Never say never when it comes to MMA legends ending a lengthy retirement. And while women’s MMA trailblazer Gina Carano hasn’t officially announced a return, there’s arguably more smoke to that potential fire than ever before.
It’s been 16 years since Carano sailed off into the sunset after her lone career MMA loss to Cris Cyborg in 2009. Carano, 43, enjoyed a high-profile eight-fight run (7-1) during her time in the sport before she entered Hollywood and embraced the silver screen. Since then, Carano has spoken often about a possible comeback, including having preliminary talks with the UFC in 2014 for a would-be Ronda Rousey superfight that ultimately broke down.
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Last week, however, Carano raised eyebrows by posting new training footage with famed coach John Wood from inside Las Vegas’ Syndicate MMA gym. Speaking on Monday’s edition of “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Wood revealed he’s known Carano and her partner, Kevin Ross, more than 20 years. The appearance in the gym was nothing new, he said.
“They’ve been around, in and out of the gym for years and years and years,” Wood told Uncrowned. “So I got a call a few months ago that she wanted to get back in shape and get back at it and have a little itch to scratch, and see where it went. I said, ‘Absolutely.’
“Her and Kevin are just amazing people, and why wouldn’t you want to have a living legend that’s somebody who paved the way for a lot of women and a lot of fighters in general? She deserves the respect that she’s earned. It’s awesome having her in the gym.”
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Carano’s return to training, and more so her posting of footage, comes at an interesting time. The aforementioned Rousey also returned to MMA training in recent weeks and has shared her progress. The coincidental timing has only added fuel to the potential fight that was once brewing all those years ago.
From Wood’s perspective, he’s not sure where Carano’s return to the gym is headed. But admittedly, he said, there’s a difference now compared to her previous visits.
“Who knows where it’s going to go? I definitely think there is a little itch to [fight again],” Wood said.
Carano gained acclaim for her impressive striking early in her MMA career. Fighting against fellow pioneers like Julie Kedzie, Tonya Evinger, Rosi Sexton and Kaitlin Young, Carano notably paved the way for women in the sport to reach national television. Her 2007 bout against Kedzie made history as the first women’s fight to air on Showtime, and her eventual Strikeforce title tilt with Cyborg headlined its own Showtime card — a feat that, at the time, was unheard of for women’s MMA.
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With a coach of Wood’s caliber behind Carano, she could be well-equipped for a potential MMA return regardless of her lengthy absence. Whether or not it happens, though, is a different story.
“When you’re a real fighter, and Gina is, it never goes away,” Wood said. “And once you kind of get back in the gym and start realizing, ‘Oh s***, I can still do this.’ She can, man. She’s still got some pop.
“We’re just scratching the surface right now getting back into it. But yeah, I think there’s some thoughts there.”
