Miesha Tate

Note from Creator:

This MMA Bobblehead journey that I’m on can be an emotional rollercoaster. Sobbing in the shower like The Crying Game (totally dating myself) from one minute, to doing the happy dance in my living room the next. Ever since this ride started in 2016, I’ve come to realize that the highs can get REALLY high, and the lows can get REALLY low. But one thing remains consistent - you never know what awaits you right around the corner...

This was DEFINITELY the case with the making of the Miesha Tate bobblehead. Before Miesha ever said yes to the bobblehead, or even knew about it for that matter, I was messing around with the design of her bobblehead. I was just doing it for fun, because nobody…and I mean NOBODY had given me the time of day yet. Not one single fighter had shown any interest in wanting a bobblehead. At the stage that this MMA Bobblehead “company” was in, I was just simply making bobbleheads, like the Miesha, for myself. I was just simply trying to get better just in case I got my shot one day. The idea of working with Miesha Tate to create a beautiful bobblehead, it was just a pipe dream. I never gave it much thought because I just never believed that she’d want to do it. I mean, why would she? Nobody else did. 

To be honest with you, my mindset wasn’t close to where it needed to be back then. My mindset at the time was that I didn’t deserve to approach the well known fighters because the fighters that weren’t well known were saying “no”. It was a self-defeating attitude that did not serve me well. 

So as the story goes, I ended up getting Dan on board, then Chuck, and then others…and then one day, a couple years later, I received an email. It was from a “Michelle Tate” asking if I would would ever be interested in making a Miesha bobblehead? Michelle Tate? Wait…what? I replied…”Are you related to Miesha at all?”, she wrote back, “I’m her mother”. 

Oh. My. God.

I almost fell out of my chair. From there, I got in touch with Miesha, and now here we are today. Incredible, isn’t it? It’s so funny how life works sometimes. I know that this “Note from the Creator” message is supposed to be about the making of the bobblehead, but I also want to take a second to remind you of something that you already know…if you work hard, and you believe in yourself and you believe in what you’re doing…you WILL find a way. You will. You just can’t give up. You can never, ever give up. 

This Miesha Tate MMA Bobblehead moment is my rendition from her victory over Holly Holm at UFC 196 on March 5th, 2016. It was one of the greatest examples of sheer will and grit in the history of MMA, and It’s easily one of my favorite moments in all of sports. On this night, Miesha never gave up. She found a way, and she became Champion. 

Thank you for all of your support

Dave.