Rousey losing popularity?

[Midas]

Miesha Tate: 'EA Sports UFC' cover vote win a consequence of Rousey being 'exposed'

While Miesha Tate isn't overreacting to her victory over Ronda Rousey in the cover vote for the new "EA Sports UFC" video game, the women's bantamweight contender does believes the result is a reflection of Rousey's public persona.

"I think a lot of people have been turned off by Ronda's poor sportsmanship and just the overall negative attitude on 'The Ultimate Fighter,'" Tate told MMAjunkie on Monday. "I think she's been kind of exposed."

As announced on Monday, Tate (13-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) narrowly edged the current women's bantamweight champion in the first round of fan voting for a cover spot next to 205-pound champ Jon Jones on the upcoming video game.

Few, including Tate, expected "Cupcake" to receive more support than one of the sport's most notable figures, which is why she was overjoyed when the news came to light.

"I was absolutely ecstatic," Tate said. "I didn't expect to win, but I was full of hope. I knew that Ronda was in the lead, and I was just like, 'Man, she has double the followers I do on Twitter. She's probably going to win.' But I didn't want to give up hope ... I couldn't be more thankful. It felt really great, so I'm ecstatic."

Many are wondering if the result was a consequence of Tate's rise in popularity, or possibly because fans turned on Rousey (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC). While the 27-year-old believes it is a combination of both factors, Tate also believes if the vote were to take place before "TUF," she would have suffered a landslide defeat.

"Honestly, I think that she would have [won before the reality show]," Tate said. "I think people were under this kind of sentiment that Ronda Rousey can do no wrong and she's the princess of MMA, she's the golden girl, she's the Olympian, she's the blond-haired, blue-eyed all-American perfect girl and she has the full support of the UFC.

"Everyone has gotten to see the Ronda Rousey that I haven't got along with for a long time."

Tate has been vocal about Rousey's actions on "TUF" since the show debuted a few months ago, and she believes the portrayals of Rousey and herself have been accurate.

The Washington native says she is pleased with how she's come across and believes fans warming to her and souring on Rousey has a direct correlation with the show providing deeper insight into their personalities.

"Getting on 'The Ultimate Fighter' has been one of the best things for myself just because I've gotten a voice," Tate said. "I've been able to show my personality a little bit, and I've had more of an outlet to express myself versus just Ronda."

"It was kind of unequal balance, and with 'The Ultimate Fighter,' it has been more equal, and people are seeing more of her side of the story and a lot more of my side of the story. I think people are making their decisions [to vote] based off that."

Tate's video game victory over Rousey  adds another layer to the complicated and storied rivalry between the two fighters. But even with that in mind, Tate doesn't intend to rub Rousey's nose in her win, though she knows deep down her foe is agitated over the situation.

"I'm sure she's probably bitter about it already," Tate said. "You can tell just by the way that she was upset when they lost the first fight on 'The Ultimate Fighter,' you can imagine probably how she felt.

"I'm not going to go there. It wasn't my goal to piss Ronda off again. It was my goal to better myself, and I would have done the same thing if I would have been going up against anybody. I would have handled it the same way as now. I'm not making this personal, and that's the way that I'm handling it."

While the news brings excitement to Tate, she's still focused on the ultimate goal of defeating the former Olympic medalist for the UFC women's bantamweight championship at UFC 168.

A little more than a month out from the fight, Tate is focused on the task at hand, but she also can't help to think what it would mean to win the entire cover vote contest.

"[To win] would be a pretty incredible feat," Tate said. "I'm really excited just to get past the first round, and with that being said, one of my biggest challenges is out of the way, and I'm excited to make the best run that I can to get on that cover.

"To have a woman on the cover would only make sense. Women's MMA is taking MMA by storm, and we're just really making waves, and there would be no better time to have female representation on the cover of the 'EA Sports UFC' game."

This is true... I was Team Rousey along with Fnord prior to TUF then I basically saw my image of Rousey shattered and now one can say that my image of her was false because that is what the media portrayed her as...

Interviews she was bubbly and sweet with a hint of dangerous...

In that Showtime special she did before one of her fights with Strikeforce she came off as humble and down to earth and very respectful of the sport and the image it has.

Turns out Rousey is great in small doses and can be tamed in that manner but the access that TUF supplies the fans with and leaving her unsupervised has show a spoiled, conceited and childish manner that makes me wish she would lose...

I have a bunch of UFC fighters that I dislike for one reason or another and most of the hatred boils down to self-confidence and cockiness that has been unchecked and has lead to what I like to call "Kanye West Jesus Syndrome" which is when a guy or gal who is great at what they do starts believing the hype so much that they think the rules don't apply to them...

All I have to say to those fighters to to watch the Weidman Vs Silva fight... He is the prime example or someone drinking to much of their kool aid and getting knocked the fuck out because of it and don't even get me started on Nick Diaz!

[Fnord]

*stands up with applause*

[Ty]

Heel turn by Rousey

[Cory]

Im still trying to vote for Nick Diaz for the cover.

[Jon Tees]

Rousey is definitely the villain of this seasons TUF for reasons mentioned (cocky, arrogant attitude, foul mouthed, conceited, classless and very poor sportsmanship.) she's acted like a spoiled ten year old at times which has caused a lot of people to turn against her. Like others before this season, I had an image of Rousey as being nearly completely the opposite of how she's appeared on this show, an honorable, light hearted, humble person who just wanted to be the best at what she does, someone competitive but who doesn't hate or despise their opponents and man was this image shattered in just the first couple of episodes. Nearly every interview she does on the show she's either being a poor sport or seeming to be choking back tears. She just seems like the sort of person who sulks and pouts when you beat her at something and  accuses you of cheating but when she wins she's in your face taunting you, putting you down and rubbing it in. So in a way she's both a very sore loser and a very poor winner.

[T-Bonizzle]

Welp, I haven't watched TUF so consider my blinders on. I like her. Also she's hot so she can get away with pretty much anything...

[Midas]

Welp, I haven't watched TUF so consider my blinders on. I like her. Also she's hot so she can get away with pretty much anything...

Then don't watch it as there is a 50/50 chance you begin to hate her...

[Fnord]

I'd say more 70/30.

[Chris Shields]

I absolutely despise her after watching this season. Of course, I wasn't a huge fan of her before. I liked her, I thought she was good, but I wasn't as big a fan as some people. If you loved her going into the show, you're gonna dislike her after watching it. She just comes across as a complete cunt. She's a poor sport, she's arrogant, and she just takes everything so damn seriously, and so does her other coach. I hated her, her coaches, and a large majority of her team. Plus, when you see her and Meisha Tate together for an extended amount of time, you realize that Tate is much more attractive.

[Jon]

All to sell a fight. Although I think there is general hatred in this rivalry, but a lot of it is to sell the fight. You can't honestly think that everything you see on TUF (A REALITY SHOW) to be a good judgment on how a person really is.

Rousey is the face of Women's MMA. I could care less if she is a bit of a cunt. I love her competitiveness. I love that she takes what she does seriously and not as a joke. I bet if you asked the competitors on the show, they will say mainly good things about Ronda.

I don't think Ronda really cares how she is perceived if it gets Women's MMA out to a bigger audience. She has people talking about this TUF more then any TUF I can remember in recent history.

Mission accomplished.

[Black Death]

These two don't like each other and that true... I agree with Jon

Honest I don't think Rousey gives a fuck if people like her or not because of the show.  I think she knows that a lot of her popularity is the byproduct of her winning fights and  her job is to win the fights , her job is not to be like by people ... Leave that to the Kardashians.

[Chris Shields]

All to sell a fight. Although I think there is general hatred in this rivalry, but a lot of it is to sell the fight. You can't honestly think that everything you see on TUF (A REALITY SHOW) to be a good judgment on how a person really is.

Rousey is the face of Women's MMA. I could care less if she is a bit of a cunt. I love her competitiveness. I love that she takes what she does seriously and not as a joke. I bet if you asked the competitors on the show, they will say mainly good things about Ronda.

I don't think Ronda really cares how she is perceived if it gets Women's MMA out to a bigger audience. She has people talking about this TUF more then any TUF I can remember in recent history.

Mission accomplished.

I know there is some stuff that's edited out, and they're trying to make a compelling show, but TUF has been one of the few shows that actually seems to be more reality. The way she has been presented on the show, has made me hate her. I think the reason she's had so much popularity is because people only ever saw a little bit of her. This show seems to have shown the type of person that she really is, and that's an arrogant bitch who takes everything to damn seriously. You're acting is if the pranks that team Tate played, ruined her team and that they didn't take coaching seriously. There's a fine line between taking things seriously, and taking things too seriously, and Rousey is on the far side of the taking things too seriously line. She's come of as a spoiled little bitch with no class and a complete lack of any social skills. I didn't really care about her one way or the other before this show started, and because of how she acted during the filming (they can't just completely make shit up, it's not Total Divas), I now want to see her get beaten down.

[Chris Shields]

These two don't like each other and that true... I agree with Jon

Honest I don't think Rousey gives a fuck if people like her or not because of the show.  I think she knows that a lot of her popularity is the byproduct of her winning fights and  her job is to win the fights , her job is not to be like by people ... Leave that to the Kardashians.

Here's the problem with that though, she is the current face of Women's MMA. She's the first and sometimes only name people know when they're asked about Women's MMA. If people start to dislike her, if people start to think that she's a bitch, it will hurt Women's MMA.

[Black Death]

I don't buy it ... her only job is to win fights ... if people want to hate her and see her lose ... it works in her favor because there going to pay for the fight and want to see her lose ... it helps the division in the long.  It not her job to lift the division.   Her job is to defeat all those that she faces. 

She not there to be the most popular , she there to win.

[Cory]

Fuck yall, Ronda is awesome.