Pound For Pound: Carano vs. Cyborg

Much of the mixed martial arts world nurses a broken heart this week after watching dream girl Gina Carano get pounded out via first round TKO by Chris “Cyborg” Santos in their battle for Strikeforce’s first-ever women’s title last Saturday.

Sure, the beating seemed inevitable. Carano, after all, is famous for being a good fighter who is also very physically attractive while “Cyborg” Santos, as the nickname indicates, is slightly less famous for being an out-and-out killing machine. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out who comes out on top in that equation.

Still, much of the MMA fan community seemed to take it pretty hard when Carano succumbed to strikes in the final seconds of the first round. The fact that she was (quite rightfully) the highest-paid athlete on the card – Carano made $125K, five times what Cyborg earned to actually win the belt – probably does little to console her supporters or  the Xtreme Couture product who has always said she feels more comfortable being known as a fighter than a sex symbol.

But deep down, under the pain of watching the woman Pepsi Cola recently branded as the new Bruce Lee during an ad campaign get dismantled at the hands of our the new champ, this fight has to be viewed as a victory for women’s MMA.

The action inside the cage combined with the atmosphere in the area and on the live broadcast more than justified the bout’s position as main event. Regardless of the outcome, Carano and Santos proved for the first time that the ladies can carry a broadcast, especially after the rest of the fights on Strikeforce’s card suffered through some lineup irregularities.

Just like the guys, Carano and “Cyborg” also proved that women’s MMA is highly prone to controversy. Since referee Josh Rosenthal stepped in to stop the action just a fraction of a second before the horn sounded to end round one, there were those observers who felt Carano should’ve been given the opportunity to answer the bell for the second stanza.

Those people are wrong. Rosenthal made a great stoppage after Carano turtled-up on the canvas and accepted a series of blows from the standing ‘Cyborg.’ But at least the fact that some were upset about it proves that they cared and were emotionally invested in this fight. That’s a good thing. Even if MMA’s sweetheart had to take beating to truly put the women’ game on the map, at least she accomplished her goal.

The loss mars Carano’s previously unbeaten record and it no doubt hurts her pride, but it doesn’t necessarily tarnish her marketability. People will still pay to watch her fight, especially now that she’s in line to become one of those redemptive stories that sports fans love so much.

It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see Carano and Santos meet up again someday, probably sooner than later if “Cyborg” manages to hang onto the title and Carano can string together a few wins. It’s not like there are a ton … or any … other female stars out there for Strikeforce to match against its new dominator.

The downside here is that the women’s division remains regrettably thin. It still feels like Santos, Carano and then everybody else. The company can certainly make some interesting fights for ‘Cyborg’ with athletes like Tara Larosa and Erin Toughill, but it’s hard to escape the feeling that Santos is only a couple of fights away from pulling an Anderson Silva and cleaning out all the top competition in devastating fashion.

It will be interesting to see how fans respond to ‘Cyborg’ during her title reign. Her ferocity, athleticism and physical prowess appear to put her on a different plain than any other female fighter we’ve seen. In the men’s divisions, dominance has typically led to popularity. If fans are truly into women’s MMA for all the right reasons, this is their chance to prove they’re interested in more than just a pretty face.

Chad Dundas writes a weekly MMA column for CraveOnline. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.