GINA CARANO BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT FOR NEXT ELITEXC EVENT
Posted on | September 12, 2007 | No Comments
POPULAR, SEXY GINA CARANO TO MAKE
ANXIOUSLY AWAITED RETURN TO CAGE
SATURDAY, SEPT. 15, IN HAWAII
Face Of Women’s MMA Will Take On Tough-Talking Tonya Evinger In One Of Top Fights
On EliteXC’s Sensational “Uprising” MMA Fight Card On SHOWTIME at 10 P.M. ET/PT
HONOLULU (Sept. 12, 2007) – Anyway you look at her — Cover Girl, Smother Girl, Golden Girl or Girl Next Door — Gina Carano is a knockout. She will stop you in your tracks with her charismatic, vibrant personality and gorgeous looks, or she will floor you with her devastating kicks and fists.
It is apparent the moment you meet the popular, personable Carano that she is special, not just because she is a woman in a predominantly male sport, but because she is the epitome of strength: a mentally, spiritually and physically strong young woman by any measure both in and out of the cage.
The word is out. It’s a secret no more. Carano is more than a pretty face with a cute smile. She is a genuine athlete and legitimate fighter — talented, exciting and improving, too.
“We said from the very beginning that our intention was to make Gina Carano the face of women’s Mixed Martial Arts and so far she has done nothing to dispel that notion,” EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw said. “If anything, she has exceeded all expectations.
“The thing about Gina – and one thing you should never lose track of – is that she is truly a beautiful person, inside and out. She’s generous and gracious and has a heart of gold. Make no mistake, though. She is an exceptional fighter who not only is an inspiration to young women but to all MMA fans.
“Gina has always had the looks of a superstar, but what she has accomplished in a relatively short amount of time is remarkable. The exciting part is, she has only just begun.”
One would be hard pressed to find an athlete in any sport whose star has risen as quickly as the personable, classy Carano, who is signed to a multi-year contract with EliteXC, the respected live fight division of Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.
Since a memorable, breakthrough performance during EliteXC’s history-making debut on SHOWTIME on Feb. 10, 2007 – her epic victory over Julie Kedzie came in the first nationally televised women’s MMA bout and on the first MMA event to air on premium television – Carano has reached celebrity status. She has done fight commentary, interviews, photo shoots (Gina made the cover of Today’s Girl cover for Maxim Online) and starred in Oxygen’s “Fight Girls” reality television series.
Through it all, the 25-year-old Las Vegas resident has managed to stay humble and down to earth, although it hasn’t always been easy.
“My life has been a little chaotic in the last six months,” said Carano (ginacarano.proelite.com), who will face Tonya Evinger (tonyaevinger.proelite.com) Saturday, Sept. 15 live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast). “In a way, it is like I am living in two different worlds.
“I have my regular life, which really hasn’t changed, where I train, go home and stay with my family. Then, there’s the other life, where I’ve been super busy filming different things and meeting different people, signing autographs, going to functions, doing things like that.
“Being in the first women’s MMA bout on SHOWTIME was fantastic and the exposure I’ve had has been awesome. I knew that there was something special about my performance against Julie, but I had no idea it would be like this. I just take one day at a time and thank God for it. I love the fans and I love the people that give me positive energy back. I definitely appreciate it more than people will ever know.
“To have the opportunities I’m getting, to think about the adventures I’ve been on, I feel so blessed. I try to keep a level head, but it gets a little overwhelming at times. I know I definitely want to be a positive role model when I’m in the limelight, but basically I try and stay the same person all the time.
“I have to keep organized and keep myself together because if not, I’m not going to be able to fight well. So, for now, everything is nice for me. It’s beautiful. A lot people get wrapped up in himself or herself once people start noticing them. They start thinking they are more important than they really are.
“I will not get into that. I definitely won’t get wrapped into that.”
It may be difficult to refer to someone as an icon when they only have four professional fights, but the trail-blazing Carano, who also competed in the first female sanctioned MMA bout in Nevada and first event ever handicapped by the Las Vegas odds makers, has become the most famous and recognizable female fighter in the sports.
“This has all been awesome,” said Carano, who began her career in Muay Thay (kickboxing). “I want to thank everybody for accepting me and for the fans and the press for covering and for watching my fights and our sport. I’ve had so many people tell me how inspired they get about what we’re doing.
To illustrate what kind of difference Carano has made, she was approached one day recently by a young girl, a fan, who, after chatting with Gina for a few minutes, became overcome with emotion.
“We started talking; she was saying so many sweet things to me and telling me how I had really touched her inner self,” Carano recalls. “It was all so very touching. She was so appreciative of what I was doing in my life. Then, she just started to cry. I was so taken aback.
“Sometimes, I can’t believe what people say to me about making a difference. But when that girl started to cry, I was, like, no one could ask for more. For me, it was the ultimate reward.”
On Sept. 15, Carano will be making her initial start since February and her first since she began training at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. She was scheduled to fight in June but withdrew with an illness.
“Joining up with Randy Couture was a big moment for me, and having my trainers, Master Toddy and Scott Barry remaining part of everything made it perfect,” said Carano, who is known for a no-nonsense work ethic. “Before, I didn’t have anybody to put it together for me. I still have a lot to learn and I am working very hard to improve my game in all areas.
“But when I went over to Randy’s, that all got put together for me. I got better. Team Couture is amazing. I feel very comfortable with Randy and everybody there. Everything is so professional. They put you in the best possible mental frame of mind. Randy is so inspiring, it’s amazing. He is truly an icon.’’
Carano, who got national notoriety for her quote — “We’re not hitting tennis balls. We’re hitting people. Isn’t that more exciting?” — is confident that conditioning will not be a factor on Sept. 15 despite being inactive for seven months.
“I’m not worried about the layoff,” she said. “I stay in the gym and sometimes going to the gym can be like having a fight. I always train with a couple of different girls, but I trained with guys for this.”
The confident Evinger (4-2, 4 KOs), of Oak Grove, Mo., is regarded as one of the meanest, roughest, toughest athletes in MMA.
A nationally recognized former grappling champion who participated in the Pan American Games, she doesn’t come to merely win, but to dominate and destroy. Evinger, a slammer and banger in the truest sense, moonlights as a construction worker at a cement factory.
“I have a lot of respect for Tonya and I expect a really hard fight, but she has the same mindset as all my opponents,” Carano said. “They see me as a target – a big target. I know Tonya will be coming hard at me. A win would be like winning the title for her.
“That’s why, between fights or whatever, I try to stay even-keeled and keep things in perspective. That’s what makes it special: win or lose, you remain who you are. Sure, there’s pressure, but I started fighting when nobody was watching and I’ll continue fighting whether people are watching or not.
“I just love the positive energy. I believe if you work and train as hard and diligently as you can, if you don’t cut corners, you remain who you are, like Randy does, than everything will fall into place.
“I have always loved to fight and to live the life of a fighter. I like the mentality of fighting and I like to be physical. I really love fighting in the cage and the ‘anything goes’ kind of stuff. MMA is one of the most honest sports. In basketball and other sports, you can fall down and over-exaggerate it.
“I know I still have a lot to learn, but I am working very hard to improve my game in all areas. People can put me wherever they want to put me and that’s fine. But all I can do is give my best in the cage and do my best to live up to expectations and be the best that I can be.
“If I wind up losing a fight some day, but know I did my best, that’s all I or anyone can ask for. But I plan on having a good fight on Sept. 15.”
The biggest MMA event in Hawaii’s history will mark the initial collaboration between EliteXC and Hawaii’s most prominent promoters, ICON Sport and ROTR (Rumble On The Rock). In other televised bouts: EliteXC middleweight champion Murilo “Ninja” Rua (murilorua.proelite.com) defends against hard-hitting, offensive-minded ICON Sport titlist Robbie Lawler (robbielawler.proelite.com) in a five, 5-minute round scrap; Nick Diaz (nickdiaz.proelite.com) faces Mike Aina; Jake Shields (jakeshields.proelite.com) meets Renato “Charuto” Verissimo (renatoverissimo.proelite.com); and Joey Villasenor (joeyvillesenor.proelite.com) will meet fellow tough guy, Riki Fukuda (rikifukuda.proelite.com).
With the exception of “Ninja”-Lawler, the televised bouts are slated for three, 5-minute rounds.
Immediately following the SHOWTIME telecast, additional undercard fights will be streamed live on the Internet on the premier mixed martial arts social networking and entertainment site, ProElite.com.
“I just want to say thank you to ProElite, Gary Shaw and EliteXC and SHOWTIME for putting me on this card,” Carano said. “It is really, truly a great card and an honor for me to be a part of it. I’m really planning on putting on a good fight and I’m looking forward to it.’’
Born in Dallas County, Texas, Carano is the daughter of former professional football quarterback Glenn Carano.
In high school, the younger Carano played basketball, volleyball and softball. She became interested in Muay Thai Boxing after entering the University of Nevada. She currently is around 18 units shy of obtaining a psychology degree.
“I have not given up on going back to school, but, right now, I am having so much fun,” Carano said. “We will just have to wait and see what happens.”
EliteXC announcer Mauro Ranallo will call the “Uprising” play-by-play with world wrestling star Bill Goldberg and Stephen Quadros, The Fight Professor, serving as color analysts. The executive producer of the telecast will be David Dinkins, Jr. with Bob Dunphy directing.
For more information on EliteXC, ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series and other MMA-related stories, including bios, videos, photos, stats and more, please visit EliteXC.com.
About ProElite, Inc.
ProElite, Inc. [PELE.PK] delivers the most exciting entertainment experience in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live arena-based entertainment events, cable television programming on Showtime Networks and community-driven interactive broadband entertainment via the Internet. ProElite embraces MMA with the highest levels of honor, integrity, discipline and self-esteem all the while remaining inclusive for fighters, fans and schools. ProElite’s live fight division, EliteXC, delivers spectacular live MMA fight events that showcase the world’s top fighters. ProElite’s interactive business, ProElite.com, capitalizes on the growing popularity of the sport of mixed martial arts by building a community of mixed martial arts enthusiasts. In addition to streaming the most exciting live fights to the web, ProElite expands the fan base of the sport by providing a comprehensive set of online social networking tools for fans, fighters and organizations. ProElite.com – Empowering the Fight Community TM
About Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME® TOO™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILYZONE® and TMC XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND™ and THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI is also an owner and manager of SUNDANCE CHANNEL® , a venture of NBC Universal, Robert Redford and SNI. In addition, SNI manages and is the principal owner of Smithsonian Networks™, a venture with the Smithsonian Institution, which was formed to create networks showcasing scientific, cultural and historical programming. SNI is also the principal owner of On Broadband Networks LLC, a broadband game service provider, and OurChart.com LLC, provider of OurChart.com™, a social networking website featuring elements from the SHOWTIME hit series “The L Word®”. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME® PPV and is an equity investor in ProElite Inc., a Mixed Martial Arts event promotion company.