There has already been some hyping up of the Gina Carano vs. Cyborg Santos fight as possibly being the biggest MMA news event of 2009. Now, Lorreta Hunt guarantees that Gina Carano will have even more attention from the press than UFC 100:
Now, let’s talk about reality. Whether people like it or not, Gina Carano is going to have an influential role in not only the shaping of women’s MMA, but in the direction of the sport as a whole.
I guarantee you she will single-handedly garner more press and media attention than UFC 100. Just wait and see. The interest Gina generates will turn a whole new section of fans onto Strikeforce and MMA, and I wholeheartedly believe we will be watching Carano, Robbie Lawler, Jake Shields, and the rest of Strikeforce’s expanding stable on CBS by January 2010.
The "trickle-down effect" of this is obvious. Strikeforce will start to make more money and then fighters -- male and female -- will be able to ask Strikeforce for more money.
Gina Carano will be facing Cyborg Santos at the Strikeforce card on August 15. The lineup also includes two other title fights, and this fight being the headliner is a real testament of how popular of Gina is. The fight will be very beneficial to the sport and it will bring in the much deserved attention to women's MMA. Sure, I'll give you that, but I just find it hard to believe that it will gain more press than UFC 100. Scott Coker can continue to throw all the hyperboles he wants and say it's between the two best female fighters in the world, but i still don't see it happening.
Aside from UFC 100 being the biggest card in UFC history, let us not forget that the Strikeforce card will be in August, sandwiched between three Zuffa cards, WEC 42, UFC 101 & UFC 102. There's a reason why we don't have much MMA pay per views on July, and that is cause no one wanted to go head to head with UFC 100. Affliction backed off their plans of doing that, and hell, even Mayweather had to fake an injury move his fight.
Gina Carano vs. Cyborg Santos could somehow gain more attention than the cards featuring Torres vs. Bowles, Griffin vs. Silva, Florian vs. Penn, and Nogueira vs. Couture, but they would certainly take some wind off Strikeforce's sails. Gina Carano is surely one of the most popular fighters in all of MMA, but she can't single handedly garner more attention than the biggest card in UFC history.
