LAS VEGAS _ All of those comforting sayings that can be leaned on through adversity _ "Good things come to those who wait," "Patience is a virtue" _ came true for Miesha Tate.
Tate, 29, was a championship-level fighter without the validation of a belt for nearly five years as Ronda Rousey absorbed the perks and glory that came with two victories over Tate.
That prized UFC women's bantamweight belt belongs to Tate now, however, and she'll defend it for the first time Saturday at UFC 200 against Brazilian Amanda Nunes (12-4) at T-Mobile Arena.
"A good way to sum up my life is patient persistence," Tate said Thursday. "Patience is a virtue, but if you're waiting too long and aren't trying to push forward to seize moments and create opportunities, you may be missing out.
"There's a balance."
Tate (18-5) has found that extra gear with five consecutive UFC victories since her December 2013 loss to Rousey, among them a riveting fifth-round comeback in March to take the belt from Rousey conqueror Holly Holm with a rear chokehold.
"Getting the belt for me has been so wonderful, I don't want to let it go for anything," Tate said. "I want to be the best in the world and Amanda is the first step in sealing that legacy. If I beat Amanda, it solidifies my spot and then we go from there."
Nunes, riding a three-fight winning streak since a 2014 loss to former title challenger Cat Zingano, said that by her definition "Miesha's the best" female bantamweight at this time, quickly adding, "I'm going to beat her."
Yet, Tate has built from the resolve she showed in rallying to defeat Holm and the breakthrough has heightened her awareness of the separation between a champion and a contender.
"I have more tenacity, more determination to be here and stay here," Tate said.
The 28-year-old Nunes, she added, "has a tendency to break in fights and I have a tendency to break people."
"I don't want to let anyone take the belt from me, especially Amanda Nunes. She's a good fighter, but ... I don't think she really wants it. She's content to be good.
"It's a whole different ballgame at the championship level. There's a whole lot of things to juggle, a lot of nuances. The bottom line is I'm going to defend my belt successfully and I'm going to prove right here, right now, I'm the champion with the belt around my waist."
That empowerment, aided by Tate's use of hypnotherapy, is obvious when she dissects the matchup.
"She's a talented mixed martial artist, has finishing ability, one-punch knockout power, great judo, a well-rounded game," Tate said of her challenger. "Her biggest problem is herself and her mind. She hits points in fights where she tends to give up on herself, tends to break a bit.
"I'll be damned if that'll ever happen to me, and I'm really good at seeking that out in other people. That's where this fight becomes favorable to me _ when I push it to those areas where people are not willing to tread deeply. I am. I will drag her to wherever she's not comfortable and take the finish however she wants to give it to me."
In the meantime, Rousey, who hasn't fought since November's loss to Holm, is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery and may not be ready to fight by the anticipated UFC debut in New York.
UFC President Dana White said this week that Rousey will fight whoever has the belt in her return bout.
"I have to be grounded in the moment and make it happen, so whatever is next can happen," Tate said. "This is the first step."
The obvious swagger that accompanies that step has made Tate a near 3-1 betting favorite at sports books.
"I scare myself with how amazing this camp went," Tate said. "This Miesha Tate would've beat the Miesha Tate that beat Holly Holm. I've evolved tremendously in a short amount of time. The belt has made me so much more of a ferocious fighter."
