Former UFC Fighter Sues Halle Berry Over Movie Role That Never Happened

Former UFC Fighter Cat Zingano is suing Halle Berry over the actress allegedly offering her a role in an upcoming movie that prevented her from fighting in the UFC for quite a while. When she turned down a fight to focus on the movie, the UFC released her, and the movie role never ended up happening.

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UFC fighter pay has been a hot topic over the past few years, with many wanting answers on how fighters receive such a small percentage of overall revenue. For reference, in the NBA players’ salaries account for nearly 50% of the money earned so this comparison is what’s always mentioned alongside UFC fighter pay.

Between paying for training camps, travel, doctors, and other fees, even making $20K in a night can leave you with scraps after a win, which is why fighters look outside the ring for other opportunities to feed their families. According to reports from TMZ, former UFC fighter Cat Zingano is suing Halle Berry for offering her a movie role that prevented her from fighting and ultimately “ended” her UFC career.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Cat claims she met with Halle back in July 2019 to talk about a movie HB was directing, “Bruised,” and says Halle told her she was perfect for the project.

Cat claims Halle told her to keep her schedule clear because film production was on the horizon, but she says the UFC came calling soon thereafter with a big fight offer.

In the docs, Cat claims she talked to Halle about the fight offer and claims Halle advised she pass on the fight if she wanted to be in the film, citing liability concerns from the movie’s insurer.

Cat claims she agonized over the decision — the movie versus the big fight — and says she ultimately turned down the fight.  She says the UFC then released her from her contract.

According to the suit, Cat claims she looped Halle in on her decision not to fight and her subsequent release from the UFC, and says she was shocked and dismayed when Halle told her she could no longer be involved in the movie because she was no longer fighting in the UFC. She claims she was told the movie could only work with UFC fighters.

It should go without saying that Halle wanted her in the movie because she was a UFC fighter and that helps sell the movie. You have to maintain your relationships to execute across the board and can’t blame others when you fail to do so. The lawsuit seems odd, but most would think Halle has nothing to worry about as she didn’t fire Cat and ultimately, it was Cat’s decision to turn down the fight.