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Cat Zingano wants a rematch with Ronda Rousey

Cat Zingano says she wants a rematch with Ronda Rousey.
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Cat Zingano says she wants a rematch with Ronda Rousey, according to ESPN.

Rousey defeated Zingano in UFC 184 and took only 14 seconds to end the fight. The 33-year-old Zingano (9–1) is currently ranked the No. 2 contender for Rousey's bantamweight division title by the UFC, behind Miesha Tate, who Rousey says will be her next opponent.

"What I want is a rematch with Ronda,” Zingano told ESPN.com. “I want that opportunity again. Whatever it takes. I know where I belong and I'm willing to do what it takes to get there."

Zingano has been resting since the February loss, according to ESPN, recovering from injuries and dealing mostly with “personal affairs.” She discussed being a single parent (her husband died in 2014) and taking personal time to get things in order.

"One thing that loss did was slap me in the face and let me know I needed to get my priorities straight," Zingano said. "The best way to set myself up for success is to get all of my ducks in a row. I need to be my best self, and to do that, I needed to take some personal time.”

She also discussed her strategy, saying she regretted “fighting Ronda's fight” but that she stands behind her decision to open that bout with a flying knee, which led to Rousey's quick KO with an armbar. Rousey reportedly suggested to Zingano in the week leading up to UFC 184 that they “put on an epic fight.”

“...[Rousey] kept saying things like that so I said, ‘OK, let's do this,’” Zingano said. “What better way to put on an epic fight than a flying knee? I expected us to continue to fight. I didn't realize we were going to do a jiu-jitsu match where I'm flying at her and all of a sudden she's going for my arm again.”

Rousey, 12-0, recently defeated Bethe Correia in 34 seconds at UFC 190 in Rio de Janeiro.

Jeremy Woo