“It is okay to be afraid but your dreams must be bigger than your fear.”
That was the advice of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight female fighter Miesha Tate in front of kids and women during a self-defense class in Makati on Friday.
Tate is in the Philippines for the UFC Fight Night 66 event at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Saturday.
UFC Fight Night 66 is the first ever UFC card in the Philippines.
Photo by Nestor Corrales/INQUIRER..net
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During the self-defense class, Tate taught the children of “Called to Rescue,” a non-profit organization for children who are victims of violence and human trafficking and beneficiaries of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
“This is really one of my favorite things about my job. Hopefully, I inspire these kids to feel stronger about themselves and be empowered,” Tate said.
During the class, she stressed that women should not languish in the tag that they are the “weaker sex.”
“I want to send the message that women are capable. We can do those things and it’s not just men. Women can be competitive, that we can be fierce, that we can fight hard and that we can be entertaining,” she said.
She said that teaching the children and women on how to defend themselves is an “opportunity to give back.”
She said she and fellow UFC stars are receiving a number of requests to be back in the Philippines.
“I am loving it here. Everyone is so sweet. Everyone is very kind. It’s so good,” she said.
Tate also thanked all her Filipino fans.
“Thank you so much for being so amazing and your country is beautiful and everyone here is so nice. I really appreciate the support.” IDL