Miesha Tate and then-champion Holly Holm

Miesha Tate has told Conor McGregor not to get "big-headed" following his success in the UFC.

The women's bantamweight champion fought before the Irishman at UFC 196 and was due to again at UFC 200 before a public spat with the UFC chiefs saw McGregor taken off the card.

McGregor refused to attend scheduled press conferences, which Tate spoke out about at the time saying the Notorious had taken training time away from the other fighters readying themselves for UFC 200.

In an interview on SiriusXM Rush Fight Club, Tate was asked whether she believed McGregor should be afforded preferential treatment because he has made the UFC a huge amount of money.

She said: "He has done amazing things for our sport and he's a huge piece in all of this, he really is. He's a star. He's a great fighter, he's a great talker, he's hilarious, he sells cards well. Nobody can refute that.

Conor McGregor during a Q&A before the UFC 179 weigh-in

"But when you say, 'someone deserves a break or special treatment,' I don't disagree with that. My point is he already gets that - a lot. They wanted to fly him out three months before UFC 200 in a private jet where he could have up to twenty people come with him. No one else gets that. Nobody else. That is preferential treatment. That is special.

"He can bring his entire camp with him and work out on the plane if he wants to because it's his plane! It's private. He gets here and he gets a huge penthouse suite, he gets put up in a house, he gets a butler, he gets whatever he wants.

"The UFC will accommodate him in any way that they can because he is special. And that's cool. I don't mind that but then what's your excuse? You're already getting preferential [treatment], you're already getting all these great things that nobody else gets."

Tate accepted that McGregor is arguably the biggest star the sport has ever seen, but encouraged him to realise the UFC is bigger than any fighter on their own.

"The UFC has gone above and beyond to accommodate him and you've got to think about this too: how did Conor McGregor become Conor McGregor? If there was no UFC you wouldn't know who he was. It's been a mutual effort on both their parts," she added.

Nate Diaz's rear naked choke submits Conor McGregor

"The UFC has spent a tremendous amount of money promoting Conor McGregor and he's made a lot of money - for himself and for them - but it's teamwork. They're both working hard to create something great and it has been great but don't change now Conor. Stay the course. This is what you've been doing this is what got you here. Don't get big headed and now think that you're above it because I think that's the downfall.

"The UFC is still the UFC at the end of the day; they will move on without Conor, they will move on with or without me, they'll move on with or without Ronda. They are the masters at making stars and they made Conor McGregor - with his help.

"They will make another Conor McGregor if they want to - if he doesn't want to be Conor McGregor anymore. But he kind of made his own bed and he's great at it but I figure don't change what you're doing."

"Maybe there will never be another Conor McGregor like him, but there will be more stars to come."

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