SAN JOSE, Calif. – So much for the idea that Gina Carano would end up under UFC contract by the end of the week.
UFC president Dana White said at Saturday’s UFC on FOX 12 post-fight press conference that completion of a deal to bring back the first big star of women’s mixed martial arts is still a ways off. While indicated the talks were going in a positive direction, he also said things weren’t exactly simple.
“It’s complicated,” White said. “It’s going very positive, but it’s complicated.
Carano, the first major star of women’s mixed martial arts, last fought in 2009, before pursuing a full-time acting career in Hollywood. But a bout with Ronda Rousey, the UFC’s women’s bantamweight champion, would be expected to do major box-office business.
It was widely believed Carano would go directly into a title fight with Rousey, who is 10-0 with nine first-round finishes.