One of MMA’s biggest female stars Miesha Tate made a successful return to the Octagon after a five year absence tonight at UFC On ESPN 26 as she TKO’d Marion Reneau on the mat in the third round.
Round One:
Body kick for Reneau. Tate staying at range for now and throwing a few punches that don’t land. She lands a leg kick. Now Reneau with one too.
Tate steps in with purpose and lands a couple of punches. Now a rangey right hand. Tate counters a leg kick with a jab nicely.
Again Tate throws that long right hand. Reneau steps into a right hand but eats a counter that definitely got her attention.
Reneau lands a right hand and then a better one soon afterwards. Now a low leg kick for Reneau.
Tate working the right hand nicely. She lands a jab and then goes into the takedown attempt. She goes to the cage with it. Reneau defending it nicely and Tate changes to a thai clinch. Now back to pressing Reneau against the cage.
Reneau pushes away and goes back to striking range. Light jab for Tate. Now punches off the guard. Tate stepping in with a right hand. More punches attempted, but then gets the takedown she’s been looking for in the center of the Octagon.
Reneau threatening to set up a submission and Tate back up for a moment and gets caught with an upkick, but then adjusts and nicely drops down into half-guard, where she ends the round landing a few punches.
Round Two:
Front kick for Reneau to start the second round. Jab for Tate. Now a right hand. She lands to the body.
Front kick from tate to the body. Nice left hand for Tate. Now pumping out the jab. Missed leg kick though. Stepping right hand from Reneau.
Exchange in close and both Reneau and Tate land the right hand. Tate looks for a takedown attempt, but it’s stuffed.
Another quick exchange. Tate bursts into a takedown attempt. It doesn’t pay off immediately, but she stays on it and hoists Reneau into the air and then brings her down.
Tate in half-guard and having to be careful as Reneau is trying to work on a kimura attempt from her back. Tate protecting the arm and landing a few punches with her other arm in the mean time.
Tate stands over Reneau and gets caught with a glancing upkick, but then gets back down into half-guard. Ground and pound from Tate and she bloodies Reneau’s nose. More blows land and then she postures up and stands again, before dropping back into guard as the round is coming to a close.
Round Three:
Tate still looking fresh despite her long absence from the sport as she heads into the final round. Quick right hand from Tate. Now a punch to the body and back upstairs.
Hard jab for Tate. Now uppercuts as she drives into the clinch and works for a takedown against the cage. Trip takedown from Tate, but she lands somewhat awkwardly and it gives Reneau a potential chance of getting on top here.
Bit of a battle and then Tate does secure top position. Tate getting Reneau’s back here and starts landing ground and pound. Reneau covering up here and seems to be wilting as these blows land.
Tate’s coaches urge her to keep the offense going and she responds with rapid-fire elbows, and that’s it, the ref steps in and the former bantamweight champion a TKO victory at 1.53mins of the final round.
