UFC 222's Cat Zingano on potential Amanda Nunes rematch: I already 'broke her' at my worst

Cat Zingano is the only person who has beaten current women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes in a UFC fight. And she has no doubt she could do it again.

Zingano (9-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC), who meets Ketlen Vieira (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) on Saturday at UFC 222, defeated Nunes (15-4 MMA, 8-1 UFC) by third-round TKO at UFC 178 in September 2014. The bout came during one of the most trying periods in her life, as “Alpha” was just making a return to fighting after a serious knee surgery and the tragic suicide of her husband and coach, Mauricio.

A lot has happened in the years since that contest. Nunes has gone on a tear to become arguably the top female fighter in the world, while Zingano has lost her only two bouts. She believes a rematch will eventually happen, and while Zingano admits the Brazilian has undoubtedly gotten better, she knows she has, as well, from both a skill and mental standpoint.

“She says she’s improved since then, but there’s no way I didn’t improve since then,” Zingano told MMAjunkie Radio. “I didn’t stop training, and that was my first fight back after blowing my knee. It was the first fight back after losing my husband and coach to suicide and having a completely different camp – and having no idea what I was going to do with myself now that there’s a new normal.

“Everything is different now, so to think that I haven’t improved since then, or that was even my best – that’s ridiculous. She had everything in her favor that fight. Everything in her favor in that fight, and I still broke her.”

UFC 222 takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Zingano vs. Vieira opens the pay-per-view main card following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Although Zingano has been inactive since beating Nunes, she said her confidence is buoyed by the success of her past opponents. Not only does she hold a win over “The Lioness,” she’s also beaten the next challenger in the women’s 135-pound division, Raquel Pennington, as well as former champ Miesha Tate.

The prosperity those three names have encountered since Zingano shared the cage with them lets the American know that even though she’s on a losing skid and has just two fights in the past three years, she’s still one of the very best in her division.

“I’m super pumped and excited about what I’ve accomplished,” Zingano said. “What they’re doing from here on out still says something about me, and I like that. I’m not trying to have this swagger, but it’s fun to see them and have them look at me and go, ‘You know.’ I’m always looking. Amanda, Raquel, Miesha, I think the losses I have, those girls got their hand raised, they did good, but there were things going on that I’ve fixed.

“It’s not like I just got mangled and dominated (in my losses to Ronda Rousey and Julianna Pena). It’s all the stuff I got to work on and have worked on. I have no weight on me because of those fights, because they’re things I can correct and they’re things I will correct. You better believe when I’m the one calling the shots that I’m going to ask for those fights again. I need to fix those things. It bothers me, but it bothers me in the right way.”

Although Zingano made it clear she is currently locked in on Vieira, she said she’s aware of how close she is to where she wants to be. The 35-year-old thinks a standout performance could get her a crack at the winner of the planned UFC 224 title fight between Nunes and Pennington in May.

“This fight, they said it has potential to be a No. 1 contender fight,” Zingano said. “That could be one fight away; that could be two fights away. Either way, I’m focused on this fight, I’m focused on getting through this one in the most fantastic way possible. Of course I want those title shots. Of course I want to jump right back in to where I left off and do everything the way that I know I’m capable of doing. I also understand there’s a patience that comes with it and a believing in myself that comes with it, and taking little steps to get to the big steps.”

Zingano said she has the potential to win big at UFC 222, but she’s also not taking Vieira for granted. The Brazilian is unbeaten and coming off a signature submission win over Sara McMann at UFC 215 in September, and Zingano said she can relate to her position. Zingano knows what it’s like to be a rising contender with an undefeated record, but she plans on taking that away from Vieira on fight night.

“Ketlen is not a joke,” Zingano said. “She’s a great fighter, and she’s done good. I know what it’s like to be undefeated and to put that pressure on her and do everything I need to do to end up breaking her down from that feeling, I’ve got work to do. It’s a dangerous fighter that’s undefeated. But what’s next is still to be written.”

To hear more from Zingano, check out the video above.

For more on UFC 222, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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