Carano Rising

Nearly one year and seven fight cards later and the one of the most popular fighters in Elite XC is a girl. Sounds like an insult, but it’s not.

After only five MMA fights, Gina Carano has captured the attention of the largely male sport with her girl next-door looks and Muay Thai strikes. All of these attributes have made her easily one the most popular fighters in Elite XC and all of MMA.

The result has been a virtual obsession from MMA fans. Every picture, article and interview is madly read, downloaded and obsessed on by casual and hardcore MMA fans who dream of getting on the good side of the dominant striker.

Look no further than this website. When an article, photo shoot or interview gets posted that features Gina Carano, the hits nearly double.

Capitalizing on this fame and notoriety, Carano has gone on the do photo shoots, pick up sponsors and even star in the new American Gladiators as “Crush.”

But why her?  While most point to her good looks and charming personality, it’s much more than that.

While she’s relatively inexperienced in the world of MMA (5-0), Carano spent a considerable amount of time training in the art of Muay Thai and amassed an 11-1 professional record.

This striking ability only made her a more appealing candidate to help Elite XC get their women’s division off the ground.

Another aspect of the Carano craze is her development. Training at the infamous Extreme Couture camp has expanded the formally one-dimensional game of Elite XC star. Each time she steps into the cage, most fans believe they are going to see a more well rounded and dominant fighter than they previously saw.

Still, truth be told, there are many other female fighters who are more proven and more dominating. Fighters like Amanda Buckner, Vanessa Porto, Tara LaRosa, Roxanne Modafferi and Jennifer Howe would have gone further in legitimizing the division for Elite XC.

What these girls lack is more than looks; they lack “it.”

In order for Elite XC to start a women’s division, the organization needed to give the fans a reason to watch. Having an attractive fighter who throws hands like Richard Simmons would have been an insult. Likewise, someone makes Rosie O’Donnell look hot would also have repealed the attention of the fans.

So to Gary Shaw and Elite XC, Carano is “it:” a perfect blend of talent and marketability.  Choosing her as the forefront for their female MMA movement has been marketing decision that has driven the division.

Whether Carano becomes the women’s version of Chuck Liddell or Pedro Rizzo, the impact of this attractive brunette has had on the all of women’s MMA will be long standing.

As for Elite XC, Gina Carano has become synonymous with the brand. Using Carano for brand recognition has paid off more than Google stock and given the company an advantage on other organizations.

Carano’s development will continue to be front-page news in the world of MMA, and few would complain. After all, Carano and women’s MMA is bringing the sport more of what it needs: legitimacy.