Pena smothers Zingano to retain perfect record

Julianna Pena used her wrestling to stay undefeated in the UFC against onetime women's bantamweight contender Cat Zingano.

It was a statement win for Pena, who controlled Zingano on the mat for the majority of their three-round bout to win by unanimous decision Saturday in the featured preliminary of UFC 200 in Las Vegas.

Pena has been untouchable since winning the 18th season of "The Ultimate Fighter," winning all four of her fights in the Octagon. She's currently No. 5 in the UFC's official rankings, and she's sure to leapfrog Zingano, who was holding down the No. 5 spot.

After a strong first round that saw Zingano score a takedown and maintain top control, Pena used her strength, technique, and athleticism to consistently gain the superior positions.

When Pena wasn't threatening with chokes, she chipped away at Zingano with ground-and-pound. Zingano had no answer for Pena's relentless pressure, and all she could do was survive until the time was up.

Zingano was competing for the first time since a title fight loss to Ronda Rousey last February, a span of almost 500 days. She has now lost two straight fights for the first time in her career.