Miesha Tate snubs retirement calls despite successive losses, 'I'm not going to give up'

Former UFC Bantamweight champion Miesha Tate suffered a ninth loss of her career last Saturday, with Lauren Murphy besting the 35-year-old.

Tate took the fight at flyweight after losing in her preferred bantamweight category against Ketlen Vieira back in November.

But Tate looked far from comfortable at flyweight, with her UFC Long Island bout only heading in one direction.

Murphy outpointed the former champion from start to finish despite Tate's superb physical condition, and many expected her to retire after suffering a consecutive defeat.

But instead, Tate sounds as motivated as ever to return to winning ways.

"I'm at a very great point in my life," Tate said.

"Not like Chapter One. Chapter One was kind of toxic and a lot of turmoil and (fighting) was like my outlet and my identity.

It's none of those things for me anymore, so as I continue to evolve - and life is great. It's very kush and I have everything that I need. I don't need to fight. I just want to. I want to do better than I did this time, so I'm not going to give up.

"But this is a whole new challenge. I just need to get my mindset a little bit more gritty, a little bit more right, a little bit more - 'I've got to have it.' Not just there to have fun. Like, 'I've got to have it.'

"I just don't feel like I hit the nail on the head with that this time."

While Tate seems set on returning to the octagon sooner rather than later, it's unclear whether she'll opt for a flyweight or bantamweight bout next.