Hottie of the Week: MMA Fighter Miesha Tate

This week's Hottie of the Week (HOW) is MMA fighter Miesha Tate. Tate is 21 and from Ellinsburg, Washington. This 5'6" hottie has a 2-1 professional record and she is coming off a big win against Elaina Maxwell last month at the Strikeforce show in San Jose. Tate's boyfriend, Bryan Caraway, is also a MMA fighter. 

To view D Wizzle's interview with Caraway, click here -
http://dwizzlesworld.blogspot.com/2008/07/interview-with-elitexc-fighter-bryan_21.html

Hey Miesha, how's it going today? Congratulations on your  win over Elaina Maxwell at Strikeforce!

Thanks, it was a big win for me!

Would you like a rematch with Kaitlin Young one day since she gave you your first and only loss in your career?

Yes, I would because I feel like I learned a lot from that loss. I've developed a much better and more aggressive style of fighting, and I believe I would win a rematch!

You were on the boys wrestling team in high school. How did that come about?

My best friend Sharon and I decided to join the wrestling team together, because we both love sports. I just don't like basketball.  We decided to wrestle since there was no other sports offered during that season and we both grew to love wrestling immensely.

Is that how you met your boyfriend, Bryan Caraway?

I actually met him at college. He and Tommy Truex started a basic jui-jitsu club, and I decided to try it out and thought it was way cool, I was encouraged by the guys to commute with them to Yakima and train more seriously up there.

Is he the reason you got into MMA?

Well pretty much... yea,  he is the reason besides me  having a wrestling background.  If he hadn't started that club, I wouldn't be where I am today that's for sure.

Where do you train at and who are some of your trainers and training partners?

I originally trained out of Yakima MMA under Rich Guerin,  and that's where I learned all of my basics and most of what I know today, but I now train out of Victory Athletics with Dennis Hallman and it's a great gym!

Were you more nervous for your fight with Maxwell or Bryan's fight?

Probably more nervous for his fight... not because I doubt his ability in any way, but because I know how much he despises losing,  and that's a risk we all take when we get in the cage.

How do you think you would do against Gina Carano?

At this point in my career, I don't think I'd really consider fighting her, but I do have the potential to beat her especially because I don't think she's really had anyone challange her on the ground, which is exactly what I would do!

Who are some of your favorite fighters to watch?

Obviously,  my boyfriend Bryan is my number one because he is so talented, a good person, and he helps me a lot with my fight career, but I also like GSP because he's an amazing athlete and he's not cocky. I also like Shayna Baszler because she's a total badass!

What are some of the things you like to do when you are not training?

I like to watch a lot of movies. I also like camping and anything that has to do with the water!

Is there any opponent that you would like to fight next?

I'd like to fight Liz Posener because she was my first amateur fight and my only amateur loss.

What part of your game do you think you need to work on the most?

Well, I'm not afraid to stand but that's probably where I need the most work!

What weight class do you prefer to fight in? Is it hard for you to cut weight down to 145? It looks like you weigh a lot less than 145 to me.

I walk around at about 145,  and I prefer to fight at 135 because I'm used to cutting weight and that is a comfortable cut for me.

Who would win in a fight between you and Bryan in the cage?

(Laughs) Well, he would probably let me beat up on him  for a while and work my game a little, and then at the end, he'd kick my butt and probably sub me out in like two seconds!! (laughs)

How come you don't have a nickname yet? We need to get you one.

Well the nickname I came out to was "TakeDown" Tate, but who knows about that one! I guess I do need a real nickname because no one's givin me one that's stuck yet!

Thanks for taking the time to talk to me. I can't wait to see you fight again. Do you have any final words for the fans out there?

Just a big thank you for all the support and I can't wait to fight again!

EliteXC:"Unfinished Business" Results and Review

EliteXC had their second prime time show last Saturday night and the main event was a middleweight title bout between champion "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler against challenger Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith.

The show was held at the Stockton Arena in Stockton, California.

The main event was a rematch between Lawler and Smith as these fighters fought to a no- contest decision a few months ago due to an accidental eye poke by Lawler which affected Smith's eyesight in the third round.

Saturday's show was thusly titled "Unfinished Business" and CBS showed four of the fights on the card.

All four of the fights ended without any controversy as all the winning fighters finished their business.

The winners of the fights shown on CBS were Lawler, Cris Cyborg, Jake Shields, and Nick Diaz.

Lawler, Diaz, and Cyborg defeated their opponents in the second round by TKO, while Shields easily defeated Nick "The Goat" Thompson early in the first round with a guillotine choke to become EliteXC's first welterweight champion.

Lawler showed why he is the EliteXC middleweight champion by delivering a series of knees to Smith's stomach in the second round to win by TKO. The first round was a feeling out process by both fighters but there were fireworks in the second round.

Both fighters were bloodied up in the second round, and Smith looked like he had the advantage until Lawler started to connect with his punches and knees to end the fight.


Although there were a lot of impressive performances on the show, the fighter that opened up the most eyes was Cris Cyborg. Cyborg defeated the heralded Shayna Baszler in the only women's fight of the evening.

Baszler is known for her submissions but Cyborg avoided all her submission attempts in the first round. In the second round, it appeared that Baszler was tired from all her previously unsuccessful submission attempts.

After Cyborg got Baszler in the Muay Thai clinch and landed some knees in the second round, she proceeded to hit Baszler with a flurry of punches which knocked Baszler down.

In the unintentionally funny moment of the night, Cyborg thought the fight was over and jumped onto the top of the cage to celebrate with the fans. She raised her arms in victory while having her back to Baszler and the referee, Steve Mazzagatti. Unbeknownst to her, Mazzagatti had not called off the fight.

This gave Baszler the chance to recover from the damage inflicted by Cyborg's right hand and knees, but Mazzagatti finally had to call a stoppage to the fight about a minute later after another Cyborg right hand knocked down Baszler for the second time in round two.

Cyborg will possibly challenge Gina Carano in the future. If she doesn't fight Carano next, I could see her having a fight with someone like Kaitlin Young.

Carano was in attendance at ringside along with another EliteXC superstar, Kimbo Slice.

Diaz, a Stockton native, received the loudest ovation of the night. He defeated Thomas "Wildman" Denny in a slugfest.

All four fights on CBS were wildly entertaining and exciting. Unlike many of UFC's shows and broadcasts, the fights were action-packed and the announcers were very professional and articulate.

Gus Johnson, Mauro Ranallo, and Frank Shamrock all did a nice job calling the action, and Karyn Byrant did a good job asking questions while interviewing the fighters.

The only problem I had with the show was that their was a lull after Diaz's fight and leading up to the main event.

MMA fans could not ask for a better night of fights. The winning fighters all won decisively and did not leave their fights to the hands of the judges.

Wilson Reis, Rafael Feijao, and Antonio Silva were all winners in fights that were seen on the cable network, Showtime, right before the CBS show aired.

Reis defeated the very tough Bryan Caraway by unanimous decision after three rounds. Caraway got the better of Reis standing up, but Reis was able to take down Caraway multiple times in the fight.

Caraway did do a very nice job scrambling and getting up from the takedowns.

Caraway reportedly suffered a dislocated kneecap while training for the fight and his knee probably affected him during the fight.

Feijao won by TKO over Canadian Travis Galbraith in the first round. Feijao was very impressive and looks to be a force in the light heavyweight division.

Silva defeated Justin Eilers by TKO in the second round to become the first ever EliteXC heavyweight champion.

Overall, MMA fans have to be pleased with the show.

It was a very successful night for EliteXC and CBS as the show came off very well on television, and the fans got to see hard-hitting action and decisive clear-cut victories without any controversy.

The next CBS broadcast of EliteXC's Saturday Night Fights will be on October 4 and will feature Kimbo Slice and Gina Carano.

Interview with EliteXC Fighter Bryan "KidLightning" Caraway

Here is D Wizzle's interview with MMA fighter Bryan "KidLightning"  Caraway. Caraway is a featherweight fighter from the state of Washington. He has a 10-2 professional record and is coming off a big win against Alvin Cacdac  at the last Strikeforce show in June. Nine of his wins have been by submission.

This interview was done before it was announced that Caraway's next fight would be against the highly touted Wilson Reis  at EliteXC's next big show on July 26 in Stockton, California.  

 

Hey Bryan, how's it going? Congratulations on your win at Strikeforce!

Thanks! I was stoked to be fighting for Strikeforce.

Your style of fighting was listed as "Cowboy Karate" at Strikeforce. Can you give me a definition of that?

Yea, we are  from the Northwest so we're a bunch of tough country dudes with technique! It's  really just supposed to be funny and it keeps everyone guessing.

You looked really good against Alvin Cacdac. You were on him from the start and eventually forced him to tap from the rear naked choke. Did you expect to have such an easy fight?

I never expect to have an easy fight but I trained really hard for it, and I knew he was a stand-up guy so I figured he couldn't hang with me on the ground. It actually went EXACTLY how we planned it.

Your girlfriend Miesha Tate fought on the card and won also. Is that the first time you guys were on the same card together?

Yea,  it was pretty cool!

 Were you more nervous about your fight or her fight?

A different kind of nervous for her. I always throw up before my fights because I'm so competitive, and I hate losing more than anything. But for her, I'm worried about her getting hurt or jacked up!!

The crowd booed when you won since Cacdac was from San Jose. How did it feel to win against the hometown fighter with the crowd booing you?

Well, winning always feels awesome, but that adds a little zing to it! (laughs)

Do you have a nickname?

Yea, it was "The Kid" for a long time because  I started fighting when I was only 19 so Dennis Hallman nicknamed me "The Kid"  but everybody I trained with said I'm lightning fast so now its "KidLightning."

How is the MMA scene in Washington?

The amatuer MMA scene has blown up huge and the pro scene is growing as well with Strike Force coming here. As far as the Northwest,  MMA is huge in general and I believe we produce the toughest fighters around.

Where do you train at and who are some of your trainers and training partners?

Well I trained at Yakima MMA with Rich Guerin while I was in college for about three years so he was really influential in who I am today as a fighter. I originally started with Hallman for a little while,  and then he introduced me to Rich because  he was a lot closer to where i went to school. But now, I moved back over to the Olympia area a few months ago and I'm training with Dennis Hallman again. I have some good training partners  like Eddy Ellis, Matt Lininger, Wesley Welch, Cory Devela, and just recently Mike Joy.  I also go and train with Lyle Beerbohm, Sterling Ford, and  Cody McKenzie. We make trip up to Ivan Salaverry's gym, and drive down to Team Quest a lot and I train with some real tough guys there like  Matt Lindland, Chael Sonnen, Ryan Shultz, Ian Loveland, Zack George, Dave Jansen, Nathan Coy,  and Ed Herman. All the Quest guys are cool.

 Of all your wins so far in your career, which one was the most satisfying?

Uh,  I don't know... probably the Strikeforce show  is up there  when I dominated Noah Thomas. Noah was supposed to fight Josh Thomson, but Josh got cut so they called me up on short notice, and I  was supposed to get beat up but  it was totally the opposite.  He then  got on TUF 5 so  that makes it even better that i beat him.

 Are there any opponents that you would like to fight next? 

I just wanna fight who ever is  gonna get me to that next level and noticed that much more!

What part of your game do you think you need to work on the most? 

I like to think I'm pretty well rounded but probably if I had to pick, it would be stand-up.

How is your stand-up?

My stand-up's actually pretty slick so I'm told, but being a wrestler forever, I'm more comfortable on the ground. I just need to get more confidence in my skill on my feet.

Thanks a lot for your time Bryan. Congrats on the win again and I hope to see you fight again soon. Do you have any final words for the fans out there?

Just watch out for me! I'm gonna be coming up for sure. I live, eat,  and sleep fighting.  Training is all I do.  I'm focusing my whole life on fighting so you  better believe I'm gonna be the champ!! Thanks for the interview! Stay up.