Cat Zingano – Page 5 – Syndication Server

Cat Zingano vs. Pam Sorenson rebooking targeted for Bellator 282 on June 24

Cat Zingano vs. Pam Sorenson is on the verge of being rescheduled.

A fight between [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] and [autotag]Pam Sorenson[/autotag] is on the verge of being rescheduled.

Zingano (11-4 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) is projected to meet Sorenson (9-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) at Bellator 282, which takes place June 24 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the targeted booking to MMA Junkie after Zingano mentioned it in an interview with The Schmo.

The pair originally was slated for Bellator 276 in March, but the bout was scrapped when Zingano withdrew due to injury. The former UFC title challenger is 2-0 since signing with Bellator in October 2019. She has a unanimous decision win over Gabrielle Holloway, followed by a first-round armbar of Olivia Parker in April 2021.

Zingano was expected to be next in line for women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg, but Bellator president Scott Coker indicated that Zingano didn’t feel quite ready, resulting in her booking against Sorenson.

Sorenson has split her first two Bellator outings. The 36-year-old scored a split decision win over Roberta Samad in August 2021, then lost a unanimous decision to Arlene Blencowe this past November at Bellator 271.

With the impending addition, the latest Bellator 282 lineup includes:

Gegard Mousasi vs. Johnny Eblen – for middleweight title
Enrique Barzola vs. Magomed Magomedov – bantamweight grand prix quarterfinal
Leandro Higo vs. Danny Sabatello – bantamweight grand prix quarterfinal
Ilara Joanne vs. Alejandra Lara
Dan Moret vs. Killys Mota
Sabah Homasi vs. Maycon Mendonca
Pam Sorenson vs. Cat Zingano

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Cat Zingano injured, Bellator 276 fight with Pam Sorenson canceled

Next week’s Bellator 276 lineup has taken a hit, with Cat Zingano no longer fighting Pam Sorenson as the featured prelim.

Next week’s Bellator 276 lineup has taken a hit, with [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] no longer fighting [autotag]Pam Sorenson[/autotag] as the featured preliminary bout.

On Monday, a Bellator official told MMA Junkie’s Nolan King that Zingano suffered an undisclosed injury that caused the fight to be canceled. MMA Mania first reported the news.

Bellator 276 takes place March 12 at Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo., and airs on Showtime following prelims streamed on MMA Junkie.

Zingano (11-4 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), 39, has gone 2-0 since signing with Bellator in October 2019. After a unanimous decision win over Gabrielle Holloway in her promotional debut, Zingano submitted Olivia Parker by first-round armbar in April 2021 to seemingly lock up a title shot against women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg. A Cyborg vs. Zingano title fight is what Bellator president Scott Coker has said he wants to make, but he indicated that Zingano doesn’t feel quite ready, which resulted in her booking a bout with Sorenson.

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Now neither woman will fight next week. Sorenson (9-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA), 35, has split her first two Bellator outings. She won a split decision over Roberta Samad in August before she lost a unanimous decision to Arlene Blencowe this past November at Bellator 271.

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)

Adam Borics vs. Mads Burnell
Phil Davis vs. Julius Anglickas
Johnny Eblen vs. John Salter
Jay Jay Wilson vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 6 p.m. ET)

Jose Augusto vs. Alex Polizzi
Derek Anderson vs. Goiti Yamauchi
Romero Cotton vs. Lance Wright
Diana Avsaragova vs. Ashley Deen
Cody Law vs. Johnny Soto
Roman Faraldo vs. Kelvin Rayford
Jordan Howard vs. Trevor Ward
Josh Augustine vs. Dan Busch

Cat Zingano to meet Pam Sorenson at Bellator 276; Cris Cyborg says Zingano turned down title fight

Cat Zingano could’ve had a title fight, but she’ll instead meet Pam Sorenson on the Bellator 276 prelims.

Bellator’s plan was to have Cat Zingano challenge women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg for the title, but that’s not happening.

Zingano instead will face Pam Sorenson on March 12 at Bellator 276, which takes place at The Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo., just outside of St. Louis. MMA Fighting first reported the booking, which a promotion official later confirmed to MMA Junkie on Tuesday.

Zingano, 39, has gone 2-0 so far since signing with Bellator in October 2019. After a unanimous decision win over Gabrielle Holloway in her promotional debut, Zingano submitted Olivia Parker by first-round armbar in April 2021.

The victory seemingly set up a title-fight showdown with Cyborg, who indicated on Twitter that Zingano declined the opportunity.

“She turned down a World Title Fight to compete on the prelims?!” Cyborg tweeted and later deleted (screenshot below).

It’s unclear if that’s exactly how things turned out, but Bellator president Scott Coker said on Jan. 29 that the promotion wanted to boon Cyborg vs. Zingano “as soon as possible.” He seemed to indicate that the hold-up was on Zingano’s end.

“I think timing is going to be an issue on that fight, when Cat is ready to fight her,” Coker said after Bellator 273. “We would like that fight to happen as soon as possible.”

“That is our plan, but we have to have both fighters agree to that plan. We’re talking to the managers, Cat’s manager, find out when she’ll be ready to, No. 1, fight, and will she be willing to fight Cyborg?”

That won’t be the case, and Zingano (11-4 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) will instead fight 35-year-old Soreno (9-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA), who has split her first two Bellator outings. She won a split decision over Roberta Samad in August before she lost a unanimous decision to Arlene Blencowe this past November at Bellator 271.

While Zingano vs. Sorenson is scheduled for the prelims, a middleweight bout between [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) and [autotag]John Salter[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 18-5 BMMA) is the most recent addition to the main card. Eblen is considered one of the fastest-rising fighters in the division, while Salter looks to bounce back from a title shot loss against Gegard Mousasi.

Other additions to the card include a lightweight battle between [autotag]Derek Anderson[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 8-4 BMMA) and [autotag]Goiti Yamauchi[/autotag] (26-5 MMA, 12-4 BMMA).

Notable prospects middleweight [autotag]Romero Cotton[/autotag] (5-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA), women’s flyweight [autotag]Diana Avsaragova[/autotag] (4-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), featherweight [autotag]Cody Law[/autotag] (5-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA), and welterweight [autotag]Roman Faraldo[/autotag] (6-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) have also been matched up with non-rostered opponents.

The lineup for Bellator 276 currently includes:

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)

Adam Borics vs. Mads Burnell
Phil Davis vs. Julius Anglickas
Johnny Eblen vs. John Salter
Jay Jay Wilson vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 6 p.m. ET )

Pam Sorenson vs. Cat Zingano
Jose Augusto vs. Alex Polizzi
Derek Anderson vs. Goiti Yamauchi
Romero Cotton vs. Lance Wright
Diana Avsaragova vs. Ashley Deen
Cody Law vs. Johnny Soto
Roman Faraldo vs. Kelvin Rayford
Jordan Howard vs. Trevor Ward
Dan Busch vs. Josh Augustine

Cris Cyborg thinks Cat Zingano would be a great next fight: ‘The girl beat Amanda Nunes’

Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg thinks Cat Zingano is a logical next fight for her.

Bellator women’s featherweight champion [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] is a logical next fight for her.

Fresh off her first-round knockout of Sinead Kavanagh at Bellator 271, Cyborg (25-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) might already have a potential opponent lined up despite all the talk about Kayla Harrison.

Former UFC title challenger and No. 2-ranked Zingano (12-4 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) called out Cyborg after her most recent title defense, and Cyborg responded by suggesting January in Los Angeles.

January. LA. @ScottCoker @BellatorMMA https://t.co/KWUwOiqDcF

— @CrisCyborg.com (@criscyborg) November 15, 2021

Speaking to MMA Junkie, Cyborg said considering Zingano’s standing in the division and her accomplishments in the sport, she’d be more than willing to face her. Zingano is the last woman to defeat UFC dual champion Amanda Nunes, coming from behind to finish her in the third round at UFC 178 in 2014.

“I don’t pick who I want to fight, but you threw that and if it happens, it happens,” Cyborg said. “Cat Zingano is a great fight. The girl beat Amanda Nunes, the last one to beat Amanda Nunes, and she’s undefeated in Bellator, and I’m happy to have the opportunity to fight her.”

Since joining the Bellator roster in October 2019, Zingano has picked up a win over Gabby Holloway and a first-round submission of Olivia Parker in April. January would mark a quick turnaround for Cyborg, but the Brazilian said she’s always in the gym anyway.

“It’s nice when I have a quick turnaround,” Cyborg said. “Just rest a little bit then back to training again. It’s very nice, it’s a long camp, but I train everyday. So if I train everyday, it’s not just training for the camp. I train everyday, so when it’s close to the fight, I just make a plan on how the fight is gonna work, the game plan of the fight.”

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Video: Who was the biggest standout at Bellator 256?

Ryan Bader, Cat Zingano and newcomer Diana Avsaragova all had good nights at Bellator 256.

At Bellator 256 last Friday, [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] exacted a measure of revenge when he beat Lyoto Machida by dominant unanimous decision to advance to the semifinals of the promotion’s light heavyweight grand prix.

Also on the card, [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] scored a submission victory – her first in nearly nine years – with a first-round armbar finish of Olivia Parker. There was also the devastating 29-second knockout by Russian prospect [autotag]Diana Avsaragova[/autotag], who proved she’s more than a pretty face as she set out to do in her promotional debut.

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Among those three winners, who was the biggest standout from Bellator 256? Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King, and host John Morgan answer.

You can watch their discussion in the video above, and this week’s full episode below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5c9imTwPio

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Bellator 256 post-event facts: Lyoto Machida falls to 0-4 in rematches

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 256, which took place Friday in Uncasville, Conn.

Bellator’s second event of the year took place Friday with Bellator 256 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

The opening fight of the Bellator light heavyweight grand prix headlined the card. Former champ [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) became the first man to advance to the semifinal round when he beat [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] (26-11 MMA, 2-3 BMMA) by unanimous decision, avenging a knockout loss from August 2012.

For more on the numbers, check below for 15 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 256.

Bellator 256 results: Cat Zingano shows slick ground game in armbar submission win

Cat Zingano is now 2-for-2 in Bellator and has her hopes up for a featherweight title shot after a nice showing.

[autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] is on a roll in Bellator and looking for gold.

Zingano, a former UFC bantamweight title challenger, picked up her second promotional win in as many fights Saturday night, submitting [autotag]Olivia Parker[/autotag] with an armbar at Bellator 256. The finish came at the 2:56 mark of the first round.

Zingano (12-4 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) didn’t waste time looking to take the fight to the mat, shooting for a takedown after throwing a head kick in the opening 10 seconds. After some clinch work against the cage, she eventually got Parker (4-2 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) down and immediately started to display a slick ground game.

Zingano transitioned from taking Parker’s back to securing full mount to securing her back again before Parker managed to reverse the position. But even then, Zingano remained poised and smooth, and she quickly seized on an opening to lock in an armbar as she went belly down.

"I'd love to get a shot at the belt over here in #Bellator."@CatZingano gets the W tonight at #Bellator256.

We are LIVE NOW on @SHOsports.⬇️
▶️ https://t.co/RNtauZXM3o pic.twitter.com/oIcXsir0w8

— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) April 10, 2021

The finish was the first submission win for Zingano since October 2012 when she defeated Raquel Pennington by rear-naked choke at Invicta FC 3.

Now with back-to-back wins, the 38-year-old Zingano made her intentions clear with a looming women’s featherweight title fight between champion Cris Cyborg and Leslie Smith next month.

“I am in a run for gold,” Zingano said. “I know who’s the best. I’d love to get a shot at the title here in Bellator.”

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 256 results include:

Cat Zingano def. Olivia Parker via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 2:56
Dan Moret def. Goiti Yamauchi via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Dalton Rosta def. Tony Johnson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Talita Nogueira def. Jessica Borga via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
Jornel Lugo def. Cass Bell via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Cody Law def. Nathan Ghareeb via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Jaylon Bates def. Jeffrey Glossner via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 1:27
Nainoa Dung def. Izzy William via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Diana Avsaragova def. Tara Graff via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:29
John Douma def. Will Smith via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

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Bellator 256 predictions: Ryan Bader or Lyoto Machida in tournament rematch?

Check out our staff members’ predictions for the Bellator 256 main card, featuring Ryan Bader vs. Lyoto Machida in the 205-pound tournament.

	Bader vs. Machida	Carmouche vs. Porto	Borics vs. Kennedy	Parker vs. Zingano	Moret vs. Yamauchi
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 31-26	Bader (64%)	Carmouche (69%)	Borics (72%)	Zingano (90%)	Yamauchi (88%)
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 35-22 2020 Champion	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 35-22	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 34-23	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 34-23	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 34-23 2018 Champion	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 34-23	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 33-24 2017 Champion	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 32-25	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 32-25	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 29-28	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 29-28 2014 Champion	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 27-30	Bader	Carmouche	Borics	Zingano	Yamauchi
BetMGM Betting Favorites	Bader -300	Carmouche -185	Kennedy -125	Zingano -800	Yamauchi -400

Bellator keeps its 2021 rolling Friday, and a former light heavyweight champion will try to get back on track at the top of the bill.

Bellator 256 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, former light heavyweight champion and current heavyweight champ [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] (27-6 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] (26-10 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) in the opening round of Bellator’s 205-pound tournament. The two first fought in the UFC nearly nine years ago, and Machida won by knockout. This time, Bader is a -300 favorite at BetMGM in the rematch, and our 12 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts are taking him unanimously – one of three 12-0 nods on the main card.

In the co-feature, former UFC title challenger [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (14-7 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) is a -185 favorite against former Invicta FC women’s flyweight [autotag]Vanessa Porto[/autotag] (22-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), and Carmouche is a near-unanimous pick on the main card at 11-1 from our staff members.

Also on the main card, our only truly contentious fight from a picks standpoint takes place at lightweight with [autotag]Adam Borics[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) just a -125 favorite against [autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA). Borics has a slim 7-5 picks lead.

Our second unanimous nod is former UFC title challenger [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA), who is a huge -800 favorite against promotional newcomer [autotag]Olivia Parker[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in a women’s featherweight bout. Zingano, not surprisingly given the odds, is a 12-0 pick.

And to open the main card, our third 12-0 unanimous pick is [autotag]Goiti Yamauchi[/autotag] (25-4 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) in a lightweight bout against [autotag]Dan Moret[/autotag] (14-6 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). Yamauchi is a -400 betting favorite.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Bader (64 percent), Carmouche (69 percent), Borics (72 percent), Zingano (90 percent) and Yamauchi (88 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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Bellator 256 faceoff video highlights: Cat Zingano returns in vintage fashion

Check out the Bellator 256 competitors’ ceremonial faceoffs.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bellator makes its return Friday and kicks off its light heavyweight grand prix with a rematch between heavyweight champion and former light heavyweight champion [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] and [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag].

Bellator 256 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The entire card will be live and free on MMA Junkie.

Following Thursday’s official Bellator 256 weigh-ins, the athletes came face to face for some traditional pre-fight staredowns.

Check out the faceoffs below, including Bader vs. Machida, [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Vanessa Porto[/autotag], [autotag]Adam Borics[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag], [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Olivia Parker[/autotag], and more.

Cat Zingano sets up $10,000 scholarship with Bold.org ahead of Bellator 256

Bellator women’s featherweight Cat Zingano has set up a scholarship in partnership with Bold.org ahead of her next fight.

Bellator women’s featherweight [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] has set up a scholarship in partnership with Bold.org ahead of her next fight.

Zingano on Monday announced a $10,000 scholarship on Bold.org, a platform “committed to fighting student debt through philanthropy.”

The monetary award officially is the “Cat Zingano Overcoming Loss Scholarship” and has been announced just a few days before Zingano (11-4 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) fights Olivia Parker (4-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) on the Bellator 256 main card on Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

The scholarship, according to a release, “will be awarded to a student who is fighting through the loss of a loved one and is in need of financial support for their education as they move forward.”

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The basis for the scholarship stems from personal losses Zingano has experienced, including the loss of her mother in 2005 from brain cancer, as well as the loss of her husband, who took his own life in 2014

“The impact of losing my loved ones changed my life,” Zingano stated. “I’m so grateful for the support and resources that many have offered me over the years. Struggling with loss is never easy, and it never goes away.

“This scholarship is for students who have lost a loved one and are still grinding away toward their education. I know at times I’ve needed help, so now I’m paying it forward to someone who has experienced loss and needs help, just as I did.”

Bold.org’s Year of Giving Campaign started in January. Previous campaign partners include DJ 3LAU, NFL wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace and Imagine Dragons. At the end of the year, the campaign will announce its biggest scholarship yet for $100,000.

“Cat’s experience overcoming loss has moved all of us at Bold.org,” Bold.org CEO and founder Dror Liebenthal stated. “She is an incredible role model for anyone fighting through the loss of a loved one. Cat has taken traumatic life experiences and somehow — after everything she’s gone through — become a beacon of strength and perseverance. We’re honored to work with her for our Year of Giving Campaign, and we’ll all be rooting for her during her big fight coming up.”

Zingano, a former UFC title challenger, made her promotional debut this past September at Bellator 245 and outworked Gabby Holloway for a unanimous decision. Friday, Zingano’s fight against Parker will air live on Showtime.

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