A meeting this past week between UFC President Dana White and Gina Carano didn’t produce a fight between the former and current face of women’s MMA.
All is not lost, though, when it comes to the possibility of Carano fighting in the UFC’s octagon, White told reporters following the TUF Nations Finale.
“She wants to fight,” he said. “Let’s see if we come to deal or not and then we’ll talk about Gina. She’s under contract but that doesn’t mean anything.”
Nevertheless, Carano’s previous contract with the now-defunct Strikeforce, which UFC parent Zuffa assumed following the promotion’s closing, runs out in two months.
“Her contract with Strikeforce actually expires in June,” White said.
A title fight and return from retirement after a five-year absence almost certainly will warrant a contract renegotiation for Carano (7-1), who hasn’t fought since suffering the first loss of her career in a 2009 bout with Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (12-1).
Carano segued into movies after the fight but never formally announced her retirement. She has remained in the headlines despite her absence, with fans speculating on whether she might one day put acting on hold to fight once again.
Meanwhile, Santos remains on the outs with the UFC, whose parent company Zuffa released her from contract following a positive steroid test and wasn’t able to strike a new contract deal in negotiations this past year.
Widely credited as the first star of women’s MMA, Carano’s unofficial crown was usurped by Rousey, who won the Strikeforce title and now reigns over the UFC’s women’s 135-pound division.
White has been more than hesitant to discuss the particulars of the situation with Carano, blasting reports that her return is possible. Of course, with his most recent comments, that talk will only continue.
In the short term, Carano will not fight women’s bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey. The UFC recently announced Rousey (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) will instead face Alexis Davis (16-5 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in July at UFC 175 at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center.
Davis will be a huge underdog leading into the fight, as will Carano if she’s willing and able to fight at bantamweight, where White has said a bout with Rousey must take place. Carano has only once fought at 135 pounds – her professional debut – and repeatedly struggled to make weight in the women’s featherweight class. Coupled with her layoff, she faces steep odds in a potential bout.
White recently assured reporters that Carano can make weight. But as he said, any talk of a fight between the popular stars is academic if he can’t strike a deal with “Conviction.”