Confident Miesha Tate willing to gamble on herself at UFC 200

— -- Miesha Tate has never been one to back down from a challenge.

So when the UFC women's bantamweight champion was asked for the exact reason she accepted a title defense against Amanda Nunes -- a dangerous opponent lacking a crossover name -- for Saturday's UFC 200 card, Tate never broke stride.

"I took this fight because the UFC called me up and asked me if I would fight and I said yes," Tate said. "It's as simple as that. There was no mention of any other names."

While it's fair to assume the irony of Tate's situation isn't lost on her, it's certainly worth mentioning.

Four months ago, Holly Holm faced heavy scrutiny from UFC brass for electing to make her first title defense against Tate instead of waiting for a big-money rematch against Ronda Rousey later this year. Holm's gamble backfired dramatically, as Tate rallied in Round 5 to take her title by submission at UFC 196.

The fallout played out like a soap opera, as UFC president Dana White publicly blamed Holm's manager Lenny Fresquez for taking a risk. Fresquez went on to suggest that Tate was offered an immediate rematch with Holm and turned it down, which Tate denied.

Whichever side you believe, Tate (18-5) now finds herself in a position that is eerily similar to that of Holm in March.

One year after it appeared Rousey had all but cleaned out the division, bantamweight is red-hot, as Holm's upset win against Rousey in November effectively leveled the playing field. The aftermath presented Tate, fresh off her title win, with a number of potential options, including a third bout with Rousey, rematches with Holm or Cat Zingano, and a catchweight fight against Cris "Cyborg" Justino, fresh off her UFC debut in May at 140 pounds.

In the end, Tate accepted a quick turnaround against Nunes (12-4), a dangerous striker and well-rounded threat who is riding a three-fight win streak. The only thing different from Holm's situation is that Tate retained the full support of the UFC despite taking a similar risk that Holm had months earlier.