Cat Zingano is stepping back into the cage. | Photo: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
Cat Zingano will return to the Octagon after an injured knee kept her on the sidelines for more than a year. She will face against Amanda Nunes at UFC 178 in Las Vegas.
The Sept. 27 card is topped by a heavyweight championship rematch featuring Jon Jones against Alexander Gustafsson. Tim Kennedy and Yoel Romero are slated to compete in the middleweight division, while Dominick Cruz also makes his return against Takeya Mizugaki.
Zingano is the clear-cut No. 1 contender for Ronda Rousey’s 135-pound crown, but with “Rowdy” on the sidelines due to some ailments of her own, “Alpha” has been inserted into a bout against Nunes.
Last seen delivering vicious knees and elbows to Miesha Tate en route to victory at “The Ultimate Fighter 17” Finale, Zingano has finished all but one of her fights before reaching the judges’ scorecards.
Nunes is no slouch. Since leaving Invicta Fighting Championships, “Lioness” has gone undefeated under the Zuffa banner. At UFC 163 she bested Sheila Gaff by way of technical knockout, and then at UFC Fight Night “Fight for the Troops 3,” the Brazilian finished Germaine de Randamie.