Ex-champ Tate dropping to flyweight vs. Murphy

Sports

Former UFC champion Miesha Tate will continue her comeback inside the Octagon in May — in a new weight class.

The UFC has booked a 125-pound flyweight matchup between Tate and Lauren Murphy at UFC Fight Night on May 14, officials confirmed to ESPN on Saturday. The promotion has not yet announced a venue or main event for that card.

Tate (19-8) has fought her entire career at 135 pounds and is a former champion at that weight. She retired in 2016 but returned to competition last year. She went 1-1 in two appearances in 2021, including a decision loss to Ketlen Vieira in her most recent performance.

Fighting out of Las Vegas, Tate is close with Julianna Peña, the UFC’s newly crowned bantamweight champion, which likely influenced her decision to drop.

Murphy (15-5), of Houston, is coming off a loss to Valentina Shevchenko in a 125-pound title fight in September. Prior to the loss, she had won five straight.