Cat Zingano Wants Ronda Rousey Upon Return, but Won’t Target Her Training for Anyone

Cat Zingano is several months into her recovery from surgery on her right knee, but recently had to undergo another procedure, this time on her left knee, which had been overcompensating.

“My left knee, because I think for the compensation for taking care of my right knee, has been taking a little bit more wear and tear than it was used to,” said Zingano recently on UFC Tonight.

Instead of having a typical clean-up surgery, Zingano said she was opting for a stem cell procedure on Thursday.

If her rehabilitation goes according to plan, Zingano could still be back in the Octagon sometime around April of 2014.

UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey – whom Zingano had earned a shot against prior to her knee injury – will square off with Miesha Tate on Dec. 28 in Las Vegas, putting Zingano in a perfect position to fight the winner upon her return.

That’s what she believes the plan is, but although she’ll fight whoever holds the belt at the time, Zingano wants it to be Rousey.

“I’m not chasing Miesha. I already beat her,” said Zingano. “So, I’m really looking forward to Ronda winning that fight and starting right off where I left off (before my knee injury).”

Rousey has finished every opponent she’s ever faced in mixed martial arts via her patented armbar… that’s 10 opponents in all.

Zingano, however, has never targeted her training specifically to an opponent, and especially not to a singular technique. And she doesn’t intend to start with Rousey should that be who she is paired with next.

“I think Ronda, in her back pocket she always has that armbar in mind. No one’s really seen anything out of her yet; that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have anything,” said Zingano, pointing to part of the reason why she won’t train specifically for the armbar.

“Just because she’s done it all the way up until now, doesn’t mean she can do it to everyone, which is why I state my case that I’m not training for her. I’ve never trained for a single person I’ve fought. I only train to improve. That’s how I plan on continuing to go. I don’t know why I’d change anything now.”