“Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano Likely for December”
UFC President Dana White is in Dublin, Ireland, for UFC Fight Night 46 today. On Friday, White spoke to the media, and said the UFC is prepared to ink a deal with Gina Carano. White and Lorenzo Fertitta have a meeting scheduled Monday with Carano and her representatives, where the deal is expected to be finalized.
White confirmed that as part of the deal they are offering Carano, she would get to fight Rousey for the title immediately, most likely in December. UFC 181 is booked for the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on December 6 (with no fights currently announced). Another option might be the huge UFC New Year’s Eve event.
Fans reaction to this news has been mixed. Carano has not entered the cage competitively in over five years. Her last bout was a loss against Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino on Aug. 15, 2009. She has not won a fight since she defeated Kelly Kobold at Elite XC on Oct. 4, 2008. Some fans feel Carano has not “earned” her spot as a contender for the UFC’s Bantamweight Title.
Other fans contend that a healthy and well-trained Carano would fare as well or better than any bantamweights currently in the UFC’s 135-pound stable. Rousey beat a highly-talented BJJ Black Belt, Alexis Davis, in 16 seconds on July 5, 2014 at UFC 175. And Rousey needed only 66 seconds for a brutal liver-shot TKO of Olympic silver medalist, Sara McMann, back on February 23, 2014 at UFC 170.
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