Miesha Tate Announces Matchup vs. Yana Santos at UFC Fight Night on May 3

Miesha Tate will return to action in a bantamweight bout against Yana Santos on May 3.

Tate initially revealed the pairing in a post on Instagram, and it was subsequently confirmed by Santos. The UFC has not formally announced the fight. The UFC Fight Night event is expected to take place in Des Moines, Iowa.

“I’ve still got what it takes and if you doubt me, please stick around. Mark your calendars,” Tate wrote.

A former Strikeforce and UFC bantamweight queen, Tate hasn’t competed since defeating the recently-retired Julia Avila via third-round submission at UFC on ESPN 52 in December 2023. “Cupcake” initially retired following a loss to Raquel Pennington at UFC 205 in November 2016, but she returned to action in 2021. Tate has fought sporadically since then, posting a 2-2 mark within the Las Vegas-based promotion.

Santos, meanwhile, snapped a three-bout skid in her last outing, when she outpointed Chelsea Chandler at UFC on ESPN 61 this past August. The former Invicta FC champion is 5-5 during her Octagon tenure overall.

“What a dream matchup,” Santos wrote on Instagram. “Thank you UFC for always giving me opportunities. Miesha Tate has been my favorite fighter for years. What a dream to share [the] Octagon with her. I will make sure to bring [the] best version of myself.”

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