SAN DIEGO – Cat Zingano has been here before, and she’s grateful to be here again.
When she steps into cage against women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg on Saturday at Bellator 300, it won’t be Zingano’s first time competing for a major MMA title. At UFC 184, then-undefeated Zingano made the mistake of blitzing bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey with a flying knee after the opening bell. Fourteen seconds later, the fight was over when Rousey locked in a straight armbar for the submission.
That was more than eight years ago in February 2015. A lot has changed for Zingano since then.
“My life was completely different,” Zingano told MMA Junkie and other reporters Wednesday at the Bellator 300 pre-event news conference. “There was really a lot more survival going on at that time. Time is really the benefit to things, finding my rhythm again, just figuring out coaches, figuring out the new normal for me, and getting it dialed in.”
“Dialed in” is how Zingano has looked since leaving the UFC following a freak-eye injury TKO loss to Megan Anderson in December 2018. Zingano made her Bellator debut in September 2020 and has rattled off four consecutive victories – against Gabby Holloway, Olivia Parker, Pam Sorenson, and most recently a battle with Leah McCourt – to earn a second chance at gold.
How her career has played out is how Zingano expected everything to go.
“It feels like my life’s work to get up to another title fight,” Zingano said. “… It’s great to have worked myself back up to this place again. I’ve always believed in myself, definitely put in the work and the time, so it’s natural that it’s here.”
Cyborg, one of the greatest women’s MMA fighters of all time, and Zingano have been on a collision course ever since Zingano joined Bellator, with promotion president Scott Coker saying she was signed with this matchup in mind.
Cyborg (26-2 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) presents a huge challenge for Zingano (14-4 MMA, 4-0 BMMA). She knows that – but there isn’t any aspect of the matchup where she believes she doesn’t pose a threat to the dominant champ.
“Everything,” Zingano said when asked how she presents a danger to Cyborg. “Skill, all the different disciplines, the years of experience, my will, my grit, my speed. Everything.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 300.
