Gina Carano facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gina Carano
Carano at GalaxyCon Richmond in 2024
Born	Gina Joy Carano (1982-04-16) April 16, 1982 (age 43) Dallas County, Texas, U.S.
Other names	Conviction Crush
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight	143 lb (65 kg; 10.2 st)
Division	Featherweight
Reach	66+1⁄2 in (169 cm)
Style	Muay Thai, Gaidojutsu
Fighting out of	Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Team	Jackson's MMA
Trainer	Greg Jackson
Years active	2006–2009 (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total	8
Wins	7
By knockout	3
By submission	1
By decision	3
Losses	1
By knockout	1
Notable relatives	Glenn Carano (father)

Gina Carano, born on April 16, 1982, is an American actress and a former mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. She competed in MMA from 2006 to 2009, winning 7 out of 8 fights. Many called her the "face of women's MMA" because she was so popular.

In 2009, she and Cris Cyborg were the first women to headline a major MMA event. Carano stopped fighting after her first professional MMA loss to Cyborg. After her fighting career, Carano became an actress. She starred in the action film Haywire (2011). She also appeared in Fast & Furious 6 (2013) and Deadpool (2016). From 2019 to 2020, she played Cara Dune in The Mandalorian, a Star Wars TV series on Disney+.

Early Life and Education

Gina Carano was born in Dallas County, Texas, USA. She grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her mother was Dana Joy Cason, and her father was Glenn Carano, a former professional football player. Gina is the middle child of three sisters. Her parents divorced when she was seven, and she was raised by her mother. She has mentioned that her family celebrates an "Italian festival" each year.

Carano went to Trinity Christian High School in Las Vegas. There, she helped her girls' basketball team win a state championship. She also played volleyball and softball. After high school, she studied psychology. She attended the University of Nevada, Reno for one year. Then, she went to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for three years.

Mixed Martial Arts Career

Gina Carano began her sports career in Muay Thai, a type of kickboxing. Her boyfriend at the time, Kevin Ross, who was a professional Muay Thai fighter, helped her get started. After winning 12 Muay Thai fights, Carano was asked to join the first official female MMA fight in Nevada. She won that fight very quickly, in just 38 seconds.

She then fought Rosi Sexton in Las Vegas and won by knocking her out. Carano continued to win her fights. She defeated Elaina Maxwell in December 2006. This was the first female fight in Strikeforce, a major MMA organization. On February 10, 2007, she beat Julie Kedzie in a fight that was called the "Fight of the Night." This was the first televised female MMA fight on Showtime.

Carano kept winning. In September 2007, she defeated Tonya Evinger by submission. This was her first win by submission, showing she could fight well on the ground too. In May 2008, she beat Kaitlin Young. Before this fight, Carano had trouble making the required weight. She had to give up some of her prize money to her opponent, but the fight still happened.

Before her fight against Kelly Kobold in October 2008, there was concern again about her weight. Carano hired a nutritionist to help her. She successfully made weight for the fight. Carano won this fight by a unanimous decision. She landed a strong head kick at the end of the fight, but Kobold stayed on her feet.

Championship Fight

Carano before the weigh-in of her 2009 fight against Cris Cyborg

After Strikeforce bought another MMA company, Gina Carano became part of Strikeforce. It was announced that Carano would fight Cris Cyborg on August 15, 2009. This fight was a big deal because Strikeforce created its first Women's Championship for it. The title was called the Strikeforce Women's Lightweight Championship.

Carano lost this fight to Cyborg in the first round. This was her first professional MMA loss. After this defeat, Carano stopped competing in MMA. There were talks about her returning to fight in 2011 and again in 2014, but these fights never happened. Gina Carano has not fought since August 2009.

Television and Film Career

Gina Carano started her acting career in 2005 in a film called Ring Girls. This movie was based on a true story about five American women who fought Muay Thai in Las Vegas. In 2007, she was a mentor on the reality TV show Fight Girls. She also appeared on the NBC show American Gladiators as "Crush."

In 2008, Carano was in the video game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3. She played Natasha, a Soviet sniper. She also appeared in the film Blood and Bone (2009).

Action Movie Star

In September 2009, Carano got a main role in the spy thriller Haywire (2011), directed by Steven Soderbergh. Critics praised her strong physical presence in the film. Newsweek magazine noted that her martial arts experience gave her "unparalleled physicality."

In 2012, Carano was cast in another action thriller, In the Blood (2014). She was also considered for a female version of The Expendables film series, called The ExpendaBelles, but that project has not been made.

Carano co-starred in Fast & Furious 6 (2013). She played Riley Hicks, a member of Special Agent Luke Hobbs' team. Many critics liked her performance. Richard Roeper said she was "BIG fun to watch," and her fight scenes were "epic."

In 2014, she played an android named Danica in an episode of the TV series Almost Human. She also appeared in the 2015 film Extraction. In 2016, she played Angel Dust in the superhero film Deadpool.

The Mandalorian and Beyond

In December 2018, it was announced that Carano would join the cast of The Mandalorian. This was Lucasfilm's first live-action Star Wars TV series. She played the character Cara Dune. Her first appearance was in the fourth episode of the first season. Carano played Cara Dune in the first two seasons of the show.

In February 2021, Lucasfilm announced that Carano was no longer working for them. They stated that her social media posts were "abhorrent and unacceptable." After this, Carano announced she would work on new film projects with a conservative media company called The Daily Wire.

In May 2021, Carano was a guest on an episode of the show Running Wild with Bear Grylls. In 2022, she starred in a Western film called Terror on the Prairie. She also played a secret service agent in the film My Son Hunter.

Lawsuit Against Disney

In February 2024, Gina Carano filed a lawsuit against Lucasfilm and Disney. She claimed she was wrongly fired and faced unfair treatment. The lawsuit was supported by Elon Musk. Disney asked for the case to be dismissed, but a judge denied their request. The trial is scheduled to begin on September 25, 2025.

Awards and Recognition

Gina Carano has received several honors for her career. She was featured in a story for the ESPN series E:60. In May 2008, she was one of the most searched people on Google and Yahoo! She was also ranked among Yahoo!'s "Top Ten Influential Women of 2008."

She was on the cover of ESPN The Magazines Body Issue in October 2009. In 2013, she was nominated for a Critics Choice Award for best actress in an action movie for her role in Haywire.

Awards Received

• 2008 World MMA Awards Female Fighter of the Year
• 2012 AOCA / Awakening Outstanding Contribution Award
• 2012 ActionFest Film Festival, Chick Norris Award for Best Female Action Star

Mixed Martial Arts Record

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Appearances

Video Game Roles