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Bellator have announced the signing of former UFC star Cat Zingano (10-4 MMA) to a multi-fight deal as they look to bolster their already impressive women's division.
Zingano had a long run under the UFC banner, including a shot at the women's bantamweight title in 2015 against an undefeated Ronda Rousey. Zingano was comfortably defeated in a mere 14 seconds on that occasion.
However, it is also worth noting that Zingano does have a victory over the UFC two-weight champion Amanda Nunes under her belt, from way back in 2014, when she managed to stop the powerful Brazilian in the third round at UFC 178.
New beginning
Rumours that Zingano had decided to sign with the UFC's greatest competitor were first leaked by ESPN's Ariel Helwani when he tweeted the following update.
The news of Zingano's decision to go up to 145 lbs will come as a surprise to many, with the 37-year-old having spent her career so far competing at 135 lbs. However, the jump also represents the opportunity of a fresh start for the veteran fighter, who has just one win in her last five outings inside the cage.
While no debut opponent has been lined up for Zingano just yet, the move to featherweight will immediately lead many to speculate that Bellator may have their newest signing on a collision course with another of their recent acquisitions from the UFC - Cris 'Cyborg' Justino.
Cris Cyborg is currently scheduled to face off with current Bellator women's featherweight champion Julia Budd on January 25th in Los Angeles. It looks likely that we will have a much clearer picture of how Zingano will fit into the featherweight title picture once that fight has been allowed to play out.
