Carano v Cyborg - A Female Perspective

We at NYC MMA Fans are proud to bring to you some insight from our supporter and good friend, Miko Abreu.

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"Japanese martial arts has been a part of my life in some way or another for as long as I can remember. It is a part of my heritage and recreation. With a life-long love of martial arts in general and an ever increasing appreciation for its mental and physical discipline, I am excited about the upcoming women’s mixed martial arts match on Saturday.

On August 15th, at Strikeforce, Gina “Conviction” Carano faces off against Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos for the women’s 145 lb MMA championship. This is the first-ever women’s match by a major US promoter with Carano (7-0), specializing in Muay Thai and boxing and Santos (7-1), specializing in Muay Thai and BJJ.

MMA fans have shown much anticipation for this match up as it is the probably the biggest fight in women’s MMA history. Women’s matches are generally 3 rounds lasting three minutes each round. Men’s rounds are generally 5 rounds lasting 5 minutes each. Strikeforce applied to the Washington and California State Athletic Commissions for approval of the 5-minute, 5-round championship match-ups for women. The increased amount of time in the cage for these women will be a first for both fighters. It will be interesting to see who can survive, mentally, in the five 5-minute rounds as opposed to the three 3-minute rounds they are accustomed to.

Santos’ one loss came by way of submission, which Carano has not yet proven to have mastered. This is a tough one to call with both having excellent takedown defense and used to dominating their opponents. Carano is no doubt Santos’ toughest opponent yet. MMA fans, stay tuned…"