Everyone knows I’m a huge Carano fan, but Santos definitely isn’t a chump. I actually think Santos is the favorite to win this one. In order for Carano to win this fight, she needs to stay aggressive throughout and keep this fight standing. If it goes to the clinch, Santos has the clear strength advantage and is much more refined on the ground as well. This is a tough fight to call but I have Gina winning by unanimous decision. This is definitely Carano’s biggest test. Protect your face girl!
The sight of women wearing sports bras and leather usually means you’ve taken a very, very wrong turn in Manhattan. For Strikeforce, it’s a signal that one of their most valuable assets is about to be put on display.
7-0 Gina Carano and 7-1 Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos have nearly identical experience, aggression, and status in the still-burgeoning sport of female mixed martial arts. What they don’t have is a history of spending 25 minutes in a cage. There’s enough to be said about Santos’ pressuring style vs. Carano’s grit, but the incredible cardiovascular demands of a title fight can exhaust even those used to it. And you usually run out of gas before you run out of skill.
Santos has gone nine minutes on one occasion; Carano, twice. Saturday brings 16 extra minutes for their lungs to face. (Carano has competed under a 5-minute duration only once, in 2006.) Both are pocket strikers who stuff takedowns, can muster pop in their punches, and don’t bend easy against adversity. Minus the arm veins, they’re fairly reflective. Whoever wins this fight is likely to be the one who doesn’t need an oxygen mask at its conclusion.
Source: Sherdog