Mauricio (left) and Cat (center)

Jiu-Jitsu black belt Mauricio Zingano was found dead this Monday in Denver, Colorado.

According to the first reports, the Brazilian BJJ Professor committed suicide.

Mauricio was the leader of GMA academy Zingano BJJ and the husband of UFC fighter Cat Zingano.

Cat’s manager, Jorge Guimarães, confirmed the news today: “It’s true. He hanged himself. It’s something without explanation. I sincerely don’t know what could have made him do something like that. He was fine, with plans to the future and a whole life ahead. It’s a tragedy!,” said Joinha.

Mauricio was 37 years old and had a six-year-old son, Brayden.

Cat Zingano released a official statement this Tuesday:

Late yesterday evening I learned that my husband and soul mate of seven years, Mauricio Zingano, has passed away.

My life has changed irrevocably. I am shocked and deeply saddened. Thankfully, my family and friends are coming together to provide the support I need. I am grateful for them, as I know there are many difficult days ahead.

I also very much appreciate the outpour of support from the jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts world. My husband was well known and respected in this close-knit community and I know he would appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers, as do I.

At this time, I respectfully ask everyone to give me privacy as I gather with relatives and friends. Again, I give thanks to all for the kind words of support.

Sincerely,

Cat Zingano

GRACIEMAG joins the prayers to Cat, Brayden and all the Zingano family.

GMA Zingano BJJ promotion day on Dec. 7. Photo: Personal Archive

Our GMA members at Team Zingano in Broomfield, CO celebrated their last belt promotion ceremony of the year on Saturday, Dec. 7. The gathering brought together over 100 students for a great day of training and celebration.

Master Mauricio Zingano says, “The highlight of the day was promoting three new brown belts among all the other blue and purple belts promoted that day.”

The ceremony took place at their Broomfield location and they had Max Muscle there as well supporting the event and providing everyone with protein shakes and samples of their products for all the students to try out.

For more information regarding Zingano BJJ in Colorado, visit www.zinganobjj.com

Three new brown belts on Team Zingano. Photo: Personal Archive

Ralek Gracie taught a seminar at Mauricio Zingano’s academy on Oct. 26. Photo: Mauricio Zingano

Professor Ralek Gracie, grand son of Grandmaster Helio Gracie visited GMA academy Zingano BJJ in Broomfield, Colorado on Oct. 26 for a seminar. There was a huge turn-out of participants.

As an interesting backstory, Professor Zingano during his days as a blue and purple belt was an instructor at the Gracie Academy and taught many of the kids classes. For a period of time Ralek, Ryron and Rener Gracie were his students. Zingano says, “Interesting how the Jiu-Jitsu world goes around and around.”

Ralek is expected to return sometime in 2014 for another seminar. Stay tuned!

For more information regarding Mauricio Zingano and Zingano BJJ visit www.zinganobjj.com

Female UFC star Cat Zingano was one step away from the most important fight of her career when she suffered a serious injury to her right knee.

It led Zingano to have a ACL replacement surgery that took away her chances of coaching a team in the Ultimate Fighter reality show and then fighting Ronda Rousey for the UFC title.

Nevertheless, Zingano is coming back and working hard for the return.

Here’s a video just published by her husband, Jiu-Jitsu black belt and GMA member Mauricio Zingano.

For more info on Zingano BJJ, go to zinganobjj.com.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBw3f8-lkGA)

UPDATE: After the publishing of this article, the video stemming from the link above was removed from YouTube.com.

Recovering from an ACL knee surgery, the fighter is turning 31 and soon will be ready to go again.

To celebrate the date, here’s a quick video of Cat teaching MMA moves at GMA member school Zingano BJJ.

For more info, go to zinganobjj.com

Cat Zingano

Cat Zingano, a 30-year-old veteran coming out of Ring of Fire and Fight to Win promotions has just signed a four fight deal with StrikeForce, with the first match slated to go down at the Power Balance Pavilion in Sacramento, California, September 29, when she faces off with Amanda Nunes in a women’s bantamweight bout.

Zingano, a Colorado native currently stands unbeaten in her first six professional matches, with the last one being held on May 2011 in Denver Colorado when she prevailed over Takayo Hashi by way of a third round knockout.

Zingano is now seen by many as a new rising star in women’s mixed martial arts with an aggressive style that was readily apparent in her first professional debut match in June, 2008 when she submitted Karina Taylor via Arm-Bar in the first round.

Since then it’s been full speed ahead with no looking back for Cat who’s been busy keeping up a relentless training schedule under GMA member Mauricio Zingano and legendary Thai fighter, Sakmongkol Sitchuchoke, back home on familiar ground in Denver.

It hasn’t all been Gym work for Zingano though, because through it all she’s also managed to ink her first book that’s in final editing and scheduled to be released sometime over the course of the next few months.

So this is for sure more than just another pretty face in the MMA fighting arena, who judging by the size and enthusiasm of the hometown fan base is fully capable of drawing a sizable crowd which he squares off in the ring.

For more info, go to zinganobjj.com.

Two MMA wins for Team Zingano

GMA member Mauricio Zingano has some good news.

Team Zingano/Black House MMA brought home two more victories in MMA, last May 19th, in Denver, CO.

BJJ Black Belt, Professor Matt Simms finished his opponent in the first round with a rear naked choke.

Coach J. Keven Hernandez defended his 145lb belt and defeated his opponent also in the first round with a RNC.

The two fights were part of the Fight to Win MMA show.

For more info, go to zinganobjj.com

Zingano and his new black belts

GMA member Mauricio Zingano has just added three new black belts t his team.

Matt Simms, Mike Mendel and Hans Thompson were the happy students awarded with the new color.

Black belt Josh Ford was promoted to 1st degree.

Other than that, Jason Burnworth was awarded his BJJ brown belt and Thad Mahan got his purple belt.

Congrats to all!

For more info, go to zinganobjj.com.

Cat Zingano and her son Brayden Zingano both competed at the Tournament of Champions, in Colorado, recently.

Mother and son brought some hardware home.

Cat won the weight and absolute division while Brayden took 2nd place in his gi division.

Proud dad and GMA member Mauricio Zingano was there to cheer and coach the family.

Congrats to the Zingano family!

For more info, go to zinganobjj.com

GMA member school Zingano BJJ had a great showing last Saturday, at the Worlds No-Gi championship.

MMA female star Cat Zingano competed at the purple belt lightweight division, geting the bronze medal.

Jason Burnworth competed at the master purple belt middleweight division and won the silver medal.

At last, wrestling Olympic medalist Randi Miller collected two golds at the blue belt female heavyweight and open class divisions.

Team leader Mauricio Zingano just sent GRACIEMAG.com a picture of the group on the podium.

For more info, go to zinganobjj.com

Here is how things went.

It started with Coach J Kev winning his second MMA fight by submission in the first round. Keven made it look easy by out positioning his opponent in every single exchange they had both standing as well as on the ground. The win came in the first round after Coach J Kev mounted his opponent and transition to the back and finish the fight with a rear naked choke.

http://youtu.be/UY7d2gMJN_c

In the second fight of the night student “Big Chris” made his MMA debut as a heavy weight and had a very exiting fight with the top amateur heavy weight in the state. Chris fought a hard battle controlling the ground game and coming close to finishing the fight in a couple different occasions. At the end of the fight Chris got the win via split decision.

http://youtu.be/G07KINsTH3E

Next came Coach Matt Simms with his 5 professional fight. Coach Simms landed a solid kick followed by a quick exchange with punches and then scored the take down, he then easily transition to side mount and finish the fight at 1:02 of the first round with choke. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at it’s best!

http://youtu.be/y1zCKrsLUZc

For more info, go to http://zinganobjj.com

The fighter accomplished two impressive marks recently.

After defeating Japan’s Takayo Hashi and reaching a 6-0 record, Cat made the top of the 125lb ranking of female MMA.

And if that was not enough, she competed at the World jiu-Jitsu Campionship as a purple belt and came out with two medals, a silver and a bronze medal in his weight and in the absolute.

For more info, go to zinganobjj.com.