Cat Zingano is a true MMA veteran. Over the course of her career she has competed against the likes of Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, and Amanda Nunes, to name just a few.
Berry approached Zingano to take on a role in the movie ‘Bruised’. Berry played the role of a single mother and down-on-her-luck MMA pro.
Zingano said that after accepting a part in the movie, she was compelled to decline a bout offer from the UFC. Zingano was then released from the promotion shortly after.
And this resulted in her getting replaced in the movie ‘Bruised’ because Berry insisted on having a current member of the roster in the motion picture.
Or more like UFC’s parent company Endeavor, which represents Berry also, didn’t want to promote an MMA pro that went over to a rival promotion. Zingano landed at Bellator right after UFC cut her.
Later, Zingano filed a lawsuit. She claimed that her termination from the UFC was directly related to her consenting to be in Berry’s film.
According to the lawsuit,
“Berry told Zingano that Zingano inspired Berry and that Zingano had to be in the film. Berry concluded the meeting by telling Zingano not to make any plans because production of the film needed to start soon.”
According to Halle Berry’s attorneys, Cat Zingano was discharged from the UFC not because she had signed a contract to appear in the movie but rather because of her own troubles inside the Octagon. She had lost four of her previous five before leaving the organization in 2019.
MyNewsLA stated that Zingano’s attorneys have requested to dismiss the lawsuit “with prejudice,” which would bar Zingano from re-filing the suit at a later time. Although the reason for Zingano’s withdrawal is unclear, it’s likely that the two parties reached a settlement without going to trial.
Cat Zingano has competed in Bellator MMA after leaving the UFC. Zingano made her promotion debut in 2020 and has since won three in a row.
She won her most recent match against Pam Sorenson in June. Later this year, Zingano is anticipated to face women’s MMA GOAT Cris Cyborg for the Bellator Featherweight Championship.