“I want to make sure (fans) know you haven’t ever lost me. I’m more of a fan than I ever have been of the sport. I’m more proud to have been part of the sport than I ever have. But I’m not sure actually,” responded Carano in a conversation with Fightlinker when asked about her next move. “I’m just trying to get through January 20. I just want to get back to what MMA gave me. And what it gave me was probably one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. Would I do another film? Absolutely. In a heartbeat. I’d do another film over and over and over, because I think I’d be stupid not to.”

“I’ve been fighting for the last nine years, and I know that’s something you can’t do for a lifetime—as much as I loved it,” she continued on the subject. “But then again I haven’t been able to completely close that door yet, so we are definitely going to have to see.”

The beautiful brawler did, however, leave the door open ever so slightly in terms of another fight down the road, saying she’s not fully opposed to following in fellow fighter Cung Le’s footsteps as far as taking a block of time off for films and then coming back for a random rumble.

If Carano is indeed done she will leave the sport with a 7-1 record. Her only blemish came in what may be her final bout, a TKO loss to Cristiane Santos whose recent positive drug test “felt like a stab in the heart” based on what their match-up meant for women’s MMA.

Carano’s major motion picture debut, Haywire, is set for a nationwide release on the twentieth. The film is directed by Steven Soderbergh and stars a number of well-known stars such as Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, and Ewan MacGregor.

PHOTO CREDIT – RELATIVITY MEDIA / STRIKEFORCE

The basic plot of Haywire involves an American special forces agent (Carano) who has been double-crossed by her superiors and seeks revenge for their actions, as well as answers for their motivation in attempting to kill her.

Check out the full five-minute clip below:

News of Carano potential return was first reported by F4WOnline.com

Considered by many to be the face of women’s MMA, Carano has spent the last two years on the sidelines, choosing to pursue a career in acting over fighting. She landed a leading role in the Steven Soderbergh film ‘Haywire’ which is scheduled to be released in the United States in early 2012. The last time she stepped foot in the cage, she lost via TKO to Cristiane Santos in the first round. The bout was for the Strikeforce 145 lbs Women’s title and was also the first female fight to headline a major event.

Ready to return to action, Strikeforce and Carano announced that she would be competing at the June 18 event in Houston, Texas against Sarah D’Alelio. Despite passing the commission’s medical tests, Carano was pulled from the event after her personal doctor deemed her unable to compete for unknown reasons. Carano will try again to get back to competition at the end of the year. No opponent has been scheduled.

Along with the return of Carano, the December 17 Strikeforce event will feature the lightweight title fight between champion Gilbert Melendez against challenger Jorge Masvidal.

*PHOTO CREDIT – ESTHER LIN/STRIKEFORCE*

However, a report by Sports Illustrated revealed Carano had actually received a thumbs-up from the commission but decided to withdraw.

No specifics on Carano’s condition were given though it was explained the company is seeking a replacement to take on her original opponent, Sarah D’Alelio. Their bout will be replaced on the main card by a clash of lightweight contenders in the form of K.J. Noons vs. Jorge Masvidal.

Carano hasn’t fought since suffering her first career loss to Cris “Cyborg” Santos nearly two years ago, then turning to a film career. She holds a 7-1 record in MMA with a trio of TKOs and victories over Rosi Sexton, Tonya Evinger, and Julie Kedzie.

PHOTO CREDIT – ELITEXC/STRIKEFORCE

News of the likely pairing was reported by MMAFighting where it was stated verbal agreements were in place.

D’Alelio holds a 4-1 overall record with the entire lot of bouts coming in 2010. She last fought in December, a decision loss to seasoned veteran Julie Kedzie, but had finished all four of her opponents prior to the stumble including three by way of submission.

When “The Monster” meets Carano she will look to hand the 29-year old star a second consecutive defeat after her streak of seven straight victories was broken up in brutal fashion by Santos in August 2009. Carano also compiled an extremely impressive win percentage as a kickboxer before turning to MMA, a skill that has served her relatively well since given her success against opponents while standing. She has found past success against a number of her respected peers including Kedzie, Kelly Kobold, and Rosi Sexton.

Carano and D’Aleleio will serve as part of a main card on June 18 in Dallas with headlining action from Strikeforce World Grand Prix participants Alistair Overeem, Fabricio Werdum, Josh Barnett, and Brett Rogers, in addition to a heavyweight pairing between Valentijn Overeem and Chad Griggs.

PHOTO CREDIT – ELITEXC/FACEBOOK

Carano’s presence on the line-up was revealed Saturday night during the broadcast for “Strikeforce – Diaz vs. Daley” though no opponent was mentioned. An interview with CEO Scott Coker on MMAFighting revealed 5-1 Cindy Dandois had originally been scheduled but had to withdraw after finding out she was pregnant.

A bout pitting undefeated prospects Daniel Cormier (7-0) and Shane Del Rosario (11-0) against each other was also announced, in addition to a match-up between Chad Griggs (10-1) and Valentijn Overeem (29-25), as means of potentially determining an alternate in the heavyweight tournament if one is needed.

Overeem, older brother of Grand Prix participant Alistair, has won three straight fights including his Strikeforce debut in February against Ray Sefo and has remarkably finished twenty-eight of the twenty-nine opponents he’s beaten. Griggs has also been on a tear as of late with five consecutive victories including four first round TKOs.

Meanwhile, Cormier and Del Rosario are considered to be two of the brightest up-and-big boys in the sport given their combined eighteen wins and zero losses. Cormier, a decorated amateur wrestler, has ended six of his adversaries’ evenings before the bout’s closing bell while Del Rosario has yet to even see the seventh minute in any of his eleven professional pairings.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

News of the possibility was first reported by Tatame where Nunes’ manager was quoted as saying talks are ongoing and he expects the match-up to take place.

However, according to a Tweet from Strikeforce Talent Relations’ person Shannon Knapp, the company has no plans to put the two together. MMAJunkie’s Steven Marrocco is also reporting he spoke to Nunes’ manager who is now saying no fight has been offered.

Nunes has rendered all six of the opponents she’s defeated defenseless by way of strikes and hasn’t lost since being submitted in her professional debut three years ago. She last saw action at Strikeforce Challengers 13 in January where she knocked Julia Budd out in less than twenty seconds.

If the fight comes to fruition it will mark the first time 7-1 Carano has stepped into the cage in nearly two years. The beautiful brawler has been immersed in filming an upcoming Steve Soderbergh called “Haywire” after suffering the first loss of her career in August 2009, a TKO to current 145-pound champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos.

Carano vs. Nunes would add to an already-stacked line-up for the June event including an appearance from former light heavyweight title-holder Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal and the second half of Strikeforce’s World Grand Prix quarterfinal round with Alistair Overeem facing Fabricio Werdum and Josh Barnett taking on Brett Rogers.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Carano made the announcement during the Showtime portion of Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva.

Carano has not fought since suffering her first MMA loss to Cristiane Santos in April 2009. Since that time she has been keeping busy by film the movie “Haywire” which will be released on April 22, 2011. It was reported last week that Carano had been in the gym at Xtreme Couture for the first time in over a year.

PHOTO CREDIT – ESTHER LIN / STRIKEFORCE

Scott Coker Still Expecting Gina Carano to Fight Again (MMAFighting.com)

Anthony Pettis Receiving Honor from City of Milwaukee (HeavyMMA.com)

Jacob Volkmann Put on Administrative Leave After Comments About President Obama (CagePotato.com)

Brock Lesnar, a Dead Deer, and a Snowy Climb (MMAConvert.com)

Heavyweights to Watch in 2011 (Versus.com)

Drew Fickett Signs with MFC (FIGHT! Magazine)

Herschel Walker vs. Don Frye Almost Went Down (MiddleEasy.com)

Turns Out There’s a New MMA Video Game on the Horizon (MMAScraps.com)

UFC Has Spent Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars Lobbying in NYC (WatchKalibRun.com)

The magazine, set to hit newsstands October 9th, will be the first ever “Body Issue”, featuring some of sports biggest names. The recent buzz surrounding the issue has been comparing it to Sports Illustrated “Swimsuit Issue”.

In addition to Carano, triathlete Sarah Reinertsen, NASCAR driver Carl Edwards, and Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson, are also slated to make the cover.

Below is a sneak peak at the Carano cover:

She’s recently updated her Myspace page, and took time to reflect on the first defeat of her career:

“I wanted to take time to collect my thoughts and speak from the heart rather than spew out some cliché anecdote about a tough loss. I know I am a better fighter than the way I performed that night and was heartbroken to not give more to those who have been inspired. However, I find some relief in knowing that this has never been only about me, and now more than ever I feel freedom to learn and grow at my own pace. I make it a point to constantly remind myself throughout this journey who I am, what I am doing, and why. Life is the most amazing gift and I want to live it for the right reasons. To my family, coaches, management… thank you from the bottom of my heart for believing in me, loving and encouraging me. Also a special thanks to the fans who support me from their computers at home, watch me on television and scream for me in the stadiums. Because of you, barriers have been broken down and you have inspired me to believe in a larger dream. Congratulations to Cris Cyborg and the women of MMA who have a great platform to shine. I am more excited than ever for female fighters and this amazing sport which has transformed my life. God Bless.”

Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos

Along with her newly obtained Strikeforce belt, Cyborg can now be recognized as the the most dangerous female mixed martial artist on the planet.

In a single round that seemed to go on for twenty minutes in length, these two world class female martial artists displayed skill, heart and courage for the world to see in an exhilarating and electric bout that had every soul in attendance on their feet.

Santos brought the fight to Carano almost immediately, hurling her fists with the type of force meant to finish the fight as soon as possible. Gina whethered the storm and wound up in the top position on the canvas on two separate occasions, but was unable to keep it there for any length of time. Once Cyborg got the upper hand on the ground she let loose the demon on Carano in the form of a punishing assault of leather, forcing the referee to call a halt to the contest with a mere second remaining in the opening round.

Gegard Mousasi showed the masses that he is the real deal this evening as he made Renato “Babalu” look  bad, finishing the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt off with a devastating series of punches in the opening moments of the first round.

Gilbert Melendez was able to avenge the first loss in his professional career as he wore down and TKO’d Mitsuhiro Ishidain the third round to hold on to the Strikeforce interim lightweight championship.

Also on the card was a ripped Fabricio Werdum that reasserted himself as a legitimate threat in the heavyweight division with an impressive first round guillotine choke submission over Mike Kyle.

For a full list of the event results from “Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg” CLICK HERE

UFC 94 was a show that had been built up for months and was billed as an “Epic Battle of Champions” between B.J. Penn and Georges St-Pierre. Now, I can only speak for myself, but it definitely felt that way too. Dana White had three press conferences as soon as he announced the fight, first in Vegas, then Toronto and finally Honolulu. They also made a three part “UFC Primetime” series on the fight that was a real hit, and the media were all over it for the fact that it was two of the best ever about to collide in their primes.

Coming this weekend, we have a battle between the undefeated Gina “Conviction” Carano and her toughest opponent ever, Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos. These two are the faces of women’s MMA and are well known by the hardcore MMA community as the best of the best, but some in the media may not be giving this long-awaited battle it’s due.

Flipping through the channels these days it is more and more likely that you will see the face of the former Muay Thai standout, Gina Carano. However, in watching an interview with her, you might not get the right picture as to who she really is. You might think she were a full-time model or a long-time “American Gladiator” or famous for an alleged sex tape with Kit Cope (that doesn’t exist). Thankfully, Gina took some time from her busy fight preparation schedule to clear some of that up.

In a recent interview with RawVegas.TV, Carano spoke on her promotional experiences of late, “You know, I’ve had to deal with a lot for this fight, and I look at people and I’m like, ‘Why don’t they realize this is like the toughest fight of my life?’ And they’re asking me like, you know sex questions and dating questions, and I’m like, ‘Do you have any idea like, what I’m actually going up against right now?’ You know, all that stuff isn’t even on my mind.”

With the fight only days away, Carano might be justifiably frustrated that the fight may not get the hype it deserves, but she is also making note of the fact that it has to do with the respect for female fighters as well, “It’s just crazy, you know, and I had somebody else tell me the other day, ‘You know Gina, it’s gonna be awhile before people take you guys seriously.’ I’m like, ‘What’s not serious about this? I’m stepping into the cage with an amazing athlete, like, you know things can go potentially really bad.”

Having seen many of the interviews she is referring to, it is clear to me that the female side of MMA has a long way to come to gain the type of respect that the men are given.

Is it because of the fact that the pool of top tier fighters is so small in comparison? Maybe so, but does that mean that the top two of the world’s elite are to not get the same respect as Royce Gracie did when he was facing men who were arguably of lesser skill? I don’t think so. You could argue that women’s MMA is further back in evolution when being compared to their male counterparts, but do we not remember the warriors and Champions of the early days of MMA as pioneers and legends that deserve our respect? Absolutely we do, even though those early days showed how much we didn’t know about fighting more than anything.

Gina experiences this lack of knowledge on a daily basis and as being arguably the most popular female MMA fighter, she understandably can get a little frustrated, “It just hurts my heart for the sport that its’ taken this long [for MMA in general], and now the women are trying to go through it.”

She remains optimistic however knowing that the respect will only continue to grow as the sport of MMA and she remains humble knowing that there are many great fighters that are out there right now and many will come after her, “I’m just one fighter. I’m just one female. I just happen to be one of the most recognizable ones out. But there is plenty other females, and women’s MMA is gonna be around if I’m a part of it or not.”

It is clear that there are many people trying to distract the young Carano leading up to her next fight, but she seems to be keeping it all in perspective leading into the undoubted war she will be in on Saturday night. “Everybody’s gotta give it up to Cris. She’s an amazing fighter and it’s really an honour to fight her, because she’s the best. She’s one of the best, and I know whoever is holding that belt at the end is gonna be a good belt holder regardless, and so that makes this fight really cool.” She continues, “I’ve sat down and I’ve watched tape. I’ve watched old tape and I’ve watched new tape and all I know is it’s gonna be a tough fight. I’ve got my game plans but I know anything can happen.”

Those who have followed women’s MMA know that this fight is the most anticipated in its history and likely have been waiting to see it happen for some time now, as I have. One thing is for sure, with all eyes on women’s MMA on Saturday night, I’m sure there couldn’t be two better representatives to go at it than these two. The fans will be treated to an “Epic Battle” of the best female MMA fighters on the planet.

When Strikeforce rolls into San Jose on August 15th, the company’s card will feature a number of highly-skilled, widely-respected PRIDE and UFC veterans such as Alistair Overeem, Nick Diaz, Fabricio Werdum, and Josh Thomson. However, if the media turnout yesterday in New York City was any indication of things, the world will have its collective eyes set on two individuals who have never stepped inside the Octagon or been introduced via the scratchy stylings of Lenne Hardt.

Headliners Gina “Conviction” Carano and Cris “Cyborg” Santos participated in an open workout and meet-and-greet for fans at Madison Square Garden while later offering thoughts in a press conference about their upcoming clash on Showtime. While appreciative of the attention the event’s spotlight has brought them, both women seemed to be focused on the task at hand.

“I have the ultimate, utmost respect for Cyborg,” said Carano. “This is the toughest fight of my life. I am not into public speaking, but I am so humbled and blessed by this unbelievable turnout of media and fans. It feels so great the support that you have given Cyborg and I. (But) It is not just us. There are four title fights on this great card.”

Santos seemed to echo the always-humble postergirl’s sentiments, responding, “Like Gina, I am not into public speaking. I prefer to fight. I want to thank the media, Strikeforce, Showtime, and my fans. This is a great opportunity and this will be a very good fight for the fans and media.”

On the subject of preparation, Carano confirmed that she was again training with UFC Hall of Famer and multi-time champion Randy “The Natural” Couture in Las Vegas.

“Cyborg is very strong. That’s why I have reached out to (Couture) to support me. He has been a mentor to me. I need somebody like him to get me mentally and physically ready for the biggest fight of my career. He is a great backboard for me. Randy is training me to get ready for the toughest fight of my career. He is my head trainer and he will be in my corner.”

Also keeping things on the West Coast, the hard-hitting Brazilian stated she had been training in Huntington Beach with her husband and fellow MMA practitioner Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos.

“I think the one who makes the fewer mistakes will win this fight,” explained Cyborg. “I am expecting a war. I have been training a lot since my last fight. I am ready and very excited.”

Carano avoided predictions and concluded things by expressing her appreciation towards those who had made this opportunity possible.

“I have to thank all my trainers,”said Gina. “All of Las Vegas has come to my support. This has been an amazing journey. I am blessed and humbled at the same time. I want to thank Strikeforce and Showtime. It takes a lot of (guts) to put this on.”

Will Gina Carano suffer the first loss of her career or end up with her hand raised when things are said and done? Who will walk away the winner of this landmark main event bout as the first Women’s 145-Pound Champion in Strikeforce history? Tune in August 15th and find out!

Said an animated Carano in reference to her upcoming scrap with one of the most physically intimidating, aggressive fighters in women’s’ MMA, “I’m really excited to be coming back and to have a new home with Strikeforce. I’ve wanted this fight with ‘Cyborg’ for a long time and so have the fans so it was important to me that it happen in my first fight back. I’ve been training hard the last few months and come August 15th, I will be in the best shape of my life. This fight will absolutely deliver on all the hype.”

August 15th, 2009 will mark Carano’s second appearance under the Strikeforce banner. In 2006, and her third professional fight, she walked away the winner in a unanimous decision victory over Cung Le protégé Elaina Maxwell.

Gina Carano is set to face off with Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos on August 15 for Strikeforce on a card that has been rumored for California.

The battle between the two top female fighter’s has been a long time coming ever since the days when EliteXC was building the fight up before the promotion’s eventual demise.

Carano hasn’t been seen in the cage since her October of 2008 bout with Kelly Kobold in which she dominated en route to a unanimous decision while Cyborg last fought in April when she stopped Hitomi Akano by TKO.

Also announced for the August 15 Strikeforce card is a lightweight championship rematch between Josh Thomson and Gilbert Melendez, and Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem is also set to make his return to the promotion against a yet to be determined opponent.

Carano’s figurine will be released this summer as part of a Series 4 that will be available in stores such as Toys ‘R’ Us, Champs Sports and FYE.

Round 5 allows their fighters to retain complete control over their likeness up to and including their pose, facial design, and clothes that are used on the figurines.

Round 5 President Damon Lau released a statement in which he called Carano a star not just in MMA but in the mainstream. He expects her figurine to be highly successful among the sport’s fans as well as among people who have seen her on TV or in magazines.

Carano has emerged as the face of women’s MMA and was a ratings boost for the now-defunct EliteXC promotion. She was the first female fighter to ever appear on U.S. network television when she fought on an October 2008 card. She also participated in the first ever women’s MMA bout in Nevada in 2006.

Carano reached millions of homes when she portrayed American Gladiator Crush on NBC’s re-make of the once popular combat show. She also served as a coach on the Oxygen network’s Fight Girls

Round 5 has released likenesses of such fighters as Randy Couture, Matt Hughes, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and Tito Ortiz in their Series 1 release. Series 2 featured fighters Rich Franklin, Sean Sherk, Anderson Silva and Wanderlei Silva.

Available this April as part of Series 3 will be heavyweights Andrei Arlovski, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria, Frank Mir and referee “Big” John McCarthy.

WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko will be part of a series that will be released sometime in 2009.

“Gina Carano is a star, I think she’s talented. I think she’s got all the tools, so what I’m willing to do is bring Gina into the WEC. We could do fights whenever there’s a challenger for Gina. That’s how I’ll test the waters and see how it goes,” White told the press in attendance.

The only potential roadblock for Zuffa to sign Carano would be her current situation with ProElite. Currently the fighters who were under contract with the company when they closed their doors are caught in limbo while the company tries to auction off their contracts as well as all of the assets of the company.

However, the fact that White is open to promoting women’s MMA through WEC is a big step in the right direction. Not only would Carano be a huge boost for WEC’s marketability it would be a huge step in the right direction for high level women’s MMA to be taken seriously.

During an interview with Jon Anik of ESPN.com’s “MMA Live,” White responded to a question about a proposed superfight between Gina Carano and Cris Cyborg by expressing a potential desire to promote the bout.

However, if White does a full 180 and promotes a female fight, do not expect it to take place under the UFC’s banner, but for it instead to be a part of its sister promotion, the WEC.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to it,” White responded when asked by Anik about promoting Carano vs. Cyborg. “And if I did do it, I’d probably do it in the WEC.”

That’s a drastic change from how White responded to questions about Carano in the days following reports that ProElite had executed massive layoffs in anticipation of a potential shutdown.

“I think Gina Carano is a talented fighter, I think she’s a star,” White was quoted as saying during a post-UFC 90 press conference. “She should have been the main event (on Oct. 4). My thing with women fighting is that there’s just not enough good women out there to create a whole division. Could I do some one off fights here and there, yeah, but that’s not really what we do.”