Let’s talk about the woman that every female fighter wants to beat these days; Gina “Conviction” Carano. This young lady has become the next big thing in women’s MMA as of late and it’s easy to see why. Racking up an impressive Muay Thai fighting record of 12-1-1, the Las Vegas native is a good thing for the future of female MMA fighting for a couple reasons. With notable wins over Rosie Sexton, Julie Kedzie, and most recently, her first submission victory over Tonya Evinger, Carano is maintaining her status as the person to beat. Formidable in both a ring and a cage, this 25 year old is nothing to scoff at and her 5-0 record proves it. There’s also a reason why she is put in front of the cameras outside of fighting - her face is also good for business.
What’s impressive about Carano is her upbeat personality outside of the ring/cage. Her naturally good looks don’t hurt either. After her latest win on September 15th over Evinger, Carano was smiling ear to ear flashing a goofy face to camera before the post-fight interview. This type of personality combined with good looks is what smaller organizations need to help build a public case around themselves to become more marketable. Now if Carano would make more public appearances to lobby for MMA organizations, we may see a rise in positive legislation from a legal standpoint while fostering more of an interest in women’s MMA as well. Women fighters are normal human beings with personality and charm just like anyone else. Carano can be the one to showcase this to casual fans and the mass media. She’s already been featured in Maxim Magazine, but the potential to take her talent and personality to the next level is limitless.
Carano begin her professional MMA fighting career with the assistance of film. “Ring Girls” was a 2005 movie which showcased her and four other women who were currently training Muay Thai under Carano’s trainer, Master Toddy. Carano then moved on to “Fight Girls”, a show that aired on Oxygen in 2006. During this show, 7 women were in competition for a trip for
Although Carano’s Muay Thai background helped successfully propel her into MMA in 2006, this interview with 15 Rounds has her explaining that she is not limited in her fighting discplines.
“As a Muay Thai fighter coming into the game, I’ve had a great respect for Jiu-Jitsu,” she said. “To be a really good MMA fighter you have to be really well rounded. I incorporate everything I learn in my training.”
One of the best things about Carano is that she’s still a very young fighter with potentially many years left in her. Interestingly enough, the reason she began training in the first place was because of her weight. Told to work out because she was too fat to be at the gym, Carano decided it was time to get into shape. It’s a good thing she did. Even though a few headlines in the past were in jest of her weight issues (she nearly missed weight for the Evinger fight), Carano did drop from a higher weight class to compete in the highly regarded 140 pound class because she felt the competition was better there.
I also recently learned that she’s not the only person in her family devoted to the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Gina’s father Glenn Carano, once the backup quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the late 1970’s, was also active in the Nevada State Athletic Commission from 1997 to 2002.
The elder Carano was held in high regards by his peers on the commission. In the Las Vegas Review Journal, NSAC chairman Luther Mack was quoted in saying:
“Glenn is a team player. He is always on the same page. You need to do your homework. You need the team concept on this athletic commission. We are sorry to see him go.”
You can also thank Glenn Carano for his lobbying efforts to bring the UFC to the
The Carano’s, as a pair, are good for MMA. Gina’s marketing potential and Glenn’s expertise are tremendous assets to the sport and I hope they both stick around in one way or another to keep things moving along. Keep your eyes and ears open for the next Carano fight. She may soon be up against Shayna Baszler in the near future.
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