Cat Zingano is a female bantamweight fighter competing formerly for the UFC, currently for Bellator.
Zingano most recently stepped onto the radar of many fans when she signed to make her UFC debut in just the second-ever UFC women's fight against fellow newcomer and former Strikeforce women's bantamweight champion Miesha Tate. The winner was speculated to earn a shot at the UFC women's bantamweight champion, the undefeated Ronda Rousey.
Zingano defeated Tate via third round TKO earning her shot at the title and an opportunity to coach the eighteenth season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show against Rousey. Not too far into the show Zingano suffered a knee injury and subsequent surgery and was replaced on the show and in the title fight to follow by Tate herself.
Well over a year after enduring the injury, after enduring her estranged husband's suicide, after enduring seeing three other challengers fight Rousey and fail... Zingano signed in July 2014 to return to the UFC against Strikeforce veteran Amanda Nunes. The winner -- especially if it was Zingano -- would likely receive the next shot at Rousey.
Zingano endured early punishment from Nunes before coming back and defeating Nunes via a stirring third-round TKO. She earned the next title shot at Ronda Rousey's UFC women's bantamweight title for February 2015.
Fights[]
- Cat Zingano vs. Amanda Nunes - With a victory Zingano was set to earn a guaranteed title shot at the UFC women's bantamweight title.
- Julianna Pena vs. Cat Zingano
- Cat Zingano vs. Gabby Holloway - The fight was the Bellator debut of Cat Zingano; Gabby Holloway missed weight significantly.
- Cat Zingano vs. Olivia Parker