Cat Zingano will face Leah McCourt this Friday night (March 31, 2023) in the co-main event of Bellator 293, which is set to go down from inside Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, Calif. The winner will be the front-runner to face current women’s 145-pound champion, Cris Cyborg.
Of course, that’s assuming the fearsome striker re-ups with Bellator MMA. Indeed, Cyborg fought out her contract in April 2022 after she defeated Arlene Blencowe for a second time. Her title hasn’t been vacated since Scott Coker is confident he will get her back into the mix.
Still, Zingano doesn’t think Cyborg is in any position to be claiming she is ducking her since technically she isn’t with the promotion.
“She’s not even with the promotion, so I don’t know how you duck someone,” Zingano said during the Bellator 293 media day (via MMA Junkie). “She tells me to sign a contract, but she has two contracts to sign to even get back in the promotion.”
Zingano and Cyborg seemed to be on track to face one another before matchmakers eventually booked the rematch against Blencowe. But that hasn’t stopped challenger and champion from going at one another on social media or in interviews.
For Zingano, she likens Cris Cyborg trying to spit venom while not under contract as a “crazy lady” looking for attention.
“I feel like she’s kind of a crazy lady yelling from the street corner right now, just trying to get anyone to talk to her, anyone to pay attention to her. She’s always complaining. She’s always got something negative to say.”
If the stars align, the two will finally get to settle their beef inside the cage later this year, though McCourt is determined to fight tooth and nail to spoil that party and punch her own ticket to the big dance.
To check out the latest Bellator MMA-related news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive news archive right here.