Who Is Gina Carano?
American fitness model, former professional MMA fighter, and TV personality Gina Carano. She originally appeared in the cult classic Ring Girls in 2006 and has been seen on television ever since.
She has acted in popular films over the years like Fast & Furious 6, Deadpool, and Haywire.
Gina’s primary interests as a child were competitive sports. She was a standout basketball player in high school, helping her squad win the state championship.
Gina decided to seek a career in the ring as a result of her growing appetite for competition.
Gina began as a talented Muay Thai fighter before making the move to MMA after compiling an amazing 12-1-1 record there. Gina competed in eight MMA fights between 2006 and 2009, winning seven of them.
Gina has made a name for herself as one of the most recognizable MMA fighters and actors in America thanks to her achievements both inside and outside the ring.
During a news conference, Gina Carano stood in a boxing stance and stared at her adversary.
“It means a lot to me to stay the same person because I know all of this will be gone one day and I’ll just have myself,” she said.
Gina Carano clutches a gun in her arms while seeming fit and trim in one of her movie appearances.
“On ‘American Gladiators,’ I got to use a huge Q-tip to beat several people off a pyramid. Without the threat of being choked or knocked out, wrestling individuals was a lot of fun.
Body Measurements Of Gina Carano
| Full Name: | Gina Carano |
| HEIGHT: | 5’8″ (172.5cm) |
| WEIGHT: | 135 – 145lbs (61.2 – 65.8kg) |
| NATIONALITY: | American |
| PROFESSION: | Actress, Fitness Model, MMA Fighter |
| ERA: | 2010, 2000 |
Accomplishments
- MMA Background
2006
- World Extreme Fighting, June 10, Leticia Pestova defeat
- victory over Rosi Sexton at World Pro Fighting Championships 1 on September 15
- December 8, Strikeforce: Triple Threat, Elaina Maxwell is defeated
2007
- EliteXC, February 10: Destiny defeats Julie Kedzie
- Elite XC: Uprising, Tonya Evinger was defeated on September 15
2008
- EliteXC: Primetime, May 31, victory over Kaitlin Young
- EliteXC, Heat’s victory over Kelly Kobold on October 4
2009
- Strikeforce, August 15: Carano vs. Cyborg, loss to Cris Cyborg
- 7-1 throughout his professional career.
Filmography
- Year Title Role Notes
- 2007 TV series Fight Girls Mentor; regular part
- Natasha Volkova’s videogame, Command & Conquer Red Alert 3, was released in 2008.
- Direct-to-video movie Blood and Bone: Vernetta Vendetta from 2009
- 2011 Mallory Kane film Haywire
- Fast & Furious 6 (2013) Riley Hicks Movie
- Fast & Furious: Showdown from 2013
- Riley Hicks voiced in a video game
- Film In the Blood Ava (2014), direct-to-video
- Episode “Unbound” from the 2014 Almost Human XRN “Danica” TV series
- 2015 direct-to-video movie Heist Officer starring Kris Bajos
- 2015 direct-to-video movie Extraction Victoria
- Deadpool: Angel Dust (2016)
- Vengeance Marcia, a 2016 Kickboxer direct-to-video movie
- Madness in the Method: Carrie Movie; shooting
- Scorched Earth (2018) by Atticus Gage, direct-to-video
- Awards and citations for a career
- Awakening’s Outstanding Contribution Award for 2012
- Chick Norris Prize for Best Female Action Star, given at the 2012 ActionFest Film Festival
“There are some things I’ve always wanted to do, like competing in the UFC. There are only certain things that I think could have been done there.
It seems like a terrific time to get involved in women’s MMA because there are so many outstanding female athletes on the rise.
Biography
Short Career of Gina Carano 
Dallas, a major cultural hub in Texas, is where Gina Carano was born and reared. Her parents are Glenn Carano, a former professional American football player, and Dana Joy (née Cason).
Gina has two sisters—one older and one younger—in addition to her parents.
Gina’s mother raised her throughout her childhood after her parents got divorced. She went to high school in Las Vegas and captained the girls’ basketball team there.
She was a great basketball player who helped her high school squad win the state championship. Gina participated in volleyball and softball in addition to hoops.
As her time in high school was concluding, Gina began to concentrate on her academics.
She then enrolled at the University of Nevada Reno and later changed schools to the University of Nevada Las Vegas, where she received her psychology degree.
Gina decided to pursue a career in Muay Thai after being influenced by her ex-boyfriend, a professional fighter.
Gina had a very successful Muay Thai career, even though it was brief. She amassed a 12-1-1 record in the sport during this time.
Now let’s talk MMA
Gina received a lot of media attention as a result of her outstanding Muay Thai performances. She subsequently got a chance to compete in a Nevada-based female MMA battle that was officially sanctioned. Leticia Pestova would be her rival.
Gina enthusiastically accepted the invitation and began preparing for her very first MMA match. The two competitors entered the ring after a few months of training, with Gina emerging victorious.
Gina received a new MMA battle invitation after defeating Leticia Pestova. This time, Rosi Sexton was the opponent in the World Professional Fighting Contest. In the end, Gina knocked out Rosi in the second round.
“My first battle. I faced off against a girl who was slightly heavier and more experienced than me, and I was terrified because I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
And nobody thought it was my first fight because I performed so well against her.
Straight Success
Gina faced Elaina Maxwell as her next opponent on December 8th, 2006. Both Gina and Elaina had previously competed against each other in a Muay Thai match, which Gina had won.
Some detractors argued that Gina wouldn’t be able to duplicate her triumph in an MMA contest. She, however, disproved their assertions. In the end, she prevailed over Elaina by a unanimous vote of the judges.
A few months later, Gina squared up against Julie Kedzie. Gina triumphed once more, earning her fourth straight victory.
Health Issues That Cause A Postponed Fight
Following her triumph, Gina was slated to fight her next opponent on June 2nd the same year.
However, the event was canceled due to Gina’s health concerns at the time.
Ultimately, the battle took place three months later, where Gina defeated Tony Evinger for her fifth straight win.
Later Fights And Retirement from MMA
Throughout 2008 and 2009, Gina took part in three MMA fights.
On May 31, 2008, she defeated Kaitlin Young, a previous “HOOKnSHOOT” Champion. Several months later, she won over Kelly Kobold in the EliteXC: Heat match.
Gina’s last MMA fight happened on August 15, 2009. She competed against Cris Cyborg and lost via TKO during the first round, culminating in her first-ever loss in MMA.
Ever since then, Gina hasn’t fought in MMA, yet her contract with UFC is still valid to this day. Ultimately, her 7-1 career record has seen her become one of the most iconic female MMA fighters in the world.
Acting Career
Gina’s acting career began while she was still participating in MMA. Her debut movie appearance was in 2006, in a cult flick Ring Girls. From there, she started appearing in reality TV series, shows, movies, and even video games.
Some of her most renowned movies and TV program appearances include Fight Girls, American Gladiators, Haywire, Deadpool, and Fast & Furious 6.
She’s also recognized for representing Natasha, a buyable hero unit in the video game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3.
Awards And Accolades
In 2008, Gina was recognized by Big Biz Magazine as the “Hottest Woman in America.” During this moment, her name was one of the most popular search phrases on the internet.
She was also a cover model for several fitness magazines, featuring the likes of Serena Williams and other professional athletes.
In April 2012, Gina got the Best Female Action Star Award. A year later, she was nominated for the best actress in an action thriller flick Haywire – wowing everyone with her excellent performance in the movie.
“I find that whoever you are as a person is how you’re going fight, and every basic instinct kind of comes out at that moment.”
Training (Diet Plan)
Gina’s training routine is incredibly rigorous. To stay fit for her movie parts, she trains up to two times each day, every day of the week.
She mixes diverse training techniques, including Muay-Thai, Jiu-Jitsu, treadmill running, and weight training to stay strong and thin year-round.
Insane Haywire Workouts
Here’s Gina talking about her training for her role in Haywire; “The training for the movie was incredibly demanding. I’d do stunt training from 7 am-11 am, then pistol training and Secret Service training.
Since fighting drives your body forward so far, I also had to work a lot with a trainer on my back muscles and my butt to straighten me out.” — Gina Carano
Training For MMA Matches
When she was still a professional MMA fighter, Gina followed an extremely tough fitness routine. She trained for nearly two hours every day, practicing jumping rope, shadow boxing, and other forms of exercise to be strong, agile, and fast.
As Gina explained; “If I’m training for a fight I wake up in the morning and do cardio to warm up, like running on the treadmill or jumping rope, then shadow box for about 15 minutes, then do around two hours of sparring and technique. I repeat the same thing at night.”
“A lot of people appreciated the picture ‘Haywire’ and a lot of people had conflicting emotions on it but a lot of people have said really beautiful things about it being my first experience, that the fighting they truly enjoyed.
So I think I’ve gotten a lot more fans.”
Nutrition
Staying Lean for Movies
Gina has attempted several diets during her career. The diet that has worked best for her is the one where she eats largely nutritious foods, with an occasional ‘cheat meal’ here and there.
In a nutshell, Gina’s diet is all about balance. In her own words; “sometimes you have to cheat and eat some pasta you know? When you start putting too many rules on anything you get a bit anal about it and it’s counterproductive.”
Idols And Influences
When she first became involved in Muay Thai, Gina was inspired by her then-boyfriend who was a professional Muay Thai fighter.
He was one of the guys who influenced Gina to pursue a career in combat sports. Which eventually lead her to attain an astounding record of 12-1-1 in Muay Thai, and 7-1 in MMA.
What We Can Learn From Gina Carano
Gina Carano has always been interested in sports. From basketball, volleyball, and softball, to the biggest interest in her life, MMA. She’s driven by her relentless quest for development, year upon year.
Although she’s now more focused on her acting career, Gina has made a permanent impact as one of the top female MMA fighters in America.
With the same determination and will to succeed, you too can manifest your dreams into reality, whatever they might be.