How Cat Zingano made it through
“When life is going to present you with tons of problems – really hard ones, some less hard, some debilitating – it’s what you do about them that matters,”
Heading into the summer of 2013, Cat Zingano was selected to coach opposite Ronda Rousey on The Ultimate Fighter, with a title shot at the end of it. She and husband Mauricio “Hostile” Zingano had a young son. Everyone liked her, even Rousey. It was a world full of possibility.
Then she injured her knee and had to pull out of the show, pushing the title shot far into the future. And then in January her husband took his own life.
At a recent UFC media event, Cat described how she made it through, how she hasn’t just survived, but is now fighting Rousey for the title at UFC 184 on Feb 28. Zingano did it by focusing on her 7-year-old son Brayden, and giving him, and us, a role model.
“When life is going to present you with tons of problems — really hard ones, some less hard, some debilitating — it’s what you do about them that matters,” said Zingano as transcribed by Dave Doyle for Yahoo Sports. “I really want him to see. I want to make a good example.”
“I just knew it was a matter of action and a matter of time. What’s in me is un-nameable. I don’t know how to describe it to you guys. But I am just confident and I know what I’m capable of and no one has still seen it.”
“I have heart and you can’t break heart. You can sit there and punch me in the head for three minutes straight, but I’m gonna figure it out. I always do. I just know that about myself. Part of me thinks that I almost need to feel everything they have and once I’ve felt it all, once I’m like, ‘Alright, you’ve given me everything, you have nothing left to give.’ I’m like, ‘all right, my turn.’ “
“I need to keep moving forward and just see the white dove at the end of all this. Being strong, showing that you will see things through no matter what comes your way, that’s what matters most to me.”