Did Gina turn her back on the fans?
Just read this article. I know I don’t feel that she has turned her back on her fans, media nor Strikeforce. I think it is to be expected that she’s hurt. Who wouldn’t be after one of the greatest matches of your career? What’s your thoughts?
– NO she didn’t and its ridiculous to think that those three sentences justify putting up a 400+ word editorial such as this on a fansite! A fan would know that.
Is Santos’ Win Good for Women’s MMA?
For the holdouts, Saturday’s “Strikeforce: Carano versus ‘Cyborg'” put the defense on permanent rest, as 145-pound contenders Gina Carano and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos spent some of the most torturous five minutes in recent memory slugging, shooting and swelling. It was Santos who wanted it more, muscling Carano in the clinch, landing the bigger power shots and finally beating a grounded Carano as if it was personal with only one second left in the round. (An MIA Carano unable to be interviewed thanks to backstage medical intervention should suffocate any idea that it was a premature stoppage.)
Next for Carano: a seriously awkward position as gatekeeper for Strikeforce’s women’s division. Or, more likely, an immediate rematch with Santos.
Next for Santos: Carano, by virtue of being her physical equal. Japanese star Megumi Fujii is too small (115 pounds) to be a factor; new Strikeforce employee Erin Toughill is Santos’ size but an unknown commodity. Only Tara Larosa (17-1 and a barely passable 125 pounds) stands out as a challenge — and she’s signed with Bellator for a fall tournament.
Q: Will Carano’s vulnerability mean fewer tickets sold?
A: You could take the position that it wasn’t women’s MMA that grew in popularity during the past two years but Carano’s popularity in particular. Now that she has been bruised, it’s unlikely that the non-English-speaking, somewhat-less-angelic presence of Cristiane Santos will be a suitable replacement.
Q: Can Strikeforce cultivate a compelling women’s division?
A: Carano is a proven draw — her prior fights on CBS have attracted millions of viewers — but in doing so, she has run through a solid chunk of talent: Julie Kedzie, Rosi Sexton, Tonya Evinger, Kaitlin Young and Kelly Kobold. Santos also has gone on quite a run. Many of the remaining threats — particularly from overseas — aren’t their physical equal. Can you still be a draw if you’re fighting beneath your level?
Source & full article: ESPN Sports
1 more second could have changed history..
What an atmosphere and what a one-round fight. Gina Carano and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos slugged it out all over the cage for what seemed like the longest five-minute round in MMA history. Cyborg was slightly ahead in the round when she got the fight to the ground with less than 20 seconds left. Carano covered up and took 15 unanswered shots on her arms and to the face through her guard. When Carano wasn’t moving or defending herself, referee Josh Rosenthal felt compelled to stop the fight. The crowd seemed to think he could’ve held off since there was just one second left in the round. Cyborg (8-1) wins the Strikeforce women’s featherweight title at the 4:59 mark of the first.
Carano (7-1) was emotional in the cage as they announced the winner and handed the belt to Cyborg. It was the first loss of her career. She was more than competitive throughout withstanding multiple flurries and attacks from Cyborg. She actually powered out of a kimura attempt with less than 45 seconds left in the round. And at times she looked like the crisper striker. But the volume coming from Cyborg was eventually too much to deal with. Cyborg delivered as a minus-170 favorite on Las Vegas betting boards.
The HP Pavilion rocked before and during the fight. There wasn’t a three second break in the action during the fight and much of the crowd was on it feet for the entire fight. It easily matched the atmosphere of any UFC or Strikeforce card featuring all male fighters.
Now the question is, can Strikeforce and women’s fighting build the sport around someone who isn’t a beauty queen. Whether that statement offends you or not, reality is there was a reason Carano was part of American Gladiators and did so many appearances on shows like Craig Ferguson and Jimmy Kimmel. That said, Carano is also far from finished. She proved even in a loss that she’s a legitimate fighter. Maybe we see a rematch after both fighters get to test their skills against some of the other women as the sport grows.
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