Miesha Tate hinted that she was going to retire at the start of the year.
She's lucky she didn't.
Because if 'Cupcake' had decided to hang up her gloves at that testing point in her life then she'd have denied herself the highlight of her storied mixed martial arts career.
In March, Tate claimed the elusive UFC women's bantamweight title with one of the most stunning comebacks in UFC history as she choked out Holly Holm in the co-main event of UFC 196.
Eight months later and she's now known as an ex-fighter.
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The 30-year-old made the decision to retire on Saturday night, after she came up short in the main card opener of UFC 205.
Tate looked uncharacteristically flat in her defeat to Raquel Pennington, the woman she once coached during her stint on The Ultimate Fighter.
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Miesha Tate went down to Raquel Pennington at UFC 205 event at Madison Square Garden
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images )[/caption]
It was just the second time in her nine-year fight career that she suffered consecutive losses, having dropped the belt to Amanda Nunes in July, and the time seemed right for her.
She won the title with one of the most exciting finishes of all time.
She headlined the landmark UFC 200 card.
And she opened the main card for the UFC's debut in New York City.
Nobody can take any of that away from her.
Catch up with the latest episode of Football Friday Live here:
Miesha Tate went down to Raquel Pennington at UFC 205 event at Madison Square Garden (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images )[/caption]
It was just the second time in her nine-year fight career that she suffered consecutive losses, having dropped the belt to Amanda Nunes in July, and the time seemed right for her.
She won the title with one of the most exciting finishes of all time.
She headlined the landmark UFC 200 card.
And she opened the main card for the UFC's debut in New York City.
Nobody can take any of that away from her.
Catch up with the latest episode of Football Friday Live here:
