Rivalries: Cat Zingano

Cat Zingano appears to have put herself in line for a late-career title shot in the Bellator MMA women’s featherweight division.

“Alpha” will attempt to stay on her current trajectory when she confronts Leah McCourt in the Bellator 293 co-main event on Friday at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California. Zingano, who turns 41 in a matter of months, steps into the cage on the strength of a three-fight winning streak. She last appeared at Bellator 282, where she took a three-round unanimous decision from former Invicta Fighting Championships and King of the Cage titleholder Pam Sorenson in their June 24 pairing.

As Zingano puts the final touches on preparation for her upcoming battle with McCourt at 145 pounds, a look at a few of the rivalries that have helped chart her course to this point:

Miesha Tate

The undefeated Zingano cemented herself as the No. 1 contender in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight division when she stopped former Strikeforce titleholder Miesha Tate with a series of third-round knees and a follow-up elbow strike as part of “The Ultimate Fighter 17” Finale on April 13, 2013 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. A bloody and weary Tate succumbed to blows 2:55 into Round 3. Zingano weathered a difficult start, as “Cupcake” had the Coloradan on her heels with punches, takedowns and ground-and-pound. The momentum began to shift late in the second round. There, Zingano escaped an attempted heel hook, settled in top position and unleashed elbows and punches from above. In the third, Zingano struck for an immediate takedown, softened Tate with more ground-and-pound and then let loose with knees when the Washington native rose to her feet. A final standing elbow dropped Tate to her knees and led referee Kim Winslow to intervene.

Amanda Nunes

Zingano kept her perfect professional record intact and did so in exhilarating fashion when she took out Amanda Nunes with mounted ground-and-pound in the third round of their UFC 178 women’s bantamweight showcase on Sept. 27, 2014 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The end came 1:21 into Round 3. Nunes emptied her gas tank in the first round, where she took down the former Ring of Fire champion and battered her with heavy, relentless ground-and-pound. Zingano withstood the assault and drew the Brazilian into deeper waters. Nunes had nothing left when it mattered most. In the third round, Zingano achieved full mount, opened a nasty gash on the side of her counterpart’s head with a well-placed elbow and sealed it with unanswered shots from the top.

Ronda Rousey

Misguided aggression did not serve Zingano well when Rousey submitted her with an armbar in the first round of their brief UFC 184 headliner and retained the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight crown on Feb. 28, 2015 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It was over in just 14 seconds. The previously unbeaten Zingano fired a flying knee right out of the gate and wandered recklessly into the clinch. She tossed Rousey to the canvas with an ill-advised throw, but the champion scrambled immediately to the back, pinned the challenger’s exposed limb underneath her armpit and calmly cranked on the maneuver for the finish. It remains the only submission defeat on the Zingano resume.

Julianna Pena

Pena climbed into a new tax bracket in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s bantamweight division, as “The Ultimate Fighter 18” winner overcame some early adversity to claim a unanimous decision over Zingano in the featured UFC 200 prelim on July 9, 2016 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. All three judges struck 29-28 scorecards. Zingano controlled the first five minutes with takedowns, top control and ground-and-pound. Pena was undeterred. She flipped the switch in Round 2, where she reversed a takedown, advanced to Zingano’s back, set her hooks and fished for the rear-naked choke. Though her bid failed, momentum was hers. She picked up where she left off in the third round, executing a takedown inside the first 10 seconds before hammering away at Zingano with ground-and-pound and again shifting to her back. Pena entered the cage as a +155 underdog and exited as a newly minted contender at 135 pounds.