Dana White Confident He’ll Sign Gina Carano To Face Rousey This December, Says She Did ‘Damn Good Job’ Against ‘Cyborg’
Much has been made of the UFC’s attempt to sign former Strikeforce featherweight champion Gina Carano for a rumored title bout with dominant women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.
Dana White was supposed to be going to Los Angeles to “get this f—— thing done,” but Carano’s movie studio reportedly stood in the way.
According to MMA Fighting’s Shaun Al-Shatti, the UFC President revealed at today’s UFC Fight Night 46 Q & A that he’s headed to meet with the former MMA star this coming Monday, and once again, he’s confident a deal will be reached:
Dana White says he has a meeting with Gina Carano on Monday. “Pretty confident” he can get something done.
— Shaun Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) July 18, 2014
Many have questioned “Conviction’s” legitimate chances against Rousey after five years away from the cage, but that’s apparently the fight that will be made this December if and when she returns:
Dana White confirms that if the UFC signs Gina Carano on Monday, she will get the next shot at Ronda Rousey in December.
— Shaun Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) July 18, 2014
With MMA fans and media alike deeming the match-up a high-profile squash match, it’s hard to figure out many ways Carano can beat Rousey, an elite athlete clearly head and shoulders above her peers.
Indeed, Carano was destroyed in her last fight, a 2009 TKO loss to Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino. However, White said Carano did well despite “Cyborg” possibly being on “Mountain Dew” for the fight:
Geez. Dana White says Gina Carano did a “damn good job” against Cyborg, and Cyborg was “a little jacked up on Mountain Dew for that fight.”
— Shaun Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) July 18, 2014
Rousey’s next opponent is currently unknown, and “Rowdy” is on the sidelines following knee surgery and a broken hand. White confirmed the surgery went well:
Dana White says Ronda Rousey’s knee scope went great.
— Shaun Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) July 18, 2014
Rousey could tentatively return to fight sometime late this year. Newly signed Holly Holm is going to get a tune-up fight, while “Cyborg” won’t return to bantamweight until Invicta FC 10 this December.
No. 1-ranked Cat Zingano probably deserves a shot at Rousey more than Carano if she gets past Amanda Nunes at UFC 178, but there’s not much doubt that the “Rowdy” vs. “Conviction” bout would supersede any other potential match-ups.
Are you looking forward to his big name bout, or are you sick of hearing about a fight that could easily last less than a minute?