Dana White tried to make Gina Carano a UFC star years ahead of Ronda Rousey — What happened?
Gina Carano was already in talks to take part in the UFC’s first women’s fight long before Ronda Rousey entered the scene.
Carano and Rousey had been lined up to fight for a UFC title, but when talks broke down, the bout was moved to Netflix instead.
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While her opponent has talked about wanting to compete in the sport’s top promotion, Carano admitted she’d hoped her return would come through a UFC debut.
She also looked back on how she might have fought in the Octagon even before what many thought would be her final appearance back in 2009.
Carano made it clear she doesn’t regret how things played out, despite missing some big chances during her time away from fighting. She spoke with MMA Fighting, reflecting on her choices and where they’ve led her.
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix
Gina Carano’s commitment to the Cyborg fight was something she felt she had to honour
Talks between Gina Carano and Dana White broke down more than ten years ago, centred around a possible comeback against Ronda Rousey.
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This wasn’t the first time the pair had discussed her future. Before her 2009 fight with Cris Cyborg, White had advised Carano not to take the bout and instead sign with the UFC.
She explained to ESPN: “Before I fought Cyborg, I had a meeting with Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta (former UFC CEO) and they were like, ‘Do not fight Cyborg and come to the UFC’,” she said. “But I had given my word to fight Cyborg and I come from a time where you show up and fight whoever is in front of you.”
That decision led her down a very different path soon after. Just one week after her loss, filmmaker Steven Soderbergh reached out, offering her a lead role in his next project.
If things had gone differently against Cyborg, Carano believes she would have stayed in MMA. “I would have continued fighting if I beat Cyborg,” she reflected. “I would have had to defend the title and wouldn’t have had time to act. I can say now that I’m happy with how things went.”
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Carano’s exit left a gap that wasn’t filled until 2013 when women finally debuted in the UFC.
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