Miesha Tate Siblings: Get to Know Candice and Felicia Martin
Miesha Tate PHOTO/ESPN
Miesha Theresa Tate is an American professional mixed martial artist born on August 18, 1986, in Tacoma, Washington.
She grew up in a modest household, raised primarily by her mother, Michelle Tate, and her stepfather, Robert Schmidt, after her biological father was not involved in her upbringing.
From a young age, Tate exhibited a tomboyish personality, often playing with boys and excelling in sports that challenged traditional gender norms.
During her time at Franklin Pierce High School, she joined the boys’ wrestling team as a freshman and continued through graduation, eventually winning the girls’ state wrestling championship in her senior year of 2005.
Beyond fighting, Tate has expanded her influence into media and entertainment, including winning the third season of Celebrity Big Brother in 2022, where she dominated by securing four Head of Household competitions.
Siblings
Miesha has two sisters, including Candice, whom she has publicly celebrated as her little sister on social media during National Sibling Day, sharing nostalgic photos and expressing their close bond.
Another sister is Felicia Martin, often referenced in connection with Tate’s family circle, including appearances together that highlight their sibling dynamic.
Career
Tate’s professional mixed martial arts career spans over a decade and a half, marked by determination, comebacks, and pivotal moments that shaped women’s MMA.
She made her pro debut in November 2007 at the HOOKnSHOOT Women’s Grand Prix, securing a decision win over Jan Finney before suffering a knockout loss to Kaitlin Young later that evening.
Through 2008 and 2009, she competed in smaller promotions, notching wins against fighters like Jamie Lyn Welsh, Jessica Bednark, and Dora Baptiste, culminating in her capture of the FCF Women’s Bantamweight Championship in April 2009 via submission over Liz Carreiro, which she defended once.
Tate’s breakthrough came in Strikeforce, where she debuted with a unanimous decision victory over Elaina Maxwell in 2008, followed by a loss to Sarah Kaufman in 2009, and then key wins including a submission over Zoila Gurgel in 2010.
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She won the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Tournament that year and claimed the championship title by submitting Marloes Coenen in July 2011.
Her reign ended in a high-profile loss to Ronda Rousey in 2012, but she rebounded with a submission win over Julie Kedzie later that year.
Transitioning to the UFC in 2013, Tate faced setbacks with losses to Cat Zingano and Rousey but turned the tide with a string of victories starting in 2014 against Liz Carmouche, Rin Nakai, Sara McMann, and Jessica Eye.
Her crowning achievement was upsetting Holly Holm in March 2016 to win the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship via rear-naked choke, though she lost the belt to Amanda Nunes shortly after.
After a loss to Raquel Pennington in November 2016, Tate retired, only to return in 2021 with a TKO over Marion Reneau, followed by mixed results including losses to Ketlen Vieira and Lauren Murphy, and a submission win over Julia Avila in 2023.
She holds a professional record of 20 wins and 10 losses, with notable strengths in grappling as a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Accolades
Tate is a former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion, having held the title from March 2016 to July 2016 after her stunning victory over Holly Holm, and previously dominated as the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion from July 2011 to March 2012.
She also won the Strikeforce 2010 Women’s Bantamweight Tournament and the FCF Women’s Bantamweight Championship, showcasing her early prowess in regional promotions.
Her grappling excellence was highlighted by a silver medal in the 2008 FILA Grappling World Championships in the 72 kg No-Gi division, and she was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2024.
Within the UFC, Tate has received multiple performance bonuses, including Fight of the Night honors twice (against Cat Zingano and Ronda Rousey) and Performance of the Night three times (against Holly Holm, Marion Reneau, and Julia Avila), tying her for the second-most post-fight bonuses in women’s bantamweight history with five.
She holds UFC records for the most submission attempts (12), fourth-most control time (56:45 minutes), third-most top position time (44:19 minutes), and is tied for fourth in takedowns landed (18) in the women’s bantamweight division.
Industry awards further underscore her influence, such as being named Female Fighter of the Year at the 2011 World MMA Awards, Comeback of the Year in 2016 for her Holm win, and Submission of the Year in 2016 from outlets like ESPN, Bleacher Report, and MMA Sucka.
Additionally, she received the WMMA Press “Mighty Mia” Inspirational Fighter of the Year award in 2017, and her 2013 rematch with Rousey was ranked as the top WMMA Fight of the Year by Bloody Elbow.