Gina Carano vs Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos Strikeforce 8/15/9

[goju]

i hate you gene lol

[GeneChing]

I'll have something for y'all soon too.

MMA's Gina Carano brings striking looks, striking blows to San Jose
By Mark Emmons

Gina Carano has gotten used to the common reaction after telling people that she is a mixed martial arts fighter.

They laugh. They smile. Then they say it:

No, really, what do you do?

"People always think I'm joking until they finally realize I'm serious," Carano said. "Then they start looking at me differently."

The confusion is understandable. Carano, whose fight against Brazilian Cris "Cyborg" Santos headlines Saturday's Strikeforce event at HP Pavilion, possesses striking good looks. She has raven hair, high cheekbones and perfect, white teeth.

So, what is a pretty face like hers doing in a place like that? An MMA cage of rubber-encased steel, where blood is splattered and something perilously close to anything-goes mayhem occurs?

"It's not like I grew up thinking my life was going to be in fighting," said Carano, 27. "I kind of fell into it."

Now she stands at the intersection of sport and entertainment. The portion of the Internet that caters to the frat-boy element has made her one of the Web's most-searched women. Maxim magazine named her to its hot 100 list (No. 16).

But Carano (7-0) sounds almost embarrassed about the attention lavished on her appearance. She wants to be seen as, to borrow her word, a serious fighter and knows this bout against Santos (7-1) will be her biggest challenge yet to achieving mainstream acceptance as something beyond a novelty act.

"I've learned to take the compliments when people are nice enough to say things," she said. "Maybe the way I look does get people watching. But hopefully when they see me in the cage, they'll say: 'Oh, wait, she can fight.' I've dealt with people not taking me seriously all my life."

That includes the first three women she ever sparred against. She bloodied the nose of each.

"They wouldn't allow me to train with girls after that," Carano said.

So, how did this middle of three daughters who attended a small, strict Christian school in Las Vegas get into the testosterone-drenched sport?

Her father is Glenn Carano, a former Dallas Cowboys backup quarterback for Roger Staubach and Danny White. She grew up a rough-housing tomboy; the son her father never had. A good high school athlete who helped her basketball team to a Nevada state title, she clearly got her dad's genes. But she also identifies closely with her ex-cheerleader mother.

"I got my dad's ambition, but sometimes I'll watch my fights and I'll see my mom's look on my face," Carano said. "She's just tough."

But for her father, it can be just tough watching her step inside the cage.

"Words really can't describe what it feels like in my heart and soul," said Glenn Carano, now a casino marketing executive. "To see my little baby daughter in there, I feel every punch. In football, the butterflies would disappear the first time you were hit in the face. But when you're a spectator, those butterflies never leave. Sometimes I think she fights just to take years off my life."

Actually, the only reason she wandered into Master Toddy's Muay Thai Academy in Las Vegas six years ago was to watch her then-boyfriend train.

"A fight master saw me and called me fat," Carano said. "So I started training with him and eventually began to fight. My life hasn't been the same since."

She dropped out of UNLV and started kick-boxing. It was about then that Carano met Scott Coker, Strikeforce's founder, and told him she intended to be an MMA fighter.

"So I asked Master Toddy if she was serious," Coker said. "He said, 'Don't be deceived by her little baby face.' Gina is just one of those people that when you get in the cage, a different side of their personality comes out."

Saturday night represents a gamble for Strikeforce because this marks the first time women have been the main draw for a fight card. So as Coker tries to sell tickets, there's no way he is downplaying Carano's appearance.

"She's the girl next door who can really fight," he said. "That's the appeal. She has a charisma and aura. She's the Danica Patrick of MMA."

That, of course, can be a double-edged sword. Patrick undoubtedly received a career boost as she willingly became racing's pin-up queen. But there has been a trade-off — constantly dealing with insinuations that talent isn't the primary reason she reached the pinnacle of her sport.

Carano can relate. She has been criticized by other fighters for exploiting her sexuality. And you didn't have to read between the lines to understand what Santos meant when she said through a translator at a recent news conference: "It doesn't matter that almost all of the media thinks it's beauty and the beast."

For her part, Carano hopes to prove that she is the beast in the five-round, 145-pound bout — in which the fighters will split a $200,000 purse. With the fight being broadcast on Showtime, Carano is ready for her close-up.

She's also honest enough to admit that she wonders where this sport might take her. Carano already has starred as "Crush" on the new version of the campy TV show "American Gladiators," appeared in a small fight film and been the model for a video-game character. (She was a beret-wearing Soviet assassin.) So it's not hard to envision her someday in a Vin Diesel movie, battling villains, aliens or zombies.

Then again Carano also has no idea if she can actually act.

"You look at some athletes who try, and it looks really awkward," she said. "I don't know if I could develop the skills needed. If I've learned anything as a fighter, it's that you have to train to get good at something."

For now, that means proving herself in an MMA cage, no matter how unlikely that seems. Oh, and dad will be there supporting her.

"I'll probably lose about 10 pounds that day alone," he said. "I'll be a wreck."

Contact Mark Emmons at (408)920-5745.

[GeneChing]

I'm bummed that Josh dropped out again. He's been training with Cung Le. We were talking about doing a pre-fight interview with both of them, but that's moot now.

Posted: Wednesday August 12, 2009 11:55AM; Updated: Wednesday August 12, 2009 1:36PM
Josh Gross > INSIDE MMA
Carano, Cyborg have keys to steal the show -- and they likely will

In a sport where rivalries between promoters generate as much buzz as fights between fighters, there's a couple battles worth mentioning Saturday night.

Holding its first card since trumping the Ultimate Fighting Championship for the rights to feature Fedor Emelianenko in the U.S., Strikeforce returns home to San Jose, Calif., for what its CEO and founder Scott Coker expects to be the company's most important show in the 25 years he's been in the fight promotion business.

While bout sheets for the event (Showtime, 10:30 p.m. ET/PT) haven't remained intact for so long as a week since the "mega-fight card" was first announced two months ago, the top of the bill -- a fight between female star Gina Carano, one of mixed martial arts' unique characters, and Brazilian mauler Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos -- has held firm. That's good, considering a handful of quality title bouts fell apart, and Strikeforce and Showtime invested nearly all of their marketing resources toward building up what has been dubbed the most anticipated fight in women's combat sports. Whether or not that translates into a good rating for Strikeforce's premium television partner, Carano-Cyborg is history making -- and it should deliver a pretty solid scrap.

Since debuting as a professional in 2006, Carano (7-0) emerged as one of MMA's first crossover stars. Listed ahead of First Lady Michelle Obama on a poll conducted by Yahoo! of the 10 most influential women of 2008, the 27-year-old Las Vegan has been asked to strike a balance not often required of her male counterparts.

After losing her pro debut in 2005, "Cyborg" -- a nickname taken from her husband, fellow fighter Evangelista Santos -- rattled off seven consecutive wins. While she sports a respectable ledger, the brutality with which Santos wins fights makes her compelling as she vies for Strikeforce's vacant 145-pound women's title -- a bout scheduled for five, five-minute rounds.

In all likelihood, Carano-Cyborg will be remembered as a battle of attrition. The fighters have touted a war, one likely to play out on the feet as each is comfortable in a firefight. Will Santos' aggression and pressure wilt Carano? Can Cyborg put away a skilled opponent who won't give up 10 to 15 pounds?

The consensus holds that Cyborg's Muay Thai will overwhelm Carano's. That's entirely plausible, but so is Carano mustering the courage to stand in the pocket and unload straight punches against a wild opponent.

As these things go when women fight on the same card as men, they often steal the show. On Saturday, they've been handed the keys.

Renato "Babalu" Sobral vs. Gegard Mousasi

A refugee lost amid Affliction's rubble, Strikeforce co-opted this light heavyweight fight as one of several replacement bouts when its original lineup went to shambles. It's quite an addition. Sobral, one of the most experienced 205-pounders outside the UFC, will now fight Mousasi, a ****y talent from the Netherlands, with his Strikeforce belt on the line. Added incentive wasn't necessary, but it's welcome.

As skill and talent go, few have more potential than the Iranian-born, Dutch-reared fighter of Armenian heritage who was ranked by many in the top five at 185 pounds before moving up in weight this year. At just 24 years of age with an impressive 25-2-1 record in mixed martial arts, the kid is a striker first, but he has worked hard to incorporate submission and grappling into his game.

Against Sobral (35-8), the challenger meets a top 10 champion who has fought everywhere and anyone for a decade. It could be a mistake for "Babalu" to strike with Mousasi, but he might do it anyhow. We've seen it before. While the 34-year-old Strikeforce champion is a better wrestler coming into the five-round title fight, he's also highly emotional. Mistakes in game plan and execution have cost him in the past, and we could very well see that scenario play out again Saturday.

Gilbert Melendez vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida

Set for the Strikeforce interim lightweight title after the organization's champion, Josh Thomson, bowed out with a leg injury two weeks before the fight, Melendez (15-2) and Ishida meet in a rematch of a New Year's Eve bout two years ago that left Melendez with the first blemish of his career.

On short notice, it's terrific, though the 30-year-old Ishida's profile took a hit in May when he lost to Mizuto Hirota in 93 seconds in Japan. Still, if Melendez wasn't going to get a crack at Thomson's belt, he'll take a chance to avenge the first defeat of his career.

Their fight in 2007 was basically an extra long, extra intense wrestling match. Because Melendez made the mistake of not mixing things up, Ishida (18-5-1) capitalized by controlling positionally and more importantly, winning scrambles.

With a full training camp behind him, Melendez, 25, should have an edge in conditioning. And over the course of a five-round fight, that alone might be enough for him to even his mark against Ishida at 1-1.

[GeneChing]

She's an amazing fighter. It's interesting to see how appearance plays into this fight - it's unlike anything that's happened in men's MMA.

'Cyborg' plays role of fighter, not villain or pioneer
Aug. 12, 2009
By Todd Martin
Special to CBSSports.com

There are a number of stories heading into Saturday night's Strikeforce main event of Gina Carano vs. Cris "Cyborg" Santos. It's the biggest women's fight of all time, a testament to how well female fighters can capture the public imagination. It's also a battle between the photogenic "girl next door" Carano and the intimidating Brazilian slugger Cyborg.

Ultimately for Cyborg, however, it's just about the fight.

Cyborg trained in mixed martial arts for years at the vaunted Chute Boxe Academy in Brazil. Her style closely emulates the old style of Chute Boxe legend Wanderlei Silva, who charged at opponents in Pride with fierce, unrelenting aggression. Cyborg's striking ability inspired enough fear in opponents that she had difficulty finding opponents for fights in Brazil.

Her options there limited, Cyborg came to fight in the United States. Few could have expected before her first American fight last July that in a little over a year she would be headlining a major fight card.

At the time, Gina Carano was gaining popularity as the female face of mixed martial arts. Cyborg's aggressive standup style made her seem the perfect foil for Carano's Muay Thai skills. A Carano-Cyborg bout became a big topic of discussion, and Strikeforce finally put together the bout and made it the main event of a major show. Her whirlwind ascent means mixed feelings for Cyborg.

"I'm surprised of course to be in this position because Strikeforce is the second biggest show on the planet," Cyborg told CBSSports.com through translator Ivan Canello. "But I also believe it is a consequence of my hard work. I've had good fights in Brazil and went without opponents because no one would fight me. I believe God is blessing me with this opportunity."

While the fight is being promoted as an important event for female mixed martial arts, it's not an angle Cris Cyborg is eager to discuss. Asked about the importance of the fight for female MMA and fan reactions to it, Cyborg deflects questions and focuses simply on her personal goals and desire to represent her team well.

Cyborg's training for the Carano fight has taken place in Southern California, but with a distinctive Brazilian flavor. She has brought in a number of trainers from Chute Boxe to supplement those already in the U.S.

"I am going to present the best Chute Boxe that everyone can watch," Cyborg says. "I will be aggressive like my husband [fellow Strikeforce fighter Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos] and all the fighters from Chute Boxe."

Given Cyborg's tenacious style, there are questions about her ability to maintain a torrid pace. Her recent fights were scheduled for three three-minute rounds, but California has recently authorized five-minute rounds for female fights. Cyborg-Carano is a title fight and thus will have five five-minute rounds, nearly triple the scheduled time of Cyborg's most recent fight.

Cyborg and Carano are likely to engage in a Muay Thai showdown early, but the fight could end up turning more on cardiovascular conditioning than on standup techniques. Cyborg insists she is prepared for a longer fight and always has been.

"I did no special training for this fight," Cyborg says. "I always prepared myself for all the rounds. My stamina is always good. I bring my Chute Boxe style, and if I can finish it early, I will."

A consistent issue in women's MMA has been making weight. Both fighters have had trouble making weight in the past, and it would be embarrassing if the biggest fight in women's MMA history had to become a non-title bout because one fighter failed to make weight. Cyborg acknowledges weight is always an issue for her but insists there will be no problems this time.

"My weight is going to be hard like always, but it's under control," Cyborg asserts. "I'm going to make the weight."

Carano has been a big crowd favorite throughout her MMA career, and it's highly likely Saturday's San Jose crowd will strongly support her against Cyborg. She won't be surprised if that is the case.

"I am aware that Gina is going to have the fans on her side," Cyborg says. "Not everybody knows me here but that doesn't bother me. Once we are inside the cage, it's Gina vs. me as fighters and the crowd booing won't make me better or worse."

But Cyborg doesn't relish the role of villain. Rather, she views herself as a fighter doing her job and has nothing bad to say about her opponent.

"I don't have anything against Gina," Cyborg notes. "I like Gina and think she is a good person. I will go for the face because I always go for the face with knees, kicks and punches. But that's just the consequence of the fight. It's easier to get the knockout."

Ultimately, Cyborg's motivations for the fight aren't going to influence the way she is perceived. If fans want to celebrate her as a pioneer, she will be celebrated. If fans want to root against her, they will. Professional athletes' images are often trapped by the popular imagination.

What Cyborg can control is much simpler: the fight outcome. If her hand is raised at the end of the night, little else matters.

[goju]

id say first round knock out by gina
i think shes too strong for any female fighter out there

[GeneChing]

We're all hypnotized by her.

Carano lifeblood of women’s MMA
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports Aug 12, 2:30 am EDT

Gina Carano has done hundreds of interviews and personal appearances since the day in the spring she announced she’d reached contract terms to fight Christiane “Cyborg” Santos on Saturday at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

And in virtually every one of those interviews, Carano can barely finish a sentence without beaming and chuckling a bit.

Santos is, by far, the most dangerous woman she’s ever faced, yet Carano exudes cool. The pressure on her in Saturday’s nationally televised bout is immense. There is no athlete in any sport, male or female, who is more important to the success of that sport than Carano is to women’s mixed martial arts.

The NFL made it without Tom Brady last year. Barry Bonds hasn’t played a baseball game since 2007, but ticket sales and fan interest continue to soar. Tiger Woods didn’t play golf for nine months, but courses still were filled and tournaments still were broadcast.

If Carano quit fighting tomorrow, though, she’d take women’s MMA down with her. She’s in the main event Saturday and has received superstar treatment, but there wouldn’t be a women’s fight on television, let alone headlining the card, if Carano weren’t involved.

Through it all, though, she manages to remain one of sport’s most humble and self-effacing figures.

Nothing seems to faze her. She seems as if she’s going to play tennis in the park with her sister, yet she’s fighting for the first Strikeforce women’s featherweight championship in the main event of a much-hyped nationally televised bout.

She was an instant hit in her first MMA bout and hasn’t slowed down. Yet, she doesn’t try to figure it out and just seems to enjoy the attention and the chance to increase the visibility of a sport she loves.

“I don’t have to be there for the sport to be successful,” Carano said. “I’m doing the best with this opportunity to represent the sport. I’m doing everything I can do. But the sport is awesome. It’ll make it by itself. They don’t need me for it to be successful. I’m being given the chance right now for a period of time and there will be another person with the chance next.”

Eventually, some woman would have come along who would have done for women’s MMA what Carano is doing now. Carano, though, has essentially created the industry.

It hasn’t been without potholes along the way.

Just as when Woods joined the PGA Tour and there were players who were unhappy with the amount of attention he commanded, so are there women who are unhappy that the world seems not to notice them and lavishes attention on Carano.

Eventually, those golfers who complained about the attention being paid to Woods were soon thankful that he was on the Tour when purses started to rise, crowds began to swell, television ratings soared and sponsorship opportunities increased dramatically.

Carano is doing the same thing for female fighters. She was the first woman to fight on both premium cable and network television and is now the first woman to headline a live nationally televised card.

Photo Gina Carano, left, and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos will fight in the Strikeforce main event on Aug. 15 in San Jose, Calif.
(Esther Lin/AP Photo/Strikeforce)

Whether she wins or loses on Saturday won’t matter, because her contribution to MMA will go far beyond a single bout. Because of Gina Carano, it’s OK to put a women’s fight on television. Men’s MMA is still struggling to reach the mainstream, but Carano is doing her part to nudge it in the right direction.

She’s been the epitome of class and grace in the most trying of circumstances. Most importantly, her fights consistently deliver. She’s one of the most exciting fighters, male or female, active today.

The fight on Saturday figures to be a Fight of the Year type of bout in which each woman will stand and throw power shots at the other. She relishes that type of head-to-head showdown.

“I think Cyborg said it best,” Carano said. “It’s going to be who makes the least amount of mistakes [who wins]. We both have things going for us. We’re about the same size. She’s got bigger muscles, but I’m pretty strong and I love to get down.”

She concedes the nerves occasionally get the best of her, but her trainer, five-time Ultimate Fighting Championship title-holder Randy Couture, has spent plenty of time advising her on the mental side of the game.

Couture is renowned for his ability to relax and remain calm and he’s shared his secrets with Carano.

“Randy Couture has taught me a lot of things, like the difference being anxious and nervous,” Carano said. “Nervous is negative. Anxious is when you expect to do well. There are good and bad days. I can’t let the pressure get to me. I’m still human.

“Some days, I’m wondering how this all happened and why I got this opportunity. I’ve gotten to go to Thailand, New York. I love life.”

That passion translates easily to the public, which picks up on it and embraces her. Fans love athletes who are highly skilled, highly motivated and who clearly enjoy what they do, as Carano does.

Her mere presence has made Saturday’s show an event rather than just another fight card. No athlete in any sport has had the kind of impact, particularly in such a short time, that Carano has had on women’s MMA.

All you have to do is watch on Saturday and you’ll quickly understand why. When she eventually walks away and hangs up the gloves, there will be little doubt that Gina Carano left her sport a lot better off than when she joined it.

[GeneChing]

I confess, I haven't been this excited about a fight since Le vs Shamrock.

Strikeforce's 'Cyborg' ready to knock Carano out
by Steve Bien-Aime, FOXSports.com

MMA history will be made Saturday when Gina Carano fights Cris "Cyborg" Santos in an historic main event in San Jose, Calif.

They'll be the first women to headline a major MMA card. Also, the fight for Strikeforce's 145-pound title will be five five-minute rounds, which normally doesn't happen for women's bouts.

While Carano is getting lots of attention for her looks, Santos has been seemingly lost in the fold. After losing her first fight, Santos has won her past seven (five by TKO).

FOXSports.com's Steve Bien-Aime recently spoke with Santos (through her translator) to get her views on the coverage of the fight and what Saturday's bout (on Showtime) means to her.

FOXSports.com: What does Saturday's fight mean for women's MMA?

Santos: It's very important because it's not only me, but Gina, the first women's main event. This will open doors for girls in MMA, so it's very important.

FOXSports.com: Is there added pressure fighting in this particular main event?

Santos: Actually, not really. It does not matter if it's the first fight or the last fight, I'm going to train the same. ... I'm used to fighting in the main event in Brazil.

FOXSports.com: How do you feel about all the media attention Carano is getting?

Santos: It doesn't affect me. I'm the underdog. ... I feel I can present myself well with all of the attention on Gina.

FOXSports.com: What are the keys to the fight?

Santos: In all my fights, I'm going for the knockout. I'm a Muay Thai fighter. If the fight goes on the ground, I'm ready to submit Gina.

FOXSports.com: Are you ready to go five rounds?

Santos: I'm prepared to fight five rounds, but I'm looking for the knockout. It's the best way to finish a fight.

FOXSports.com: Would you look to fight in the UFC if it gets a women's division?

Santos: I'm very happy with Strikeforce because it's supporting me with good opponents, contract. ... If some day the UFC makes a female division and if it's a good opportunity, then I'll go for it. ... But, I'm very happy with Strikeforce now.

FOXSports.com: What are your plans for after the fight?

Santos: I want to rest a little and travel a lot. Then I want to go back and train and improve my technique.

FOXSports.com: Anything else you want to say?

Santos: Thanks to Strikeforce, my fans, my sponsors. I'll make a very good showing for all fans on Aug. 15.

[Taryn P.]

Wow, Gene seems a little precoccupied today.

[goju]

he busy kissing his gina picture in his office loljk

[GeneChing]

Check out our latest e-zine offering: Gina Carano on Kung Fu

[MasterKiller]

Check out our latest e-zine offering: Gina Carano on Kung Fu

why do you have a pic of Kyra Gracie on that page?

[Lucas]

why do you have a pic of Kyra Gracie on that page?

cuz its hot

[GeneChing]

...I'm going to get him to change it as soon as he gets in.

Good catch, MK. I was wondering if anyone would notice that.

[GeneChing]

I just got this press release from Strikeforce

* * * FREE PUBLIC WEIGH-IN * * *

STRIKEFORCE: "CARANO VS. CYBORG"

Official Weigh-In This Friday, Aug. 14, at 4 P.M PT
At Marriott In Downtown, San Jose, Calif.

WHO: All fighters who will compete in this Saturday's eagerly anticipated,
STRIKEFORCE world championship Mixed Martial Arts event at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

WHAT: Media and fans are invited to attend the official weigh-in for the historic "STRIKEFORCE: Carano vs. Cyborg'' mega-fight card this Saturday, Aug. 15, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif, live on SHOWTIME® (10:30 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

Tickets, priced from $30, are on sale at the HP Pavilion (408) 287-7070, all

Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online

(www.ticketmaster.com <http://www.ticketmaster.com/> ) and the official STRIKEFORCE website (www.strikeforce.com <http://www.strikeforce.com/> ). HP Pavilion doors open at 5 p.m. PT. The first preliminary bout will begin at 5:30.

Gina "Conviction" Carano (7-0) and Cris Cyborg (7-1) will clash in the main event for the first STRIKEFORCE 145-pound Female Championship. Other STRIKEFORCE world title fights: Renato "Babalu" Sobral (35-8) will defend his light heavyweight belt against superstar Gegard "The Dreamcatcher'' Mousasi (25-2-1) and Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez (15-2) will put his interim STRIKEFORCE lightweight title on the line in a rematch against Mitsuhiro "The Endless Fighter'' Ishida (18-5-1).

WHERE: Salon I, II, and III at San Jose Marriott, 301 South Market Street, San Jose, 95113, (408) 280-1300

WHEN: Friday, Aug. 14, 2009; 4 p.m. PT

Wonder if Gina will have to strip nekkid to make weight again.

[goju]

I just got this press release from Strikeforce

Wonder if Gina will have to strip nekkid to make weight again.

we can only hope and pray gene lol