Introduction
Cat Zingano is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the featherweight division of Bellator MMA. She made her professional MMA debut in 2008 and went on to compete in promotions like Strikeforce and Invicta FC before signing with the UFC in 2013. Zingano quickly made a name for herself by defeating Miesha Tate in her UFC debut, which earned Fight of the Night honors. Throughout her UFC career, Zingano compiled a record of 1-5, with her lone win coming against current UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes in 2014. Despite the setbacks inside the Octagon, Zingano continued to be recognized as one of the top fighters in her division. In 2022, after 9 years with the UFC, she decided to test free agency and ultimately signed with Bellator MMA.
UFC Debut Against Miesha Tate
Cat Zingano made her UFC debut on April 13, 2013 at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale against former Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate. This was a highly anticipated matchup between two of the top-ranked female 135lb fighters.
Both fighters came out aggressive in the first round, trading strikes. Zingano landed some effective knees in the clinch while Tate scored with punches. The second round saw Zingano take over, dropping Tate multiple times with knees and punches. In the 3rd round, Zingano continued her dominance, eventually taking Tate’s back and pounding her out with strikes to earn the TKO victory at 2:55 of the final round.
Zingano’s thrilling debut win showcased her dangerous skillset, proving she could contend with the UFC’s best female fighters. The victory over Tate marked the biggest of Zingano’s career at the time and launched her directly into the upper echelon of the division.
The Ronda Rousey Fight
In 2015, Zingano earned a shot at the UFC women’s bantamweight title against the dominant champion Ronda Rousey at UFC 184. Rousey had finished her previous 4 opponents in the first round and was a massive favorite going into the fight. Zingano represented her toughest challenge yet.
However, the fight did not go Zingano’s way. After a quick exchange on the feet, Rousey was able to get a hold of Zingano and take her to the ground. From there, Rousey locked in an armbar just 14 seconds into the first round, forcing Zingano to tap out. It was the fastest finish ever in a UFC title fight and a hugely disappointing result for Zingano.1
The loss snapped Zingano’s undefeated streak and demonstrated Rousey’s dominance at the top of the division. While Zingano was unable to dethrone the champion, the fight proved she could compete with the elite of the weight class.
Loss to Julianna Pena
After being sidelined for nearly two years due to a serious knee injury and ACL reconstruction, Zingano returned to the Octagon against Julianna Pena at UFC 200 in July 2016. This marked her first fight since her 14-second loss to Ronda Rousey in February 2015.
Zingano started strong, rocking Pena several times in the opening round. However, Pena weathered the early storm and proceeded to dominate the remainder of the fight with her wrestling and top control. After three rounds, Pena was awarded a unanimous decision victory (29-28, 30-27, 29-28).
The loss showed that Zingano still had some rust to shake off after her long layoff. It also demonstrated the ever-evolving nature of the women’s bantamweight division, with new contenders like Pena rising up in the ranks.
Sources:
http://mmadecisions.com/decision/7143/Julianna-Pena-vs-Cat-Zingano
Back-to-Back Losses vs Ketlen Vieira & Megan Anderson
In 2018, Zingano suffered back-to-back losses against top contenders Ketlen Vieira and Megan Anderson. Her first loss came against Ketlen Vieira at UFC 222 in March 2018. After three rounds, Vieira was awarded the unanimous decision victory (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) (http://ufcstats.com/fighter-details/3ecd936bd8814108).
Zingano then faced Megan Anderson at UFC 232 in December 2018. This fight ended in the first round after Anderson connected with a devastating head kick that rendered Zingano unconscious. The official result was a KO victory for Anderson at 1:01 of round 1 (http://ufcstats.com/fighter-details/3ecd936bd8814108).
These back-to-back losses showed that while Zingano was still competitive, she struggled against the new wave of talented contenders rising up the ranks in the women’s featherweight division.
Loss to Aspen Ladd
In October 2019, Zingano faced rising prospect Aspen Ladd at UFC 229. Ladd was an undefeated 24-year-old looking to make a name for herself against the veteran Zingano.
The fight started competitively with both fighters exchanging strikes in the opening minutes. However, Ladd began to take control in the second half of the first round, landing hard shots that visibly hurt Zingano. With just over a minute left in the round, Ladd dropped Zingano with a right hand and quickly followed up with ground strikes to earn the TKO victory at 3:38 of the first round.1
It was a disappointing setback for Zingano against the talented up-and-comer Ladd, who called for a matchup with Bethe Correia or a rematch with Zingano after the fight.1 The loss snapped Zingano’s two-fight winning streak and marked the first time she had been finished since her UFC debut in 2013.
Loss to Irene Aldana
Zingano’s most recent loss was by TKO to Irene Aldana in June 2019 at UFC Fight Night 152. Aldana won the fight in the third round via strikes after dropping Zingano with a devastating right hand (https://www.ufc.com/news/scorecard-ufc-289-nunes-vs-aldana). Aldana was able to finish the fight with ground and pound strikes after rocking Zingano on the feet. The loss was Zingano’s fourth straight defeat in the UFC after an initial run of success earlier in her career. At 36 years old, the loss to the up-and-coming Aldana signaled that Zingano’s best days in MMA may be behind her.
Key Takeaways
Cat Zingano started her UFC career strong, winning her debut fight against Miesha Tate at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale in 2013. However, after challenging Ronda Rousey for the women’s bantamweight title in 2015 and losing via armbar in just 14 seconds, Zingano struggled to regain her footing in the promotion. She went on to lose six of her next eight fights, with losses to top contenders like Julianna Pena, Ketlen Vieira, Irene Aldana and Aspen Ladd.
Despite the recent skid, the 37-year-old veteran remains a dangerous fighter with knockout power and slick jiu-jitsu. She may no longer be in title contention, but can still compete with many of the top-ranked featherweights and bantamweights on the roster. After taking time off following her last loss in September 2020, Zingano’s future remains uncertain. But she likely has more fights left in her if she chooses to continue competing.
Zingano’s Future
Zingano is now 39 years old and on a four fight losing streak. At this stage of her career, retirement could be on the horizon for the veteran fighter. However, Zingano has yet to make any indication that she plans to hang up the gloves.
There are still some compelling matchups out there for Zingano that could give her one last chance to prove she still has something left in the tank. A fight with someone like Sara McMann or Marion Reneau could be very competitive for Zingano and give her the opportunity to get back in the win column before calling it a career.
Zingano will likely need to string together a couple of wins before being considered a title contender again. But the future Hall of Famer still has the skills and experience to compete at a high level. She just needs to put it all together for one last run.
At this stage, Zingano’s career is winding down. But she has yet to wave the white flag. Expect the gritty veteran to keep battling for another shot at glory before her time in the sport comes to an end.
Conclusion
In summary, Cat Zingano has suffered several tough losses throughout her UFC career against many of the top female fighters in the world, including Ronda Rousey, Julianna Pena, Ketlen Vieira, and Irene Aldana. Despite her setbacks, Zingano has shown incredible heart and determination in continuing to compete at the highest level. At 37 years old, it’s clear her best days are likely behind her. However, with her warrior spirit, don’t count her out just yet. If Zingano can make some adjustments to her game and shore up the holes that have been exposed, there is still potential for her to put together another run and pick up statement wins before retiring. Her legacy as one of the pioneering women in MMA is firmly cemented, regardless of her future results.
