The highly anticipated rematch between UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and the woman she took the Strikefroce title from, Miesha Tate, is expected to take place at UFC 168 in December.
According to MMAJunkie, UFC president Dana White said that Rousey-Tate 2 will take place at the UFC’s year-end event, which is slated to take place on Dec. 28 in Las Vegas.
There is no word yet on whether the bout will serve as the night’s main event.
Heading into their March 2012 bout in the now-defunct Stirkeforce, Rousey and Tate exchanged unpleasantries and it has continued ever since.
Rousey (7-0) became the first female to win in the UFC when she submitted Liz Carmouche in the main event of UFC 157 in February.
Meanwhile, Tate (13-4) is coming off a TKO loss to Cat Zingano in April. With the win Zingano earned a title shot against Rousey, but when Zingano blew out her knee, the UFC made Tate her replacement.
Currently, Rousey and Tate are in the midst of filming The Ultimate Fighter 18 and early reports indicate their rivalry is being taken to a new level.
LOMBARD TO FACE MARQUARDT AT WELTERWEIGHT
Former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard is dropping to the 170-pound division and will meet former Strikeforce champion Nate Marquardt at UFC 166 on Oct. 19 in Houston, according to MMAFighting.com.
Lombard (32-4-1, 1 NC) is coming off a decision loss to Yushin Okami in March, while Marquardt (32-12-2) looks to rebound from a knockout loss to Jake Ellenberger at UFC 158 in Montreal.
RASHAD OPEN TO MOVE TO 185
Former UFC light-heavyweight champ Rashad Evans told UFC Tonight that if the UFC offered him an exciting fight 185 pounds he’d make the drop down, but fans shouldn’t get their hopes up too high as he still considers himself a 205-pounder and wants a rematch with Jon Jones.
MOUSASI FEELS INSULTED BY BELFORT
Former No. 1 middleweight contender Vitor Belfort is apparently ready for another crack at the title, tweeting to Dana White that he wants the winner of Saturday’s UFC 162 main event between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman.
Top-ranked light-heavyweight Gegard Mousasi has said he is considering a drop to the 185-pound division and wants a fight with Belfort, according to a report on UFC Tonight.
Mousasi said he feels disrespected by Belfort after the Brazilian told sherdog.com that fighters needed to earn the right to fight him.
According to the report, Mousasi called Belfort a hypocrite and said the defunct MMA promotion Affliction offered him a catchweight fight against Belfort in 2008, but Belfort declined it because he didn’t want to fight at a catchweight, but in his return to the UFC he fought Rich Franklin at a catchweight.
