#3 “Alpha” Cat Zingano (9-1-0) vs. #5 “The Venezuelan Vixen” Julianna Pena (8-2-0)
Lost a bit in the hype of the return of Brock Lesnar has been the UFC debut of Cat Zingano, and it should be a high-energy affair in this contest with ultra-aggressive Julianna Pena. While the resumes of these two women certainly appear lopsided, I expect Pena to hold her own in this one. Unfortunately for Pena, holding her own is the most I see her doing, as in analyzing this fight, it appears Zingano is marginally (or sometimes more than marginally) better than Pena in every area. Many fans will be expecting a buzzsaw-type performance from Zingano, but it seems much more likely that Zingano utilizes her grappling skills and wears Pena down until she’s able to finish her off. Fight fans have been clamoring for “Alpha” to step inside the octagon, and I expect that those who have been demanding it will not be disappointed on Saturday.
Decision: Cat Zingano wins her UFC debut by TKO
