Does Gina Carano Have What It Takes to Ignite Women’s MMA?

One of the definite bright spots of Elite XC’s brief-but-memorable existence was women’s mixed martial artist, Gina Carano.  Carano charmed and impressed casual and hardcore fight fans alike with her considerable skills and (let’s face it) attractive looks.  Besides just being a pretty face, Carano showed a charisma that landed her roles in television shows like “American Gladiator”, video games, and photo spreads in magazines.  Aside from her quick and genuine smile, Carano showed an enthusiasm for the sport that was only matched by her intensity once the bell sounded.

Of course, all of this is not enough, in the minds of many MMA fans and pundits.  After all, as the first truly big name female MMA fighter, the unenviable task of lifting up all of women’s MMA has been cast upon her shoulders.  Whether this task is possible in the near future, let alone whether one person can spur it on towards fruition, remains to be seen.

Carano says that she is looking to have her huge fight against Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos in August, and that she will not seek to have any kind of warm-up or tune-up fight beforehand.  She explains that she can only focus on Cyborg right now, and doesn’t want to focus on any other fighter at this point.  This is commendable and will probably help lead to a great fight, one that will be the biggest in the short history of women’s MMA.

However, the fate of women within the sport will not be decided along with the victor that night.  At this point, the uphill battle is not so much about having fans of the sport recognize female fighters as legitimate competitors, but having enough quality competitors to warrant women’s divisions in the top shows.

Even in the Elite XC days, it’s not as if Elite XC had truly supported women’s MMA, as far as having weight classes with multiple competitors.  Instead, the company merely showcased regular Carano fights, while building future opponents of hers, such as Cyborg, in occasional fights on the prelims.  If there was a particular weight division for the women in Elite XC, it could have been named “whatever Gina Carano is fighting at”.

That’s not to say that Carano hasn’t done her part to bring women’s MMA towards gaining acceptance.  Thanks to Carano’s fights, fans were able to see right away that there are truly talented female fighters, and that the women belong in the same cage as the men.  However, it can also be argued that the only career that Carano can truly build is her own.  Fans are not necessarily any more excited to see a women’s fight at their local MMA show than they were before, and in the end the reception that other female fighters get will be based on their own performances, not what Carano has achieved.

Plus, there are certain things that Carano can’t change.  The lack of organized weight divisions for women and the lack of options for top women in the smaller shows are serious problems.  Other women who have pioneered women’s MMA, such as Erin Toughill or Debi Purcell, found quickly that once word of their talent spread, they would have a difficult time finding willing opponents.  There simply wasn’t a deep enough talent pool for them to find consistent opposition.

Also, when exactly will a top MMA promotion, such as the UFC, WEC, Affliction, or Strikeforce adopt women’s MMA in earnest?  I’m not talking about just featuring Carano fights (though it’s a start), but by sponsoring several weight classes with a pool of contenders in each, just like with the guys.  This could be a while, as it is unlikely that a company like Zuffa is going to expand one of their flagship organizations by adding three to four weight classes of female fighters, with several fighters in each class.  Even if they wanted to, is there enough talent out there to do so?  Furthermore, does the MMA viewing public have that much interest in watching women’s MMA, or are they satisfied with the occasional Carano bout?

Luckily for Carano, she doesn’t have to really worry about any of this.  Instead, she simply has to focus on the next challenge ahead.  No matter what, she has already done her part to help women’s MMA get its proverbial foot in the door.  The rest is up to her peers.

by Jon Hartley for Fightmania.com

Tags: Strikeforce, UFC, WEC