UFC signs Gina Carano setting up Ronda Rousey Superfight

There are only two fighters that the UFC tried to sign and failed – Fedor Emelianenko and Gina Carano. That number has now dropped to just one, as the UFC has signed Gina Carano.

An exultant UFC president Dana White detailed the prolonged negotiations in a Thursday interview with Damon Martin for FOX Sports.

“The hardest human being we’ve ever dealt with,” said a triumphant White. “We’ve dealt with (Brock) Lesnar, Tito (Ortiz), Chuck (Liddell) was f–king king of the world, Ronda Rousey, we’ve pretty much done deals with everyone on Earth and she is the hardest f–king athlete we have ever dealt with.”

“The problem was she allowed herself to be handled by these Hollywood f–king idiots,” explained White. “It was absolutely crazy. We’ve had all the biggest superstars in the world. Any time you deal with anyone in f–king Hollywood it’s a joke. It was literally a joke – it was comical. You feel like you’re in a ‘Saturday Night Live’ skit. This can’t be f–king real.”

The breakthrough came when ZUFFA CEO Lorenzo Fertitta interceded, and Carano herself sat down for a friendly business lunch with the pair, away from her handlers from Creative Artists Agency.

“I’m going to tell you what Lorenzo said to me,’” said White. “He said ‘whatever you do, if you want this fight to happen, do not talk to her manager.’ That’s what Lorenzo said to me. He said ‘you will f–king go crazy, you will lose your motherf–king mind.’”

When White, Fertitta, and Carano sat down for a low-pressure lunch on Monday, they worked amiably through the final barriers, and Gina Carano is now a UFC fighter. White didn’t want to give details in terms of what had slowed down the process, but it didn’t sound like a financial dispute over money for the contract. Either way, the problems were overcome.

Although it has not been officially announced, there are multiple reports that the signing of Carano was sufficient to lure former bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey from her self-imposed exile, and a showdown between the pair is expected to co-headline UFC 200 on July 9, 2016 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Other fights expected to be on the card include:
•Conor McGregor vs. Nathan Diaz 2
•Cain Velasquez vs. Travis Browne
•Johny Hendricks vs. Kelvin Gastelum
•Gegard Mousasi vs. Derek Brunson

It is particularly impressive that Browne and Rousey are fighting on the same card, although that challenge has been overcome by Miesha Tate and Bryan Caraway, who also live together but fought at the same event.

Ronda Rousey was lost after the 2008 Olympics, but discovered MMA and was inspired to fight after watching Gina Carano vs. Julia Kedzie.

Carano defeated Kedzie via unanimous decision in the “Fight of the Night.” It was the first televised female MMA fight on Showtime.

Carano’s middle name is Joy, her ring/cage name was ‘Conviction’ and she went by ‘Crush’ on the 2008 American Gladiators. She kept her mouthpiece conveniently in her sports bra.

Carano appeared in In the Blood, an action thriller in the vein of Taken. Her helpless husband vanishes, and she has to use her fighting skills to save the day and beat up the evil doers, like this corrupt policeman below.

Carano has appeared in seven films, with four more in various states of production.

In the Blood director John Stockwell stated, “This role will showcase not only Gina’s fighting skills, but also her acting abilities as her character struggles to rein in her violent past.”

And not rein it in.

Gina Carano puts on her bra on and adjusts it just like everyone else. #FACT. Born on April 16, Carano is the #1 most famous Aries named Gina. #REALFACTS

Carano, who was born under a tornado watch in Dallas County, Texas, is the daughter of Glenn Carano, the Dallas Cowboys’ backup quarterback from 1977-1983.

“Growing up [in Las Vegas], I got in a lot of street fights,” she joked. “I was the son my father never had.”

Gina Carano struggled to make weight for some fights, requiring her once to remove the sports bra. Her dad helped hold the towel. No one looked, or her dad would have tackled them into blovian.

Carano was ranked #5 on Yahoo’s “Most Influential Women” in 2008, and was ranked #16 on Maxim’s Hot 100 list in 2009. She’s a “Small Percentage of Italian.” She led her high school basketball team to a state title. Her college major was Psychology. She has 2 sisters.

Gina Carano’s idea of a great first date would include going to see a fight. And the one quality she looks for in a man?

“A sense of humor,” she said. “Not just any sense of humor, a weird one. He has to make me laugh.”

Q. Hey Gina, Where do elves keep their armies?
A. Up their sleevies!!!

Carano doesn’t really get her sex symbol status.

“All the attention has helped me, but it’s also hurt me,” she explains. “Sometimes, you get portrayed the way you don’t want to be portrayed. People start thinking about you a certain way. I’m like, ‘What’s everybody talking about with this sex appeal thing?’ I don’t get it. I’m not that way. I want people to see me for who I am and not for how someone else is trying to promote me.”