Gina Carano Set to Face Kelly Kobald-Gavin, So Cyborg Will Wait

Gina Carano

MMA Superstar Gina Carano will face Kelly Kobald-Gavin on EliteXC's next CBS special on October 4th.

Special for Bodybuilding Weekly 

August 8, 2008

We didn't know much about her before American Gladiators, but now that we do know her there are so many things that we love about MMA star Gina Carano.  Since we are a physique publication, of course it starts with Gina's sleek and tough 5'8" and 145 lb frame and the skills that have led her to her dominating performance on Gladiators.  She's beautiful, of course, and was named "Hottest Woman in America" by Big Biz Magazine.  Gina was an athlete before she started fighting, and she led her high school basketball team to a state title.

But the best thing about Gina is the way she makes everything she does look easy.  She is undefeated both on American Gladiators (as "Crush") and in the MMA ring.  On Gladiators she brings a casually dominant attitude, as in "I can take you when I'm barely trying" and then she slams contenders with her giant Q-tip and plops them into the water.  And it was the same attitude that she displayed as a spectator at EliteXC on July 26th, as she watched submission specialist Shayna Baszler take on the ultra-ripped Muay Thai master Brazilian Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos.  Her smile belied the competitive fire within, as Gina obviously wanted to be in the ring right then and there to take on the winner.

But even though a collision between Carana and Santos is inevitable at some point down the road, she won't get her wish at the next EliteXC on October 4th.  That's because Gina Carano has been scheduled to fight Kelly Kobold-Gavin instead.  According to industry insiders, EliteXC wants to set up Carano versus Santos as a potential pay-per-view event.

Santos is a physique specimen, trained to the max with bulging biceps and ripped abdominals, and she is only 23 years old.  She is a statuesque 5'8" and 140 lbs, and would present a formidable challenge to anyone on the circuit. 

Kelly Kobold-Gavin is nicknamed "Blood Red" and she hails from Minneapolis, where she has lived all her life.  At 5'6" and 150 lbs, she has an MMA record of 16-2-1 (with six wins by knockout and six by submission).  Kelly has been fighting since 2002 but there is speculation that her better days may be behind her, because she was defeated in her last two matches and her last win was in March of 2007.

Carano most recently defeated former Hook n Shoot champion Kaitlin Young on EliteXC: Primetime on May 31, 2008.  A day before the fight, Carano failed to make weight for her fight (140) after weighing in at 144.5 lbs.  Although most MMA organizations set weight classes at 135 (Bantamweight) and 145 (Featherweight) pounds, EliteXC opted to create a women's weight class at 140 pounds.  Carano agreed to forfeit 12.5% of her "show" purse to Young, and the fight remained on the card.  Her win came via TKO (doctor's stoppage).

If women's mixed martial arts ever becomes a legitimate mainstream success — if the general public can get past the negative stereotypes and appreciate the female fighters' many skills — Elite Xtreme Combat will be a big reason why.

Former EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw and Doug DeLuca, the former executive chairman of EliteXC's parent company, have been the most vocal about the organization's commitment to women's MMA.

Currently, the UFC doesn't promote women's MMA — nor does the organization plan to.

"If no one else wants to do it, it's all the better for us," Shaw recently said.

However, last week, both executives resigned their positions with the company for reduced, lower-profile consulting gigs.

However, the organization's commitment to women's MMA will not waver with new front man Jeremy Lappen, EliteXC's head of fight operations.

"We're absolutely committed to it," Lappen said after his first event at the helm of EliteXC.

In fact, Lappen said the organization will continue stocking its roster with female fighters and could even implement two women's championships — at 130 and 140 pounds — by year's end.

"We're going to continue bringing in the top female fighters," Lappen said. "We're going to have the best."

Source:  FigureRX Magazine