Ronda Rousey vs Cat Zingano Confirmed For UFC 182

Ever since No. 1-ranked UFC women’s bantamweight Cat Zingano returned to the octagon with a scintillating TKO of Amanda Nunes at UFC 178, the rumor was that “Alpha” would face off with dominant women’s champion Ronda Rousey at January 3, 2015’s UFC 182.

Tonight (Wed., October 22, 2014) that rumor has been confirmed by UFC Tonight’s Ariel Helwani.

Rousey will square off with Zingano in the co-main event of UFC 182, which will air on pay-per-view (PPV) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Rowdy” was last seen defeating Alexis Davis with a 16-second knockout at UFC 175 in July, after which she underwent knee surgery and had a broken thumb. The undefeated champion has finished every single one of her MMA opponents.

Zingano previously won her first proposed shot at Rousey when she finished Miesha Tate at April 2013’s The Ulltimate Fighter (TUF) 17 Finale. However, she was forced out of a stint on TUF 18 after tearing her ACL in training. Zingano suffered some subsequent injuries from overcompensating, and also dealt with some tragic personal circumstances before returning to action at UFC 178.

She’s also undefeated and could offer Rousey some problems, but it’s hard to imagine anyone dethroning the queen as of right now. Will Zingano get the job done at UFC 182?

Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea for USA TODAY Sports