After seven fights under the promotion’s banner, Cat Zingano no longer is a member of the UFC
Two persons with knowledge of the situation told MMA Junkie of the release. The persons asked to remain anonymous since the UFC has yet to make an official announcement, and typically does not make official statements about fighters who are cut.
A former women’s bantamweight title challenger, Zingano (10-4 MMA, 3-4 UFC) competed in the UFC from April 2013 until her most recent fight in December 2018.
In her promotional debut at the “TUF 17 Finale,” Zingano earned much attention for her “Fight of the Night” victory against Miesha Tate. Zingano won the bout with a third-round TKO, which set her up for a UFC 178 matchup with now-champion Amanda Nunes in September 2014.
After she defeated Nunes by third-round ground-and-pound, Zingano earned a title shot at then-champion Ronda Rousey. The bout between Zingano and Rousey lasted a mere 14 seconds. In a wild opening exchange, Rousey rolled and submitted Zingano with her signature armbar.
From there, Zingano dropped back-to-back fights to contenders Julianna Pena and Ketlen Vieira, both by decision. In July 2018, Zingano picked up her first win in almost four years when she defeated Marion Reneau by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 133.
But in her most recent fight this past December, Zingano was defeated by Megan Anderson via TKO due to an eye injury. As Zingano attempted to dodge a kick by the 6-foot-tall Australian, she caught a toe in the eye. The fight was stopped when Zingano covered up, unable to continue.
Her attempts to appeal the loss on the same grounds as a finger poke to the eye didn’t yield any success, leaving her with four losses in her past five fights, and just the one win for the 37-year-old in nearly five years.
