Bantamweights Cat Zingano, Amanda Nunes to Clash at Strikeforce 'Melendez vs. Healy' on Sept. 29

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Cat Zingano will square off with Amanda Nunes in a women’s bantamweight bout at Strikeforce “Melendez vs. Healy.”

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker recently announced the pairing, which will take place at the Power Balance Pavilion in Sacramento, Calif., on Sept. 29. The card is headlined by a lightweight title showdown between reigning champion Gilbert Melendez and Strikeforce veteran Pat Healy; the main card airs on Showtime, while preliminary bouts will be shown on Showtime Extreme.

A veteran of the Ring of Fire promotion, Zingano is unbeaten in six professional outings. The Colorado native last competed in May 2011, knocking out Takayo Hashi with a third-round slam at a regional event in Denver. “Alpha” has finished all but one of her career victims by knockout or submission.

Nunes, meanwhile, will be fighting for the third time under the Strikeforce banner. The 24-year-old Brazilian debuted with the promotion in January 2011, knocking out Julia Budd in 14 seconds at Challengers 13 before falling to Alexis Davis via second-round TKO nine months later. The “Lioness of the Ring” returned to her winning ways in July, submitting Raquel Pa’aluhi in the opening frame at Invicta FC 2.