UFC on FOX 11: Tate vs. Carmouche

Miesha Tate (13-5) vs. Liz Carmouche (8-4)

Miesha Tate looks to bounce back from two consecutive losses as she goes up against Liz Carmouche in the main card at UFC on FOX 11 on Saturday in Orlando.

While Tate is coming off a loss to Ronda Rousey on Dec. 28, she did something that no fighter has ever been able to do against the champion. She was able to take Rousey into the third round of the match, before falling to Rousey’s famous armbar. Tate is 1-3 in her past four fights, but is a fearless competitor that earned the respect of many in the UFC with the way she competed against Rousey. Her cardio is as good as any fighter, but in order to get a victory in this fight, she is going to have to earn it, because Carmouche will not back down. Carmouche is coming off a difficult loss to Alexis Davis on Nov. 6, as she fell by unanimous decision. That was not a bad loss though, as Davis will be in action on July 5 against Rousey with a chance to win the championship. But Carmouche is just 1-4 in her past five fights, falling to Marloes Coenen, Sarah Kaufman, Rousey and Davis. Both Tate and Carmouche want to get back into the championship talk, and a win in this match could put them right back at the top. While Carmouche is a tough competitor, TATE will be victorious and get back on the winning track.

The 27-year-old Tate has 13 victories in her young career, with six of them coming by way of submission. She also has three wins by knockout, and has proven the ability to go the distance with four decision victories. Before her 1-3 slide, Tate had won six in a row. Tate is a terrific wrestler and will have a big advantage with her grappling game in this match. She has a takedown average of 3.24, while her opponent enters the fight with a 2.32 takedown average. Although these fighters are an identical 5-foot-6 and 135 pounds, Tate has a huge advantage when it comes to submissions, where she has a 2.06 average compared to 0.39 for Carmouche. This is the type of fight where style is going to play a huge role. If Tate is able to make this more of a wrestling match, she will be in great shape to get the victory. However, if it turns into a brawl, Carmouche is going to be very difficult for Tate to beat.

The 30-year-old Carmouche has eight career victories on her resume, with five of them coming by way of knockout. She also has two wins by submission and only one by decision. When she steps into the octagon, Carmouche is going to start swinging as soon as the referee says go. She averages 4.1 significant strikes per minute, compared to only 1.6 for Tate. Carmouche is also considerably more accurate when it comes to landing those punches, with a 56% accuracy compared to 41% by Tate. It is no secret that both of these fighters have a recipe for success, and the key will be which one is able to control the fight and turn it to their style. Carmouche served three tours of duty for the Marines, so she is certainly tough enough to score the upset win on Saturday.