Cris ‘Cyborg’ Hopes to Defend Bellator Title vs. Cat Zingano in Brazil

With a new Bellator deal in hand, it appears that Cristiane
Justino has a target for her next title defense.

During the Bellator 296 broadcast last Friday, “Cyborg” discussed
her future plans with Combate commentator Ana Hissa. The reigning
featherweight queen revealed that Cat Zigano will likely be her
next opponent, and there’s a chance that the bout could take place
in Brazil.

“Cat
Zingano is next. She’s been training a lot, and I believe it’s
going to be a great fight. I’m just waiting for her to sign the
contract, because she should have been fighting for the belt for a
while now,” Justino said.

According to “Cyborg,” Bellator president Scott Coker has expressed
excitement regarding the possibility of holding the fight in her
home country.

“In one of the conversations I had with Scott Coker, he said he
really wants to take my fight against Cat to Brazil. It would be a
pleasure to defend the belt in my country,” she said. “When I had
my fight in a soccer stadium in Brazil [at UFC 198] I thought it
was very special. It was one of my dreams and I managed to do it in
Curitiba in my hometown.”

 “Cyborg” hasn’t competed in MMA since defeating Arlene
Blencowe via unanimous decision in the Bellator 279 headliner
in April 2022. During that layoff, Justino had a pair of boxing
matches, but now she is excited to make her comeback against
Zingano.

“She beat Amanda
Nunes. This fight will be important not only for the MMA world,
but also for me,” Justino said. “She’s going to want to take me
down and I’ve been preparing for that. The experience I have on the
ground has improved a lot since the beginning of my career. It will
be a good fight. If I have a chance to finish, I will finish. But
everyone knows that I like the stand-up game. I’m going to play my
game.”

“Cyborg” is not the first champion to mention the possibility of a
Bellator event in Brazil. In a previous interview with Sherdog.com,
Patricio
Freire revealed that he has heard rumors of the promotion
making its Brazilian debut in 2023, and that he intends to be on
the card to defend his featherweight belt after facing Sergio
Pettis for the bantamweight title at Bellator 297.