Miesha Tate says Cris Cyborg ‘never needed a strategy’ until Amanda Nunes superfight

Former UFC champion Miesha Tate watched closely last month as UFC women’s bantamweight queen Amanda Nunes moved up to 145 pounds and took out Cris Cyborg at UFC 232 in just 51 seconds.

Nunes’ finish not only earned her her second UFC title, but it capped off one of the most incredible performances in women’s MMA history. After all, Cyborg was considered the greatest female fighter of all time and hasn’t lost since her pro debut 14 years ago.

While the vast majority of the MMA community was shocked by the 51-second finish, Tate was not surprised by the outcome.

“I said, if she lands that right hand – if Cyborg doesn’t respect the fact that Amanda has enough power to knock her out, she’s going to be in trouble,” Tate told MMAjunkie Radio. “I was like, ‘Cyborg needs a strategy.’ She’s never needed a strategy in a fight.”

Tate, who lost her 135-pound title to Nunes back at UFC 200, discussed the punching power that “Lioness” possesses. Her recount is quite scary.

“Her simple jab feels like a right hand, and then her right hand feels like you got hit by a truck,” Tate said. “I didn’t even know where I was half of that fight.”

But how does Nunes’ power stack up against the rest of the bantamweight division? Just ask Tate, who compared former boxing and UFC champion Holly Holm to Nunes.

“It’s not even in the same league,” Tate said. “Amanda hits way harder.”

Nunes, 30, should now be considered the best fighter in women’s MMA history. The Brazilian champ is not only coming off a 51-second knockout over a previously immovable Cyborg, but “Lioness” finished former UFC champion Ronda Rousey via 48-second TKO back in 2016 and put an end to Tate via first-round submission just five months prior to that.

“One of the things (my resume) has to list now is that I lasted longer than Ronda (Rousey) and Cyborg combined,” Tate said.

At this point, there are few fighters who can match the power, aggression, and growing experience of Nunes. Current UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko came close twice, but “Bullet” is now competing at 125 pounds and is unlikely to return to bantamweight anytime soon.

We’ll have to wait and see how long Nunes can prolong her dominance inside of the cage. If her past few fights are any indication of the future then “Lioness” will be reigning supreme for quite some time.