Bellator MMA fighter and UFC veteran Cat Zingano has been promoted to brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by Andre Galvao.
Zingano, who’d been a purple belt for over a decade after being promoted by her late husband Mauricio Zingano, shared the news in an emotional post on social media:
“Im so pleased to say I finally earned my brown belt. “Finally” because I’ve had the hardest time feeling complete in leaving behind my purple and all the life experiences that went in to it. Big thank you to all the @atosjiujitsuhq team for being great and admirable for me to train beside and especially @galvaobjj and @angelicagalvao for the encouragement, support, camaraderie, safe space and tools to learn.
This was a big deal to me as all of my prior belts came from my husband Mauricio, who passed in 2014. I never stopped training, but I focused more on MMA grappling. To stay a purple belt since 2009/2010-ish was one way it let me stay feeling connected to him, so the decision to move on to a new chapter and new lineage has definitely been an emotional one. I’m happy to have been able to get here in the right way, in the right timing, in the ways that made sense for me.
Through all the change, my one constant was my son @alphacubzingano who is my world and motivation. He has kept me going in ways that would be impossible had I missed out on being his mother and he’s the true inspiration for all that you see out of me each day. I’m happy we get to share a love for BJJ again, there was a time that it was too complicated for either of us to want to step a foot on that mat. Huge thank you to my cub!
Thank you for all the love and support along this journey, I plan to take it all the way to the top and accomplish so much more.”
Zingano is most known for her work as an MMA fighter, being one of just four fighters to defeat Amanda Nunes when she TKO’d the current double-champ back in 2014. She was also a contender for the UFC bantamweight title, but ultimately fell victim to one of Ronda Rousey’s famous armbars. She was released from the UFC in 2019 before finding a home with Bellator in October of the same year. Zingano won her first fight with the promotion by unanimous decision in September 2020.
Zingano has also competed in BJJ, however, and with impressive results. In 2011, she competed at IBJJF Worlds and brought home silver in her division (coming second to Angelica Galvao herself) and bronze in the absolute.
