Miesha Tate Reacts to UFC Fight Night 198 Loss: ‘I Still Feel Like I Evolved’

Miesha Tate didn’t get the victory against Ketlen Vieira at UFC Fight Night 198, but she still managed to keep her head held high in defeat.

In her second fight since coming out of retirement, Tate dropped a unanimous decision to her Brazilian opponent in Saturday’s headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. While Tate outlanded her opponent by a 122-to-113 count in significant strikes according to UFCStats.com, Vieira connected with the more meaningful offense during exchanges. Ultimately, that was enough for Vieira to get the nod from the cageside judges.

“I thought it was really close, I wasn’t sure, to be honest,” Tate said during her post-fight interview in the Octagon. “I thought it was close and I knew that there was a possibility she won. I did my best tonight and came up short. She’s the better woman, hat’s off to her. She’s great.”

Tate announced her retirement following a decision loss to Raquel Pennington at UFC 205 in November 2016. She made her return in July, scoring a third-round TKO of Marion Reneau at UFC on ESPN 26. So far, “Cupcake is still appreciative of everything that is accompanying her comeback.

“The real thing is about enjoying the journey,” Tate said. “This is just a moment in time, you guys. This is an opportunity for me to grow. I had a great time tonight and it was an awesome opponent. I get to go home and kiss my two kids. Life is good, life is great. Thank you so much for supporting me.”

In a separate statement on her Instagram story, Tate found more positives in her performance.

“Hey we had fun tonight!! I still feel like I evolved and in truth I was never tied to an outcome,” Tate wrote. “Just happy to enjoy these moments. Thank you as always for the support and congratulations [Vieira].”