Cat Zingano Earns Rousey’s Empathy After UFC 184 Defeat, Rematch Promised
Cat Zingano is probably nursing a bit of regret following her record-breaking UFC 184 defeat against Ronda Rousey Saturday night. But that regret may be softened a bit by some merciful words from Cat’s opponent – and an offer to fight again.
Zingano didn’t do herself any favors when she began the UFC matchup with Rousey with a flying knee, FoxSports reported. That’s what Ronda was expecting – and it led to Cat’s defeat in 14 seconds. That’s the shortest in UFC history – on both the women’s and men’s sides. And Zingano was pretty upset with herself, according to MMA Fighting.
“(Ronda is a) champion for a reason. But I didn’t go out there and perform to my best today and I got caught and that sucks and I’m p*ssed. I have a lot of respect for her. I was just stunned and speechless and caught in that moment … I was thinking of how many competitions I’ve been to, how many tournaments I’ve done throughout my life. You just have that much where you just go out and you get smoked. It’s not right.”
But Cat may get another chance. After she succumbed to Rousey’s arm bar, Ronda approached Zingano on the canvas – admittedly stunned after the quick defeat – to offer a silver lining, the Washington Post reported.
“I said that we should do this again. I think she definitely deserves another shot … You know, sometimes fights just go down like that. I’m lucky to have a lot of experience in judo, and there were times I walked out and just got dumped on my head right away, and I just wasn’t myself that day … It didn’t mean that I didn’t deserve to be in that fight, or that I couldn’t beat the other person. It was just, for some reason, I wasn’t there. And I understand that feeling, and I know what Cat (Zingano) is capable of, and I would definitely like to see more of what she is capable of. “
Life for Zingano hasn’t been very easy lately. A knee injury in 2013 has kept her out of the UFC ring until recently; Cat also had to pass up a spot as a “The Ultimate Fighter” coach and a spar with Rousey for the title. And last year, Cat’s husband and trainer, Mauricio Zingano, committed suicide, FoxSports reported. When asked after the match, Rousey said she felt bad for Cat.
So what’s Zingano’s take on the whole rematch idea?
“Some things in life you don’t get on the first shot, some things take a few times… I wanna do it again. I just… F**k.”
Luckily for Cat Zingano, UFC’s women’s field is pretty spare, so the route back to Rousey may be a short one. The Bleacher Report names three potential opponents for Cat, including Sara McMann, Alexis Davis and Sarah Kaufman. She just needs to dust herself off and get back in the ring.
[Photo Courtesy Harry How/Getty Images]
