The UFC confirmed Tuesday that Miesha Tate will defend her women's bantamweight title for the first time against Amanda Nunes at UFC 200.
Given the widely held expectation that Tate would either take on Holly Holm in a rematch of the March title fight or wait for the expected return of Ronda Rousey later in the year, the announcement came as a surprise to many.
But it appears as though the former was at least on the table for the big stage on July 9.
Holm's agent, Lenny Fresquez, told Rick Wright of the Albuquerque Journal on Thursday that Tate turned down the opportunity for a rematch.
"They tell me Tate chose (Nunes)," Fresquez said Thursday. "Holly was offered to her and she chose Nunes. She chose to take a weaker opponent. She's not as stand-up as Holly. She said she'd take on the best, but she's not willing to take on the best. Holly gave her a chance. We're pretty disappointed she didn't return the favor."
Whether the rematch was truly declined or negotiations simply broke down at some point along the way, another fight between Tate and Holm can certainly be considered a possibility in the future.
Frezquez said that if Holm decides to take another non-title fight as a means of staying active for the time being, such a bout would likely also come in July.
Along with a rematch between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz, the Tate-Nunes bout will be one of several headline matchups at UFC 200.
