Women\u2019s MMA pioneer Gina Carano issued a fiery response to former UFC middleweight champ Sean Strickland\u2019s critical remarks.<\/p>\n
Gina Carano and former UFC women\u2019s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will square off in one of the biggest fights in women\u2019s MMA history on May 16th. The fight came together 17 years after Carano\u2019s last bout, and a full decade since Rousey\u2019s last appearance in the Octagon against Amanda Nunes.<\/p>\n
Despite the fanfare of Rousey vs. Carano, former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland isn\u2019t excited about the fight<\/a>. He recently bashed Carano and claimed the women\u2019s MMA legend is only famous because she\u2019s \u2018hot\u2019.<\/p>\n Strickland has repeatedly bashed women\u2019s MMA in recent years, adding to a swirl of controversies from the former UFC champion during his promotional tenure. But Carano believes Strickland\u2019s critical remarks about women\u2019s MMA come from poor personal experiences.<\/p>\n Gina Carano: Sean Strickland \u2018being exploited\u2019 after anti-women\u2019s MMA comments<\/p>\n In a recent interview with FightHype<\/a>, Carano responded to Strickland\u2019s comments on women\u2019s MMA.<\/p>\n Sean Strickland Gives a dead accurate take on on Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano<\/p>\n Carano was hot, but could never fight. She has zero ground game. This fight will hopefully motivate her to lose 30 lbs.<\/p>\n Rhonda looks like a pitbull, but is an Olympian. \u2014 E\u2019LonDre Musk (@ElonDreMusk) February 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019s got a little bit twisted,\u201d Carano said of Strickland.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t really pay attention to him or his words. I think they\u2019re sadly coming from a hurt place and hurt people hurt people. I think that he\u2019s being exploited a bit and that pain is on full display and you know, all you can really do is just pray for healing that man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you want some Viking a\u2013 women in your country?\u201d Carano continued. \u201cI think what we represent up here is doing that.\u201d (h\/t Bloody Elbow<\/a>)<\/p>\n Strickland defeated Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston earlier this year and could potentially challenge UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev later this summer. Before defeating Hernandez, Strickland suffered a lopsided defeat to Dricus du Plessis in their UFC 312 rematch.<\/p>\n If Carano is victorious against Rousey, it\u2019ll be her first victory since October 2008. She walked away from MMA after a TKO loss to Cris Cyborg in August 2009.<\/p>\n What is your prediction for Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano? Let us know in the comments!<\/p>\n
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