Gina Carano ‘very open’ to MMA return

Gina Carano has not had a professional MMA fight since 2009, but the former Strikeforce and EliteXC fighter says she would be “very open” to a return to the sport.

Carano has been the subject of rumors over the past month that she could fight Ronda Rousey. Rousey addressed the rumors by saying that Carano is the only person she would move up in weight to fight.

In an interview with FOX Sports’ Damon Martin, Carano addressed her potential return to MMA by saying she’s “very open to it.”

“I don’t mind it at all. I’ve never retired. I’ve never officially said that,” Carano told Martin. “For some reason a part of me has always kept it open. I don’t know, there’s a certain part of me that thinks if circumstances were right, and I could keep doing what I’m trying to make my future into, that’s an ideal world. If circumstances were right, you never know. I’m very open to it.”

Carano emphasized that the circumstances would have to be right for her to return, but she said there’s been talks going on. This quote in particular seems to hint at a fight with Rousey.

“I feel like I can’t say too much. I’ve got all this information that if I could just speak freely, this is actually what’s going on,” Carano teased. “I wish I could open up my mind and tell you exactly the things that I’ve seen and the conversations that I’ve had, but I think to sum it up in a nice, safe way for me is if circumstances were right, and if it’s a good enough circumstance (I would come back) because my first love is MMA.”

What could be a better circumstance than a fight with Rousey? I really hope that Carano isn’t delusional enough to think she could step back into the octagon and take on Rousey, but if she wants to make a return, that would be a very cool matchup after she wins a tune-up fight.