Former UFC champ proves Dana White wrong after bold remarks fueled redemption

Key highlights

• Miesha Tate revealed that Dana White 's early rejection of women in the UFC fueled her ambition to succeed in the sport and eventually become a champion.
• Dana White's initial "never" stance changed after meeting Ronda Rousey , leading to the introduction of women's divisions and Rousey becoming the UFC's first female champion.
• White later admitted his past views were biased, acknowledging the impressive skill and toughness of female UFC fighters who have since become major stars.

Miesha Tate, who was the former UFC bantamweight champion , looked back to when Dana White’s dismissive comments about women competing in the UFC inspired her to succeed in mixed martial arts. The Washington native shared a video of her career highlights on Instagram before her upcoming fight against Yana Santos on May 3 that showed White's firm stand against female fighters.
How Ronda Rousey changed the game for women in MMA?Dane White, in a 2011 interview with TMZ Sports, initially resisted change, but his perspective changed dramatically after meeting Olympic judo bronze medalist Ronda Rousey in 2013. After a 45-minute conversation with Rousey, he completely changed his mind and crowned Ronda Rousey as the promotion's first women's bantamweight champion

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The mainstream success of Ronda Rousey, appearing on prime time talk shows, films such as Fast and Furious and The Expendables, legitimised women's place in the octagon. Although Rousey's fighting career was short, she changed the face of women's mixed martial arts for good.

"I vividly remember @danawhite saying 'never' [to females fighting in the UFC]… That only fueled my fire," former UFC bantamweight queen Miesha Tate posted, highlighting how the UFC CEO's rejection became motivation for her championship journey.
Dana White acknowledges "chauvinistic" past as women excel in UFCYears after his initial rejection, Dana White has publicly acknowledged his error. In a 2022 conversation with Ronda Rousey, White explained his reasoning: "When I was saying we'll never have women in the UFC, I was having a hard enough time getting men fighting in a cage accepted, let alone women."

Since those early days, female fighters have dominated the UFC scene, with stars like Amanda Nunes winning championships in multiple divisions and Zhang Weili breaking striking records in her legendary 2020 Fight of the Year against Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

Dana White has since admitted his previous stance was "a little chauvinistic" while expressing amazement at the technical skill and toughness displayed by female competitors. With Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison now competing in the promotion, women's MMA continues to evolve beyond what White once thought possible.

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Fans can watch Miesha Tate return to action against Yana Santos at UFC Fight Night on May 3, streaming live on ESPN+.