Cyborg demolishes Zingano in first-round TKO to keep featherweight belt

Cris Cyborg proved once again why she is one of the best female fighters of all time with a dominant performance against Cat Zingano in the co-main event of Bellator 300.

Cyborg, who had not fought in MMA since September 2022, showed no signs of rust as she overwhelmed Zingano with her power and speed.

She landed a devastating left hook that dropped Zingano early in the first round, and then unleashed a relentless ground-and-pound attack that forced referee to stop the fight at 4:12 of the round.

Cyborg successfully defended her featherweight title for the fifth time, extending her winning streak to seven fights. She also avenged a controversial loss to Zingano from 2014, when Zingano was awarded a TKO win after an accidental eye poke.

After the fight, Cyborg called out Leah McCourt, who had impressed earlier in the night with a second-round submission of Sara McMann. Cyborg said she wanted to face McCourt in Ireland, where McCourt is from.

Zingano, who had won four fights in a row before facing Cyborg, suffered her first loss in the featherweight division. She congratulated Cyborg on her victory and said she would come back stronger.