Triumphing over tragedy and injury, Cat Zingano returns to the UFC

If everything went according to her plan, Cat Zingano would be the UFC women's bantamweight champion by now. Maybe she would have defended it a couple of times, given Ronda Rousey her rightful rematch and beaten her again.

Zingano would have filmed "The Ultimate Fighter 18" alongside Rousey and gotten the title shot last December. She would have won the belt in Las Vegas and kept her undefeated record intact. Zingano would be the best women's MMA fighter in the world at this moment.

None of those things have come to fruition, through no fault of her own. What went wrong?

"The whole goddamn shebang," Zingano told FOX Sports.

Zingano had the last year of competitive MMA taken from her, first by injury and then by heartbreaking tragedy. She has been through the ringer and come out the other side.

"So much has changed, I don’t even know," Zingano said. "It's a completely different world. Life will never be the same."

The one thing she has back now is her sport, and she doesn't plan on letting anyone or anything take it away again. Zingano will meet Amanda Nunes at UFC 178 on Saturday in Las Vegas. It'll be the first time she steps into the Octagon since knocking out Miesha Tate in April 2013 after surgery to repair a torn ACL and the suicide of her husband Mauricio.

"The fight is a choice," Zingano said. "I chose to go through this. It puts a lot of things in perspective. When I'm struggling, when I'm nervous or fearful or excited or anxious, at the end of the day, it's something I love to do."

The past year-plus has been arduous to say the least. Zingano (8-0) became the No. 1 contender when she beat Tate and was set to coach on TUF 18 against Rousey. Just before filming started, though, Zingano tore her ACL in training. Tate replaced her on the show and got the title fight against Rousey last December.

Zingano has stayed strong through all the adversity.

Zingano, 32, had surgery to repair the ACL over the summer and then had another procedure, PRP and stem cell treatment in October on both her knees. At that point, she was targeting a return sometime in spring 2014.

That was not to be. Mauricio, Zingano's husband and coach, committed suicide in January. It was difficult enough dealing with that for Zingano alone, but she had their son, Brayden, to think about. That's why she was determined to stay tough -- for both of them.

"I need to show my son that when things get hard and rough -- not if, when -- you have to keep going, you have to move forward," Zingano said. "Nothing always stays the same. You don’t stay happy forever. You don't stay sad forever."

Zingano's manager, Ed Soares, has seen first hand just how strong Zingano has stayed through it all.

"Cat is an incredible human being, an incredible fighter, an incredible mother," he told FOX Sports. "To overcome all the adversity she's overcome, to be the mother she is, the fighter she is, the athletic competitor she is, it's amazing. Cat may not win every battle. I guarantee she'll win the war."

Zingano is certainly determined to win her battle Saturday against Nunes, a very aggressive and talented Brazilian striker. Zingano said coaches and teammates at Elevation MMA in Colorado say she's bigger, stronger and faster than ever before.

With a victory, Zingano said she has been told she'll get a title shot against Rousey. And Rousey herself has promised that she will get that opportunity.

For Zingano, a fight with Nunes remains small on the importance scale, relative to everything that has happened to her recently. She said she's emotionally ready.

"It's just another challenge, another obstacle on this road to recovery, the mental stuff," Zingano said. "That's what makes me stronger."

All she has to do is glance over at Brayden and her resolve stiffens. Zingano has more purpose than most at this point in her career.

"He's the most incredible inspiration I could possibly ask for," Zingano said. "It's a huge advantage as far as mental toughness and drive. That's everything right there."

Zingano is back in control again. She has her career back. She has her son. This is what she loves to do and when she stops doing it, it'll be her choice and her choice alone.

"No circumstance is ever going to make up my mind for me," Zingano said. "When I decide to be done with all this is when I choose to. Not because of injury or life happening."

It's going to take more than the whole shebang to derail her for good.