Gina “Conviction” Carano (7-0) vs. Cris “Cyborg” (7-1) – 145 lb Female Championship Bout
Main Event Odds: (-190 Cyborg / + 150 Carano) at Sportsbook.com
Prediction: Carano by rear naked choke in round two
The main event of the evening is not only a Championship fight, it is easily the highest-profile female Mixed Martial Arts fight in the history of the sport. Former Elite XC postergirl Gina “Conviction” Carano will face by far the toughest challenge of her career in the form of Brazilian manslaughter suspect Cris “Cyborg” Santos.
Both women have been insanely dominant, bludgeoning their opponents in violent fashion, all leading up to this female megafight. What is intriguing about this, more than anything, is that neither woman has ever faced competition even close to the other’s level, so both fighters are rushing headlong into by far their biggest, and most dangerous, fight.
Gina Carano, who is as much known for being sweltering hot as she is for being a fighter, is a lot more than just a pretty face. A skilled Muay Thai fighter under famed instructor Master Toddy, Carano has shown in quite a few fights that she has the kind of power that will turn opponent’s lights off rapidly. Less heralded is her ground game, but she actually has pretty solid jiu-jitsu.
In addition, considering that she trains in Las Vegas at Xtreme Couture and the caliber of Santos’ striking, I would be willing to bet that Carano has been training a lot of wrestling in the lead-up to this fight. If she hopes to keep her unbeaten record and her extremely hot face intact, she is going to need to take this one to the ground at least some of the time, because standing and trading with Santos for the full duration will likely prove fatal.
Santos may not be a postergirl like Carano, or get offered modeling jobs too often, but she does have a bright future ahead of her as a fighter. Santos is easily the most aggressive and physically imposing female fighter in the world, and her propensity for violence no doubt makes many of her opponents consider a career change after she is done with them. Her Muay Thai is ridiculously precise and powerful, and her physical strength and ability to bully opponents around the ring are completely unmatched.
I think this one is going to come down to Cyborg’s ground game. The sole loss in her career came in her first fight, by leglock. Unless she has improved her takedown and submission defense, Carano could pull off an upset on the ground. In a purely standup fight, Santos will likely destroy Carano, hence her status as a favorite.
I think Carano, with the help of her camp, is going to pull off a big upset in this fight by employing a different strategy than she usually does. Almost everyone expects this to be a slugfest, since both are strikers, but I think Carano will be smart enough to exploit a grappling advantage in her favor.
Carano by rear naked choke, round 2.
