heavy style.
Miesha Tate Career
Early Career (2007-2009)
Tate captured her first major title on April 4, 2009, when she defeated Liz Carreiro to win the 135-pound Freestyle Cage Fighting (FCF) Women’s Bantamweight Championship. After being knocked down in the opening round, she rallied in round two and locked in a third-round submission to claim the belt. She defended that title successfully in January 2010, finishing Valerie Coolbaugh with a first-round armbar at FCF 38.
Alongside her regional run, Tate made her Strikeforce debut on June 27, 2008, taking a unanimous decision over Elaina Maxwell in the 135-pound bantamweight division. Strikeforce, a California-based promotion airing fights on Showtime and CBS, gave her the kind of national exposure that regional shows could not, and she continued to grow inside the Strikeforce cage.
Strikeforce Breakthrough (2009-2012)
Tate’s first Strikeforce loss came against Sarah Kaufman in May 2009, a setback she answered by submitting Zoila Gurgel with a second-round armbar in March 2010. She then rolled through Strikeforce’s one-night women’s tournament in August 2010, beating Maiju Kujala and Hitomi Akano by unanimous decision to lift the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Tournament Championship.
Her biggest career moment to date followed on July 30, 2011, at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson, where she submitted Marloes Coenen with an arm-triangle choke in the fourth round to claim the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Championship. Coenen had never been submitted in an MMA bout, making the victory a historic one for Tate.
The Coenen win set up a blockbuster showdown with Ronda Rousey on March 3, 2012, in the main event of a Strikeforce card on Showtime, a rare main-event slot for women at the time. Tate escaped Rousey’s first armbar attempt and traded grappling exchanges, but Rousey locked in a second armbar near the end of round one to take the title. Tate bounced back in August 2012, finishing Julie Kedzie with a third-round armbar at Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman.
UFC Era (2013-2016)
Following Strikeforce’s closure, Tate officially joined the UFC in February 2013, with company president Dana White crediting her rivalry with Rousey for helping bring women’s MMA to the promotion. Her UFC debut against Cat Zingano at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale ended in a third-round TKO loss, though the performance earned both women a Fight of the Night bonus. She stepped in as a late replacement coaching opponent on The Ultimate Fighter 18 and then dropped a third-round armbar to Rousey in their UFC 168 rematch in December 2013.
Tate finally broke through in the UFC in April 2014 with a unanimous decision over Liz Carmouche, followed by another decision win over Rin Nakai that made her 2-2 in the promotion. At UFC 183 in January 2015, she pulled off a statement victory by out-grappling Olympic wrestling medalist Sara McMann on her way to a majority decision. After dispatching Jessica Eye by unanimous decision in July 2015, Tate earned a shot at newly crowned champion Holly Holm.
On March 5, 2016, at UFC 196, Tate dethroned Holm with a fifth-round rear-naked choke to become the new UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion. The comeback win also netted her a Performance of the Night bonus. Her reign was short-lived, as Amanda Nunes battered and submitted her in the first round at UFC 200 in July 2016. After a unanimous decision loss to Raquel Pennington at UFC 205 in November 2016, Tate announced her retirement from MMA.
ONE Championship and UFC Return (2018-Present)
On November 7, 2018, Tate was named Vice President of ONE Championship, a role she held until 2021, when she stepped away to return to active competition. Her comeback fight came on July 17, 2021, at UFC on ESPN: Makhachev vs. Moisés, where she stopped Marion Reneau with a third-round TKO to earn her second Performance of the Night award. A scheduled October 2021 bout with Ketlen Vieira was postponed after Tate tested positive for COVID-19, and she dropped a unanimous decision in the November rebooking.
In 2022, Tate moved down to flyweight and lost a unanimous decision to Lauren Murphy at UFC on ABC 3. A planned June 2023 bout with Mayra Bueno Silva was scrapped due to an undisclosed injury, and Tate instead returned at UFC on ESPN 52 in December 2023, where she submitted Julia Avila with a third-round rear-naked choke to bank another Performance of the Night bonus. Most recently, on May 3, 2025, at UFC on ESPN 67, she dropped a unanimous decision to Yana Santos.
Style and Strengths
Tate is best known for her grappling-heavy approach, built on a wrestling base, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and sharp submission defense. She frequently sets up offense with double-leg takedowns by pressing opponents against the cage, then advances from side control or a body triangle while hunting for armbars, triangle chokes, and rear-naked chokes. Training out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas has helped round out her game against the sport’s elite.
Notable Events and Milestones
Tate’s signature achievement remains her fifth-round submission of Holly Holm at UFC 196 to capture the UFC bantamweight title. She also made history in 2011 by becoming the first woman to submit Marloes Coenen in MMA and earned the distinction of being the first fighter to repeatedly escape Ronda Rousey’s armbar attempts.
Miesha Tate Career Wins
Across her professional career, Tate has compiled a verified record of 20 wins against 10 losses in 30 total bouts. Her victories include 2 by knockout, 3 by submission, and 5 by decision, with her championship runs in Strikeforce and the UFC serving as the cornerstones of her résumé.
UFC and Strikeforce Highlights
Tate’s Strikeforce résumé includes the Women’s Bantamweight Tournament Championship in 2010 and the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Championship in 2011. In the UFC, she added the Women’s Bantamweight Championship in 2016 and has earned multiple Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonuses along the way.
Other Wins and Performances
Before arriving in Strikeforce, Tate won the FCF Women’s Bantamweight Championship in 2009 and defended it once. Her regional resume also features victories over Jamie Lyn Welsh, Jessica Bednark, Dora Baptiste, and Valerie Coolbaugh across promotions like CageSport MMA, Atlas Fights, and Freestyle Cage Fighting.
Miesha Tate Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Tate was raised in Tacoma, Washington, by her mother Michelle Tate and her stepfather Robert Schmidt. Her upbringing was active and outdoorsy, and she credits that environment with shaping her willingness to push through early losses in wrestling and MMA alike.
Personal Life
While attending Central Washington University, Tate began a long-term relationship with fellow MMA fighter Bryan Caraway, whom she later dated publicly. On January 1, 2018, she announced that she was in a relationship with fellow fighter Johnny Nuñez. The couple welcomed daughter Amaia Nevaeh Nuñez on June 4, 2018, and son Daxton Wylder Nuñez on June 14, 2020. The family resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.
2025 Season Performance
Tate’s 2025 campaign opened with a tough test against former Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion Yana Santos on May 3, 2025, at UFC on ESPN 67. The bout played out over the full distance, and Tate was on the wrong end of a unanimous decision against a younger, active contender.
That result kept Tate just outside the upper tier of the women’s bantamweight rankings, where she has hovered in the mid-teens throughout her comeback. With her Performance of the Night win over Julia Avila still in the rearview mirror, Tate enters the back half of 2025 looking to build momentum and climb back into title contention.
Now 39 and training out of Xtreme Couture, Tate continues to position herself as a veteran presence in the 135-pound division. Her combination of grappling pedigree, experience against elite opposition, and finishing ability keeps her firmly in the conversation for another late-career title push.
