From champion to analyst to manager, Miesha Tate has done it all.
A former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s bantamweight title holder, Tate is now retired from active competition. She has served as an analyst on the FOX Sports desk, but now she’s tackling a new challenge. “Cupcake” is now a manager, forming AO8 Management.
The move came as a surprise to many as Tate seemed well off as an analyst alone. Speaking to MMAFighting.com, she explained why forming a management company was the right decision:
“The reason I wanted to make it my mission is I remember how difficult it was for me in the early days, and I learned a lot during that time. I went through the thick of it. I’ve had bad management and great management. Some set the example to follow in their footsteps; others showed what not to do. I had awful experiences being taken advantage of, and I want to make their lives as easy as possible to focus on training. With my partners, we share a vision of supporting athletes to get them to the next level.”
AO8 Management have signed fighters such as Gina Mazany, Cindy Dandois, and Gustavo Lopez. Five-division boxing champion Amanda Serrano has committed to the team and plans to make the move to mixed martial arts as a flyweight.
