Rapidly making a name for herself in the sport of womens MMA is a young lady by the name of Miesha Tate, who hails from Washington, USA. You may have seen her competing in Strikeforce events on Showtime, or perhaps you've seen the stunning photos of her posted on MMA forums all over the web (originally from Fight Magazine).

With a current professional record of 9 wins (4 by submission) and 2 losses, Tate is a grappling master and a force to be reckoned with in the womens welterweight division. Victory Athletics is the gym that she calls home, where she spends her time mastering her craft along with her part-time coach and full-time boyfriend, Bryan Caraway.

I had the opportunity to ask Miesha a few questions via email before she heads off to Phoenix, Arizona for her next Strikeforce event that will take place on August 13th, where she will be competing in a four-woman tournament with Carina Damm, Hitomi Akano, and Maiju Kujala. This event will be broadcast live on Showtime (and will also be available On-Demand from August 16th through the 29th).

1. You're coming off an impressive win over the previously undefeated Zoila Frausto in March. Are you being swarmed on the streets by MMA fans yet?

I wouldn't say swarmed haha but more people seem to recognize me out of the blue everyday.

2. You won the fight with Frausto with an armbar that she feverishly struggled against before finally submitting in the 2nd round. Did you think you were going to have to break her arm?

Yes!! I was about to sit up and tuck it under my armpit if she hadn't tapped when she did.

3. Dana White has stated in the past that there isn't enough talent in womens MMA to warrant inclusion in the UFC. What's his problem?

He is simply uninformed. He's formulating an uneducated opinion because he hasn't looked into the womens divisions enough to know that there is tons of talent and depth particularly in the 135lb division (as most female fighters seem to accumulate there).

4. Can you walk us through your typical routine on the day of one of your fights?

I sleep in till around noon. When I wake up I usually eat a banana and some oatmeal. Then I hang out at the hotel visiting with friends and family that are there to support me. Then I go get my hair braided and head to the fights after that, check in around 4:30 do a little pre-warm up and stretch and talk about implementing my game plan with Bryan. Then I relax till about 30 min before I fight then I run wind sprints, pummel, grapple and hit mitts till I'm good and warm then I just move around to stay lose till it's time to rock n' roll

4. We really like beer around here. Fedor Emelianenko has stated that he prefers vodka over beer because beer can make you gain weight (in the bad way). However, Arnold Schwarzenegger in the past has been known to drink a beer prior to working out. What is your philosophy on drinking beer as a professional athlete?

I like beer, particularly red beer! I put lime, salt/pepper & spicy tomato juice in a Bud Light and it's one of my favorite drinks I think a beer every once in awhile is good for the soul!

5. You are scheduled to compete in Strikeforce Challengers: Phoenix in a four-woman tournament on August 13th. You are no stranger to tournaments. After defeating your first opponent, how do you prepare for the next one with such little time to recover?

Keep moving between fights, you don't really want to cool down cause there's not much tome to warm up again! I made that mistake in the first tournament I did way back!

6. The winner of the tournament in Phoenix will most likely go on to fight Sarah Kaufman, who you lost to via unanimous decision in May of last year. Aside from your far superior tan, you've also got a huge advantage on the ground over her, which we saw in the 2nd round where you completely dominated her. Will you look to get to the ground sooner this time around, or will you stand and bang with her like you did in the first round of your original fight with her?

If I get another shot at Kaufman I will be everything but predictable! She is very good at pushing the pace and controlling the action so basically I'm going to go in there and mix it up, kind of like pulling the rug out from under someones feet!

7. Shortly after your loss to Kaufman, Strikeforce received permission from the California and Washington athletic boards to allow women to compete with professional level, five-minute rounds as opposed to the three-minute rounds in place before. Do you think if your original fight with Kaufman had consisted of five-minute rounds, you would have been able to finish her in the 2nd round? Will the tournament on August 13th consist of five-minute rounds?

As far as I know the tournament will be 3 minute rounds because two of us will fight twice in one night. And I think more time in the first and second would have benefited me, I think mostly in the first actually because I may have been able to win it in the judges' opinion if I had another two minutes to work, being that I got her down with only 18 seconds left!

8. Who do you think is currently the #1 "pound-for-pound" male MMA fighter in the world?

Maybe Jose Aldo.

9. Your fan base is rapidly growing. You know you're doing something right when strangers are arguing about you on online forums. Where can your fans go to find out more about Miesha "Takedown" Tate?

My website www.takedowntate.com is the best place. I get on occasionally and chat live with fans plus I have monthly drawings for members to win autographed Pictures and more!