Carano Struggles With Weight...Again

by Robert Sargent

In what has become somewhat of a farce, EliteXC postergirl Gina Carano once again struggled very badly to make weight for her bout at EliteXC: "Heat" tomorrow night on CBS, eventually narrowly making the limit after removing all clothing.

The weigh-ins were not without conflict, either, as Jake Shields and Paul "Semtex" Daley went nose-to-nose, while Ken Shamrock shoved Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson.

For Carano, this has become a rather pathetic trend, as her insistence to attempt to compete at 140 pounds has led to a series of disasters in her attempts to make weight.

Initially weighing in at 142¾ pounds, Carano first shed her spandex top and bottoms, but still came in at 142½ pounds. After shedding all clothing and having to be shielded by a pair of towels, Carano finally managed to make the required weight of 141 pounds for her 140-pound bout with Kelly Kobold-Gavin.

By contrast, Kobold had no trouble making the limit, as she weighed in at 141 pounds on her first try. She seemed to be in very good physical shape, while Carano appeared to be severely dehydrated and fatigued.

At this stage, it is clear that Carano should not be competing at 140 pounds, but EliteXC will need to bring in more talented 145- or 150-pound female fighters if Carano is to move up to a more suitable weight class.

Her fight with Kobold, who is by far her most experienced opponent yet, will be a big test for Carano. Kobold is coming off of the first two losses of her career, after starting 16-0-1, and knows that this could be her final chance for stardom and title contention during women's MMA's rise to prominence.



The action takes place tomorrow night on CBS, airing live at 6:00 P.M. Eastern and Pacific.