In an interview with Esports Insider, former UFC bantamweight champion Miesha Tate reaffirmed her longstanding stance against biological males participating in female sports, stating emphatically: “I do not support men, in any form, competing in female sports.”
This position isn’t new for Tate. Back in 2013, she publicly declined to face Fallon Fox, a transgender MMA star, citing health and safety concerns. More than a decade later, her view hasn’t softened — if anything, it’s become more defined.
“I just don’t think that it’s fair. I don’t think that it’s right,” Tate said. “And sports are not inclusive. By their nature, sport is a non-inclusive thing to do. If you’re not good enough, you just don’t make it — and that’s a hard lesson, but a valuable one.”
Tate’s remarks come amid an increasingly polarized debate surrounding transgender athletes, particularly in women’s sports. While some governing bodies have begun implementing stricter guidelines, others have doubled down on inclusivity regardless of biological sex — a direction Tate believes puts fairness and safety at risk.
“I don’t think we’ve seen enough conclusive evidence to say it’s safe for transgender people to compete against biological women. Some people might feel comfortable with the data out there. I don’t.”
Tate pointed out the inherent physical and hormonal differences between men and women, especially in high-performance environments like combat sports. From weight cutting to hormonal fluctuations during menstrual cycles, she argues that female athletes face a unique and often overlooked physiological landscape.
“Women already have to deal with cycles, hormone changes — it’s complicated,” she said. “So when you add biological males into that mix, especially in contact sports, I believe there’s a great potential that it’s unsafe.”
For Tate, this isn’t just about combat sports. It’s about the principle of merit and fairness — values she believes are being eroded by political correctness and what she sees as misguided attempts at inclusivity.
“If you want a sport that includes everybody, then play pickleball. That’s fine,” she quipped. “But high-level sports are about excellence. And excellence, by definition, is exclusive.”
Tate also took the opportunity to reflect on broader social values, expressing skepticism about participation trophies and the idea that all children should be treated as equally skilled.
“I don’t think every child deserves a trophy,” she said. “We’re not helping them discover what they’re truly good at. If they always get rewarded, they won’t be able to distinguish their natural talents.”
While her stance may be controversial in some circles, Tate’s comments reflect a growing sentiment among elite female athletes who feel their space — and safety — is being compromised in the name of inclusion.
In a cultural moment shaped by rapid shifts in gender policy, social norms, and sporting regulation, Miesha Tate’s voice cuts through the noise. Not with hate, but with hard-earned experience, a career forged in the fire of elite combat, and an unwavering belief in fairness over fashion.
