History of Gina Carano in Timeline
Gina Joy Carano is a former American mixed martial artist who achieved significant success with a 7-1 record between 2006 and 2009. She gained recognition competing in Elite Xtreme Combat and Strikeforce, even being dubbed the "face of women's MMA," a title she refuted. Carano made history with Cris Cyborg by headlining the first major women's MMA event in 2009. Despite her popularity, she retired from fighting after her first professional loss to Cyborg. Carano later transitioned into acting.
April 16, 1982: Birth of Gina Carano
Gina Joy Carano was born on April 16, 1982.
2005: Ring Girls Role
Carano starred in the film "Ring Girls" in 2005.
December 8, 2006: Victory Against Elaina Maxwell
Carano secured a unanimous decision victory against Elaina Maxwell at Strikeforce: Triple Threat on December 8, 2006, marking her second win against Maxwell. This fight was significant as the first female fight in Strikeforce.
2006: MMA Debut
Gina Carano made her debut in Elite Xtreme Combat, marking the start of her professional MMA career in 2006.
February 10, 2007: Fight of the Night
Carano defeated Julie Kedzie by unanimous decision on February 10, 2007, in a match dubbed "Fight of the Night," marking the first televised female fight on Showtime.
June 2, 2007: Bout Cancellation Due to Illness
Carano's scheduled fight against Jan Finney at the EliteXC/K-1 Dynamite!! USA event was canceled on June 2, 2007, due to Carano's hospitalization for dehydration.
September 15, 2007: First Submission Victory
Carano won against Tonya Evinger by rear-naked choke on September 15, 2007, securing her first win by submission.
2007: Fight Girls Mentorship
Carano mentored aspiring fighters in the reality series "Fight Girls" in 2007.
May 13, 2008: Surge in Popularity and Recognition
On May 13, 2008, Carano experienced a significant surge in popularity, becoming the fastest-rising search on Google and the third-most-searched person on Yahoo!. This coincided with her ESPN feature story and being named "Hottest Woman In America" by Big Biz Magazine. She was also ranked fifth on Yahoo!'s "Top Ten Influential Women of 2008" list.
May 31, 2008: Victory Against Kaitlin Young Despite Weight Issue
Carano faced Kaitlin Young at EliteXC: Primetime on May 31, 2008. Despite missing weight, Carano won the fight but had to forfeit a portion of her earnings.
October 3, 2008: Weigh-in Controversy and Win Against Kelly Kobold
On October 3, 2008, Carano faced scrutiny over her weight leading up to her fight against Kelly Kobold. After multiple attempts, she successfully made weight and won the fight.
December 16, 2008: American Gladiators Appearance and DVD Release
Carano appeared as "Crush" on "American Gladiators," with a workout video featuring her released on December 16, 2008.
May 2009: Maxim's Hot 100 Ranking
Carano secured the 16th spot on Maxim's Hot 100 list in May 2009.
August 2009: Last Professional Fight
Carano's last professional fight to date was in August 2009. Despite this, she remained under contract with the UFC through her old Strikeforce contract.
August 15, 2009: First Professional Loss Against Cris Cyborg
Carano faced Cris Cyborg for the Strikeforce Women's Lightweight Championship on August 15, 2009. This fight, which was the first time the championship was contested, ended in Carano's first professional loss.
September 2009: Haywire Role Secured
Carano landed the lead role in the spy thriller "Haywire" in September 2009.
October 19, 2009: ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue Cover
Carano was featured as a cover athlete, alongside Serena Williams, for ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue on October 19, 2009.
2009: Command & Conquer and Blood and Bone Roles
Carano appeared in "Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3" and "Blood and Bone" in 2009.
2009: Strikeforce Career and Rise to Fame
Gina Carano competed in Strikeforce, becoming a prominent figure in women's MMA by 2009, even headlining a major event.
November 2010: Potential Return to MMA
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker expressed hope for Carano's return to MMA in 2011.
February 2011: Return to MMA Announced
Carano's return to MMA was officially confirmed.
April 9, 2011: Scheduled Fight Cancellation
Despite initially being announced, Carano's fight against Sarah D'Alelio, scheduled for June 18, during the Overeem vs. Werdum Strikeforce event in Dallas, was canceled due to Carano failing her pre-fight medical examination.
2011: Critical Acclaim for Haywire
"Haywire" was released in 2011, with Carano's performance praised by critics.
2011: Haywire Release
Gina Carano transitioned into acting with her first major role in the action film "Haywire," released in 2011.
February 2012: In the Blood Casting
Carano was cast in the action thriller "In the Blood" in February 2012.
2012: The ExpendaBelles Casting
Carano was cast as the lead in "The ExpendaBelles," a planned all-female action film, in 2012. However, the project did not materialize.
July 2013: Avengelyne Project Announcement
Gina Carano and comic book creator Rob Liefeld announced their collaboration on a film adaptation of Avengelyne in July 2013, with Carano set to star.
2013: Fast & Furious 6 Appearance
Carano appeared in the popular action film "Fast & Furious 6" in 2013.
2013: Critics Choice Awards Nomination
Carano's performance in Haywire earned her a nomination for best actress in an action movie at the 2013 Critics Choice Awards.
2013: Fast & Furious 6 Release
In 2013, Gina Carano appeared in Fast & Furious 6 as a member of Special Agent Luke Hobbs' Diplomatic Security Service team. Her performance, especially her fight scenes, earned her praise from critics like Richard Roeper and Matt Goldberg.
April 2014: Consideration of MMA Return
During an appearance on "The Arsenio Hall Show," Carano hinted at a possible return to MMA in April 2014.
September 2014: UFC Contract Negotiation Stalemate
Dana White, from the UFC, revealed that contract negotiations with Carano had reached an impasse in September 2014.
December 2014: Potential Fight Against Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey mentioned that a fight against Carano had been planned for December 2014 but never happened.
2014: In the Blood Release
"In the Blood" was released in 2014.
2014: Almost Human Appearance
In 2014, Carano made an appearance as the XRN combat android Danica in an episode of the Fox series Almost Human.
2015: Extraction Release
Gina Carano co-starred in the film Extraction, which was released in 2015.
2016: Deadpool Role
Carano took on the role of Angel Dust in the 2016 film Deadpool.
2016: Deadpool Role
Gina Carano had a role in the superhero film "Deadpool" in 2016.
2018: The Mandalorian Casting
Carano was cast as Cara Dune in The Mandalorian, Lucasfilm's first live-action Star Wars television series, in 2018. She appeared in the first two seasons.
2019: The Mandalorian Debut
Carano joined the cast of the Disney+ series "The Mandalorian" as Cara Dune in 2019.
2020: Social Media Controversies Begin
Starting in late 2020, Carano was involved in several social media controversies. She faced criticism for her lack of public support for the Black Lives Matter movement and for adding mocking words to her Twitter profile instead of her gender pronouns. The latter incident led to accusations of transphobia, for which she later apologized.
2020: Final Season on The Mandalorian
Carano's time on "The Mandalorian" concluded with the second season in 2020.
2020: Mask-Wearing and Election-Related Posts
In 2020, Carano began posting content on social media that mocked the use of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic and expressed her belief in voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election.
February 2021: Lucasfilm Termination Statement
In February 2021, following an Instagram post comparing political polarization to the Holocaust, Lucasfilm issued a statement saying Carano was no longer employed by the company. They cited this post and previous ones mocking mask-wearing and promoting claims of voter fraud as reasons for her termination.
February 2021: Lucasfilm Dismissal and UTA Dropping
Lucasfilm announced in February 2021 that Carano would no longer be involved in future Star Wars projects. This decision followed a series of controversial social media posts by Carano. The same day, she was also dropped by the United Talent Agency (UTA).
May 2021: Running Wild with Bear Grylls Appearance
Carano appeared as a guest on an episode of the show Running Wild with Bear Grylls in May 2021.
October 2021: White Knuckle Production Planned
Following her dismissal from Lucasfilm and UTA, Carano announced a new film project, "White Knuckle," with The Daily Wire in October 2021. She was set to star in, develop, and produce the film.
November 2021: My Son Hunter Casting
In November 2021, Carano was cast to play a secret service agent in the Robert Davi-directed biopic My Son Hunter.
2021: White Knuckle Cancellation and Terror on the Prairie Production
By fall 2021, the "White Knuckle" project was cancelled due to Carano's refusal to comply with Hollywood's COVID-19 safety protocols. Instead, Carano and The Daily Wire began production on "Terror on the Prairie," a Western filmed in Montana.
February 2022: Carano Explains Post and Receives Support
Carano addressed her controversial Holocaust comparison post in February 2022, stating her intention was to highlight the dangers of government manipulation. Her explanation sparked debate, with some defending her while others pointed out perceived double standards compared to other actors' statements. Notably, Bill Burr defended Carano, calling her an "absolute sweetheart."
June 2022: Terror on the Prairie Release
Terror on the Prairie, a Western film starring Gina Carano, was released exclusively to Daily Wire subscribers in June 2022. This project replaced "White Knuckle," which was cancelled.
February 2024: Lawsuit Against Lucasfilm
In February 2024, Carano filed a lawsuit, financially backed by Elon Musk, against Lucasfilm concerning her firing. The lawsuit alleges employment discrimination based on her social media posts. A court date is set for June 12.