Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Gina Carano
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Gina Carano made an impact.
Gina Carano is an American actress and former mixed martial artist. She rose to prominence in women's MMA, competing in Elite Xtreme Combat and Strikeforce from 2006 to 2009, achieving a 7-1 record. Carano was considered by many to be the "face of women's MMA" during her fighting career. She and Cris Cyborg headlined a major MMA event in 2009, marking a significant moment for the sport. She retired from MMA competition following a loss to Cyborg.
2005: Ring Girls Starring Role
In 2005, Gina Carano starred in the film Ring Girls, which is based on true events about American women attempting to fight the best Muay Thai fighters.
December 8, 2006: Victory at Strikeforce: Triple Threat
On December 8, 2006, Gina Carano defeated Elaina Maxwell at Strikeforce: Triple Threat via unanimous decision, marking the first female fight in Strikeforce.
2006: Carano Enters MMA
In 2006, Gina Carano began competing in Elite Xtreme Combat and Strikeforce, launching her career in mixed martial arts.
February 10, 2007: Showtime EliteXC Win
On February 10, 2007, Gina Carano defeated Julie Kedzie via unanimous decision at Showtime EliteXC, earning "Fight of the Night" and marking the first televised female fight on Showtime.
September 15, 2007: First Submission Win
On September 15, 2007, Gina Carano defeated Tonya Evinger via rear-naked choke at Showtime EliteXC, marking her first career win by submission.
2007: Fight Girls Mentor
In 2007, Gina Carano served as a mentor to aspiring fighters in the Oxygen reality series Fight Girls, alongside Lisa King.
May 13, 2008: Search Popularity on Google and Yahoo!
On May 13, 2008, "Gina Carano" was the fastest-rising search on Google and third-most-searched person on Yahoo!, and ranked no. 5 on Yahoo!'s "Top Ten Influential Women of 2008" list.
May 31, 2008: EliteXC: Primetime Victory
On May 31, 2008, Gina Carano defeated Kaitlin Young at EliteXC: Primetime. She had to forfeit a portion of her purse due to failing to make weight the day before.
October 3, 2008: Making Weight for Kobold Fight
On October 3, 2008, Gina Carano successfully made weight for her fight against Kelly Kobold after multiple attempts at the weigh-in.
December 16, 2008: American Gladiators Workout Video Release
On December 16, 2008, the workout video for the NBC show American Gladiators, in which Gina Carano (as Crush) starred, was released on DVD.
May 2009: Ranked on Maxim's Hot 100 List
In May 2009, Gina Carano was ranked no. 16 on Maxim's Hot 100 list.
August 15, 2009: Strikeforce Championship Loss
On August 15, 2009, Gina Carano fought Cris Cyborg at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg for the inaugural Strikeforce Women's Lightweight Championship but lost by TKO in the first round, marking her first professional MMA career loss.
August 2009: Period of Inactivity
Starting in August 2009, Gina Carano remained inactive and was not scheduled for any upcoming MMA events, although she was still under contract with the UFC.
September 2009: Leading Role in Haywire
In September 2009, Gina Carano landed the leading role in the spy thriller Haywire, directed by Steven Soderbergh.
October 19, 2009: Cover Athlete for ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue
On October 19, 2009, Gina Carano was one of the cover athletes, along with Serena Williams, for ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue.
2009: Acting roles in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 and Blood and Bone
In 2009, Gina Carano appeared in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 as Natasha and in the martial arts film Blood and Bone.
2009: First MMA Defeat
In 2009, Gina Carano faced her first professional MMA defeat against Cris Cyborg and retired from competition afterward.
November 2010: Strikeforce CEO Hopeful for Return
In November 2010, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker expressed hope for Gina Carano's return to MMA in 2011.
February 2011: Carano's Return Announced
In February 2011, Gina Carano's return to Strikeforce was formally announced.
April 9, 2011: Return Bout Announcement
On April 9, 2011, Strikeforce announced that Gina Carano would return against Sarah D'Alelio on June 18 during the Overeem vs. Werdum Strikeforce event in Dallas.
2011: Leads in Haywire
In 2011, Gina Carano transitioned to acting, landing her first major role as the lead in the action film Haywire.
2011: Haywire Release
In 2011, Haywire, starring Gina Carano, was released and received reviews praising Carano's physicality.
February 2012: Cast in In the Blood
In February 2012, Gina Carano was cast in In the Blood, an action thriller directed by John Stockwell.
2012: Cast in The ExpendaBelles
In 2012, Gina Carano was cast as the lead in The ExpendaBelles, an all-female ensemble action film that would have been part of The Expendables franchise, but the project never materialized.
July 2013: Avengelyne Adaptation
In July 2013, Gina Carano and Rob Liefeld announced they were working on a big-screen adaptation of Liefeld's Avengelyne, with Carano starring as the titular character.
2013: Fast & Furious 6
In 2013, Gina Carano appeared in Fast & Furious 6 as a member of Special Agent Luke Hobbs' team, receiving praise for her performance.
2013: Critics Choice Awards Nomination
In 2013, Gina Carano was nominated for the Critics Choice Awards for best actress in an action movie for Haywire.
April 2014: Considering MMA Return
In April 2014, Gina Carano said during an appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show that she was considering a return to MMA.
September 2014: Contract Negotiations Stall
In September 2014, Dana White of the UFC said that contract negotiations with Gina Carano had stalled.
December 2014: Planned Fight That Never Happened
In December 2014, Ronda Rousey mentioned on the Joe Rogan Experience 690 podcast that a fight between her and Gina Carano had been planned but never materialized.
2014: Almost Human Episode
In 2014, Gina Carano appeared in the Fox series Almost Human episode "Unbound", playing an XRN combat android named Danica.
2014: In the Blood Release
In 2014, In the Blood, starring Gina Carano, was released.
2015: Extraction Film
In 2015, Gina Carano co-starred in the film Extraction.
2015: Inducted into Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame
In 2015, Gina Carano was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame.
2018: Cast in The Mandalorian
In 2018, Gina Carano was cast in The Mandalorian, Lucasfilm's first live-action Star Wars television series, as Cara Dune.
2019: The Mandalorian Debut
In 2019, Gina Carano portrayed Cara Dune in the first season of The Mandalorian, a Star Wars series on Disney+.
2020: The Mandalorian, Season 2
In 2020, Gina Carano continued her role as Cara Dune in the second season of The Mandalorian.
May 2021: Running Wild with Bear Grylls Appearance
In May 2021, Gina Carano appeared as a guest on an episode of the show Running Wild with Bear Grylls.
October 2021: White Knuckle Production
In October 2021, production for White Knuckle, a film starring Gina Carano, was scheduled to begin in Tennessee, Utah, and Montana, with an exclusive release to subscribers of The Daily Wire in the U.S.
November 2021: Cast in My Son Hunter
In November 2021, Gina Carano was cast to play a secret service agent in My Son Hunter, a biopic on Hunter Biden.
June 2022: Terror on the Prairie Release
In June 2022, Terror on the Prairie, the replacement film for White Knuckle starring Gina Carano, was released exclusively to Daily Wire subscribers.
February 2024: Lawsuit Against Lucasfilm
In February 2024, Gina Carano filed a lawsuit against Lucasfilm for wrongful dismissal and sex discrimination, with funding from Elon Musk. The lawsuit was in response to her firing.
September 25, 2025: Trial Date Set
The trial for Gina Carano v. The Walt Disney Company, Lucasfilm LTD. LLC, and Huckleberry Industries (U.S.) Inc. was initially set to begin on September 25, 2025, but was later settled in August.
February 2026: Period of Inactivity
Until February 2026, Gina Carano remained inactive and was not scheduled for any upcoming MMA events, although she was still under contract with the UFC.
May 16, 2026: Scheduled Return to MMA
On May 16, 2026, Gina Carano is scheduled to make her return to MMA after a 17-year hiatus, fighting against Ronda Rousey at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
Mentioned in this timeline
Elon Musk is a businessman and entrepreneur who leads Tesla...
Joe Rogan is an American podcaster UFC color commentator comedian...
Instagram is a photo and video-sharing social networking service owned...
Serena Williams is a retired American professional tennis player widely...
Walter Elias Disney was a highly influential American animator film...
Google LLC is a multinational technology company specializing in online...
Trending
2 hours ago Kalshi Investigates MrBeast Editor for Insider Trading and Illegal Betting on Videos
3 hours ago Sam Altman faces backlash over AI, energy use, and comments on humanity.
4 hours ago LeAnn Rimes Revisits 'Coyote Ugly' Bar, Recreates Iconic Scene After 26 Years
3 hours ago South Africa and West Indies clash in critical T20 World Cup Super 8 match.
3 hours ago Cuban troops confront Florida speedboat, resulting in fatalities and sparking gun battle.
5 hours ago Max Scherzer Returns to Blue Jays for His 19th MLB Season
Popular
Jesse Jackson is an American civil rights activist politician and...
Susan Rice is an American diplomat and public official prominent...
Barack Obama the th U S President - was the...
XXXTentacion born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy was a controversial yet...
Michael Joseph Jackson the King of Pop was a highly...
Michael Jordan widely considered one of basketball's greatest players significantly...