MMA Twitter universe is abuzz Sunday morning with reactions to Saturday night's Gina Carano vs. Cris Cyborg fight. Opinion is split about whether Cyborg knocking out Carano is good for women's MMA, about whether Carano is really a good fighter or just a pretty face, and whether Cyborg could beat a male 145-pound MMA fighter.Your questions and comments, and my responses, are below.
BBKing77: Hardly destroyed, it was back and forth!
I've heard from a few fans like you who take issue with my comment that Cyborg "destroyed" Carano. I stand by it. Yes, the fight was "back and forth" in the sense that Carano kept coming, and I give her credit for that. But Cyborg was much more powerful than Carano and landed much more effective strikes. If referee Josh Rosenthal hadn't stepped in to stop the fight with one second left in the first round, I definitely would have scored it a 10-8 round for Cyborg.
Another thing to consider: If Cyborg had won a true back-and-forth battle, I think everyone would be clamoring this morning for an immediate rematch. But I haven't heard from any fans who want to see Cyborg-Carano 2, at least not without Carano earning it by beating someone else first. I think what we all saw Saturday night is that Cyborg is a much better fighter than Carano.
drsippi: Cris Cyborg could beat some dudes at 145 in the WEC or Strikeforce. Your thoughts?
Eh, I'd rather not think about that. When Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes, she was doing it to prove that women's sports can stand on their own merits, not to turn male vs. female athletic events into a common occurrence. She did a great thing for women's sports that day, and everyone who enjoyed Carano vs. Cyborg owes her a debt of gratitude. Would Cyborg beat a featherweight in the WEC? I hope we don't find out, because I don't want to see an MMA Battle of the Sexes.
WabKinew: The strength advantage plus well roundedness seemed to keep Carano on the defensive the whole time.
I agree. Cyborg has a significant strength advantage and seemed to be equally comfortable whether hitting Carano in the stand-up or going for submissions on the ground. Carano did mount Cyborg twice, so I wouldn't actually say Carano was on the defensive the whole time. But even when Carano got to mount, she did it only after Cyborg took her to the ground, and she wasn't able to do any damage.
OrangeChuck: I was hoping to hear from Gina too since the bout ended quickly but glad they both showed great sportsmanship.
Not hearing from Carano afterward was one of the real drawbacks of the Showtime broadcast. Carano embraced Cyborg and applauded her in the cage, but I think she should have stuck around to answer some questions as well. Obviously, it's easy for me to say that; I'm not the one who had just been punched in the face 50 times.
nicholisims: Cris Cyborg beats Gina Carano by first-round TKO.And with that, women's MMA fades away.>> I'm sad =(
I think women's MMA will be just fine. I'm looking forward to seeing Cyborg defend her title, I'm looking forward to seeing Carano bounce back, and I'm looking forward to the women's tournaments that Strikeforce has promised to give us. Saturday night was a big night for women's MMA, and it won't be the last.
Want to be part of our next MMA Twitter mailbag? Post a question or comment on Twitter.com, and be sure to start it with @MichaelDavSmith.
Get the latest gear
