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. From 2006 to 2009, she competed in Elite Xtreme Combat and Strikeforce, achieving a 7-1 record. Her prominence earned her the unofficial title of "face of women's MMA," a label she disavowed. Carano and Cris Cyborg were the first women to headline a major MMA event in their 2009 Strikeforce fight. Carano retired from MMA competition following her defeat by Cyborg.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

2005: Starring in Ring Girls

In 2005, Gina Carano starred in the film Ring Girls, about American women attempting to fight Muay Thai fighters.

December 8, 2006: Victory against Elaina Maxwell

On December 8, 2006, Gina Carano defeated Elaina Maxwell at Strikeforce: Triple Threat via unanimous decision, marking the first female fight in Strikeforce.

2006: MMA Debut

In 2006, Gina Carano began her career as a mixed martial artist, competing in Elite Xtreme Combat.

February 10, 2007: Victory against Julie Kedzie

On February 10, 2007, Gina Carano defeated Julie Kedzie via unanimous decision on the Showtime EliteXC card, earning "Fight of the Night" and marking the first televised female fight on Showtime.

June 2, 2007: Bout Cancellation Due to Illness

On June 2, 2007, Gina Carano's scheduled bout against Jan Finney at the EliteXC/K-1 Dynamite!! USA event was canceled due to Carano being hospitalized for dehydration.

September 15, 2007: Victory against Tonya Evinger

On September 15, 2007, Gina Carano defeated Tonya Evinger via rear-naked choke on the Showtime EliteXC card, marking her first career win by submission.

2007: Mentor on Fight Girls

In 2007, Gina Carano served as a mentor on the Oxygen reality series Fight Girls.

May 13, 2008: Rising Popularity Online

On May 13, 2008, "Gina Carano" became the fastest-rising search on Google and third-most-searched person on Yahoo!, also ranking no. 5 on Yahoo!'s "Top Ten Influential Women of 2008" list.

May 31, 2008: Victory against Kaitlin Young

On May 31, 2008, Gina Carano defeated Kaitlin Young at EliteXC: Primetime, but failed to make weight the day before the fight, forfeiting 12.5% of her purse.

October 3, 2008: Making Weight for Kobold Fight

On October 3, 2008, after struggling to make weight, Gina Carano successfully weighed in at 141 pounds for her fight against Kelly Kobold.

December 16, 2008: American Gladiators Workout Video Release

On December 16, 2008, the workout video featuring Gina Carano as "Crush" on the NBC show American Gladiators, was released.

May 2009: Maxim's Hot 100 List

In May 2009, Gina Carano was ranked no. 16 on Maxim's Hot 100 list.

August 15, 2009: Loss against Cris Cyborg

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, marking her first professional MMA career loss.

August 2009: Last MMA Fight

As of August 2009, Gina Carano has not fought since that month and remains under contract with the UFC with four fights remaining.

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: ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue Cover

On October 19, 2009, Gina Carano was featured as one of the cover athletes along with Serena Williams for ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue.

2009: Appearance in Blood and Bone

In 2009, Gina Carano appeared in the Michael Jai White film Blood and Bone.

2009: First MMA Defeat and Retirement

In 2009, Gina Carano suffered her first professional MMA defeat against Cris Cyborg in a Strikeforce bout and subsequently retired from MMA competition.

November 2010: Potential Return to Strikeforce

In November 2010, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker expressed hope that Gina Carano would return to fighting in 2011.

February 2011: Return Formally Announced

In February 2011, Gina Carano's return to Strikeforce was formally announced.

April 9, 2011: Fight Announcement and Subsequent Cancellation

On April 9, 2011, Strikeforce announced that Gina Carano would fight Sarah D'Alelio on June 18, but the fight was later canceled due to concerns about Carano's medical examination, though she was later cleared.

2011: Lead Role in Haywire

In 2011, Gina Carano transitioned to acting, landing her first major role as the lead in the action film Haywire.

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 which was part of The Expendables film franchise, but the project did not materialize.

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July 2013: Announcement of 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.

2013: Appearance in Fast & Furious 6

In 2013, Gina Carano appeared in Fast & Furious 6 as a member of Special Agent Luke Hobbs' team.

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April 2014: Considering MMA Return

In April 2014, Gina Carano stated she was considering a return to MMA during an appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show.

September 2014: Contract Negotiations Stalled

In September 2014, Dana White of the UFC stated that contract negotiations with Gina Carano had stalled.

December 2014: Planned Fight with Ronda Rousey

In December 2014, Ronda Rousey mentioned that a fight between her and Gina Carano had been planned but never materialized during an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience 690 podcast.

2014: Appearance in Almost Human

In 2014, Gina Carano appeared in the Fox series Almost Human episode "Unbound", playing Danica, an XRN combat android.

2014: Release of In the Blood

In 2014, the action thriller In the Blood, starring Gina Carano, was released.

2015: Co-starring in Extraction

In 2015, Gina Carano co-starred in the film Extraction.

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2016: Appearance in Deadpool

In 2016, Gina Carano appeared in Deadpool.

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2018: Cast in The Mandalorian

In 2018, Gina Carano was cast in The Mandalorian, Lucasfilm's first live-action Star Wars television series, portraying Cara Dune.

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2019: Portrayal of Cara Dune in The Mandalorian

In 2019, Gina Carano began portraying Cara Dune in the first season of The Mandalorian, a Star Wars series on Disney+.

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2020: Cara Dune in The Mandalorian Season 2

In 2020, Gina Carano continued to portray Cara Dune in the second season of The Mandalorian, a Star Wars series on Disney+.

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February 2021: Controversial Social Media Posts and Firing

In February 2021, Gina Carano shared controversial social media posts, including a comparison between "hating someone for their political views" and the persecution of Jews during the Holocaust, leading to her firing from Lucasfilm's The Mandalorian and being dropped by the United Talent Agency.

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May 2021: Appearance on Running Wild with Bear Grylls

In May 2021, Gina Carano appeared as a guest on an episode of the show Running Wild with Bear Grylls.

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October 2021: Scheduled Production of White Knuckle

In October 2021, production of White Knuckle, a film starring Gina Carano and produced with The Daily Wire, was scheduled to begin in Tennessee, Utah, and Montana.

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.

2021: Cancellation of White Knuckle and COVID-19 Mandates

By fall 2021, the White Knuckle project was cancelled at Gina Carano's behest due to her unwillingness to comply with Hollywood's COVID-19 mask and vaccine requirements.

2021: Firing from The Mandalorian

In 2021, Gina Carano was fired from The Mandalorian following controversial political statements.

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June 2022: Release of Terror on the Prairie

In June 2022, Terror on the Prairie, the replacement film for White Knuckle, 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 Elon Musk funding the suit due to alleged employment discrimination based on her posts on X. Disney's motion to dismiss the case was denied by U.S. district judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett.

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. is scheduled to begin on September 25, 2025.