Miesha Tate (photo via UFC)

By FCF Staff

Miesha Tate announced her retirement shortly after the judge’s scores were read out at UFC 205, but the former bantamweight champ says she knew her fighting career was over, much earlier.

Tate took on Raquel Pennington at the December 12th card, and ended up losing the bout via unanimous decision. Immediately after, the 30 year-old shocked the MMA world by announcing she was hanging up the gloves.

Recently MMA Junkie.com caught up with Tate, and while discussing when she decided it was time to retire, the star stated:

“I just knew after like the first exchange that I just didn’t want to do it anymore,” Tate said. “So it was just kind of one of those things that just like stuck it out, but I knew I had a lot more to give, and I just didn’t give it.

“I don’t know. It’s just one of those things. It’s kind of odd, to be honest. But yeah, just lacking a little bit of the competitive edge to want to punch people in the face.”

Tate retired having gone 18-7 in her career, and just two bouts after she won the bantamweight title in March, by defeating Holly Holm.