Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
While she doesn’t have anything bad to say about her former promoter, it sounds like Cat Zingano couldn’t be happier to be working with Bellator.
Jumping from Invicta to the UFC, Cat Zinagno became an almost instant contender for the world’s largest MMA promotion. Back-to-back TKO victories over future champs Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes led straight to a title fight against Ronda Rousey—at the height of the former MMA superstar’s form.
Unfortunately the years that followed were marked by injuries and unexpected losses. Zingano went just 3-4 over her six-plus years of fighting in the Octagon, before leaving the UFC in 2019 and signing with Bellator.
While Zingano maintains that her working relationship with Dana White & Co. was never rocky – telling MMA Fighting, “I have no ill relationship with the UFC” – it sounds as though she couldn’t be happier to be working with Bellator now.
“It’s been so mellow and supportive, just so much support,” she said. “They just want to treat you so good. They want you to enjoy your experience. Those are the things that I truly loved about the sport and martial arts when I first came up was just people wanting you to do good. Doing the things that need to be done in order for you to compete in your most optimal way.
“I’m experiencing this stress free, very comfortable week this week. Even with training camp, even with figuring out opponents, even with signing and showing up to different events. There was a whole new energy to it that just made me feel healthy and I got a bigger, better say in what everything needs to look like.”
It’s a sentiment somewhat echoed by former UFC light heavyweight and current Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader. Bader recently elucidated on his time with Bellator, saying that after fighting out his first contract, the promotion made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. “…they made me very, very happy and there was no other choice. No other choice but to re-sign with Bellator.”
“I think more and more people are going to see this as an alternate route and kind of bet on themselves,” Bader went on to explain. “I get wanting to fight in the UFC. I got my start there. I fought 20 times there. I won The Ultimate Fighter. I was top-five pretty much the whole time. It definitely was a great period in my career, but it was time to move on.”
Zingano is set to make her debut in her new promotional home against Gabrielle Holloway this Friday, September 11th, in the co-main event of Bellator 245 in Uncasville, CT. The fight card is expected to be headlined by a rematch of the 2013 bout between former UFC champion Lyoto Machida, and former Bellator champion Phil Davis.