Gina Carano cleared to return for training, manager hopeful for Strikeforce return in 2011

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Gina Carano was expected to make her return to MMA for the first time in two years this June at Strikeforce "Overeem vs. Werdum" in Dallas, Texas, but a mysterious ailment led her personal doctor to remove her clearance to fight, taking her out of the event just weeks before the fight.

Now, according to a report from MMAJunkie.com, Carano has been cleared to return to training, and her manager says she's hopeful for a return to the cage in 2011.

"She's feeling good," said her manager Scott Karp. "She's ready to get back in there and train."

Carano last fought in August of 2009, where she suffered her only MMA defeat, a TKO loss to Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos in the first major televised MMA event to be headlined by a women's fight. The one time "Face of Women's MMA" then took time out to act, starring in the upcoming film Haywire from Steven Soderbergh alongside Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas and Bill Paxton.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: If Carano can't return before the end of the year, there may not be a women's division in Strikeforce for her to come back to by 2012. The release of Marloes Coenen on Wednesday does not bode well for the long term future of women's MMA in the organization, and depending on what happens with Strikeforce as a whole there will be questions going further out. If Carano can get back in the cage before the end of the year, she can bring eyeballs to whatever Strikeforce card she's on, but further than one more fight I don't know what MMA fans are going to get out of her in the sport.

[Gina Carano art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

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