Gina Carano, once coveted as the face of women’s mixed martial arts, has teased fans about her return to the sport for quite a while now.
After wrapping up her recent endeavor as Mallory Kane in the movie “Haywire” directed by the critically acclaimed Steven Soderbergh, Carano was steadfast in her desires to return to the world of MMA.
Originally, Gina was hoping to make her second Strikeforce appearance—her first since a title loss to Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos in August of 2009—in June of this year against the always tough Sarah D’Alelio. However, she bowed out due to last minute, undisclosed medical issues.
Now, “Crush” is back. She is scheduled to return at an announced December 17th show under the Strikeforce banner. Sources indicated to MMAJunkie.com that Carano will return action at the near year end show against an unknown opponent.
Gina’s popularity reached an all time high when she made her appearance under the San Jose based promotion just two years ago. She challenged for the organization’s first ever women’s welterweight title (145 pounds) against the dangerous “Cyborg.”
In a bout that produced fireworks from the get go, Carano ultimately succumbed to strikes late in the first-round, dropping her chances of becoming a world champion. The event, headlined by the female title bout, garnered the third highest ratings in Strikeforce history, averaging at 576,000 on the Showtime broadcast.
A win for Carano will propel her back to the spotlight and likely make her an immediate contender to the welterweight title once again.
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