Featured Fight Of The Weekend: Cat Zingano vs. Leah McCourt
MARCH 29, 2023 CHICAGO, IL PEYTON NOLTING Even though it’s the co-main of the card, it’s the main event in my eyes. Winner of this fight could be positioning themselves into a shot at the title at the women’s featherweight division. For Zingano, it’s a name that many likely recognize if you follow the early […]
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MARCH 29, 2023 CHICAGO, IL PEYTON NOLTING
Even though it’s the co-main of the card, it’s the main event in my eyes. Winner of this fight could be positioning themselves into a shot at the title at the women’s featherweight division. For Zingano, it’s a name that many likely recognize if you follow the early stories of Ronda Rousey, Amanda Nunes, and Miesha Tate or have been a casual fan for some time now. As for Leah McCourt, she has been up and coming and taken Bellator by storm posting a 6-1 record while with Bellator. I took a look at both fighters last couple bouts breaking down each fighters path to victory and what gives them their best route to a hopeful title shot with current champion, Cris Cyborg (as long as she resigns with Bellator).
For Cat Zingano, experience is the easiest thing to depend on. She needs to know she is the more chiseled fighter in the cage on Friday night and if she uses that to her advantage then this could be a lot easier for her. And then being a wrestler myself, one of my biggest things I take away from myself is that she is relentless when going for a takedown. She does not stop and will not stop when trying to achieve a takedown. If she can get McCourt down to her back this could be huge for Zingano. During the media day, McCourt said she has never fought a grappler before which this could be an extreme advantage for Cat.
For Leah McCourt, she needs to keep this on the feet and try to win on points. In terms of striking there is no question she has the advantage but if she finds herself on the ground she could struggle. She does come from a great gym over in Ireland and it would be silly to believe that she doesn’t train grappling however Zingano should hold an advantage in the grappling department. Leah actually has a fair share of wins over her career by submission but in her fights against Jessica Borga, she almost immediately was in defense and was fighting submission attempts which is somethings she can’t do early against Zingano. In that same Borga fight, when McCourt was able to use her body to grind on her against the cage and ware on the body, that was effective but she can not be sloppy as she would get herself into trouble. I think for Leah McCourt more than anything, she needs to be technically sound to stay in this fight and give herself the best chance at a win.
Prediction: I think Cat Zingano gets the title shot she deserves. For Cat Zingano, this may be one last dance (it’s an over used expression now but deservingly so). She has been a pioneer for women’s MMA and a matchup with Cris Cybrorg is the perfect way for Bellator to honor this since I assume we will get to see Cyborg resigned. If Cyborg is not resigned, I assume she gets a new opponent as she fights for a vacant belt. As for Leah McCourt, this will not be the end of her journey. She is very young in the game. I think she still is sharpening her skills and once she learns to stay out of danger and starts finishing some fights in Bellator, she will be a real problem in women’s MMA in the back half of her career as she is only 30 years old.
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