Cat Zingano

Cat "Alpha" Zingano owns a piece of history that no one can take away: she was the first fighter ever to beat Amanda Nunes, rallying from a rough start to a thrilling comeback TKO that earned her a UFC women's bantamweight title shot. For a moment, she looked like the future of the division.

The path that followed was cruel. Injuries and personal tragedy derailed her momentum, and her 2015 title bout with Ronda Rousey ended in just 14 seconds. Zingano kept fighting, later moving to featherweight in Bellator and the PFL to extend a resilient career.

Her appeal lies in that resilience. An aggressive, come-forward fighter with powerful clinch and grappling work, Zingano backed up a landmark win over the eventual greatest of all time with the heart to push through more adversity than most careers ever face.