This past year has been a whirlwind in the life of Gina Carano.  All she has done during that time is star as on a television show, shoot a role for a video game and become one of the most searched women on the Internet.

All that while to go along with what she enjoys most – fighting.  Tonight, she’ll once again enter the cage against Kelly Kobald-Gavin on the EliteXC show from the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, FL which will also air on CBS.

It’s not a typical life but it’s about as normal as possible for someone who is as popular and in demand as she has become.

“Everybody wants to talk about this window of opportunity and that you have to act on it now,” says Carano.  “I’m going to do things and be happy and be 100% on fighting and enjoying it.  I don’t want to scatter myself out and look back and have it be meaningless.  I really want to enjoy it while it lasts.”

Although Carano has all of these opportunities available to her these days, her focus remains on fighting.  But being called the face of mixed martial arts is something she doesn’t get wrapped up in.

“That’s just a label that will go away one day and get passed on,” she explains.  “It’s not something that I’m putting a lot of investment into.  I’d just rather people label me as Gina Carano.  If they get to know me and they look at me and they see me, they know I’m more than a fighter.  I’m more than a face of women’s MMA because somebody said that one time.”

Like it or not, Carano is the face of women’s fighting at this time.  Her natural beauty and punching prowess have turned plenty of heads to the point where she has become one of the most popular females on the Internet with red-blooded males everywhere punching her name into search engines.

“I think it’s funny!  It’s just funny that people search me but I love it.  I love that people find this intriguing and are interested in it.  It really just opens the doors for me to meet new and interesting people and learn more about the world.”

Now, she faces her latest challenge inside the cage in Kobald-Gavin for EliteXC, putting her perfect 6-0 MMA record on the line.  While her challenger may not have the same name recognition, Carano expects to be in a tough fight.

“She’s a brawler,” details Carano.  “She’s a bully.  I think that’s going to be a positive for me because I want someone to push me because then I’ll push back.  I respect her as a fighter – she’s got a 16-2-1 record.  It’s just going to be a brawl and I’m just going to go for it and do the best that I can.”

With all of the popularity and fame comes a certain level of expectations. Carano understands that people want her to do more than win her fights: she’s expected to be impressive in those victories.

“I think I’ve always held high standards for myself to do well,” says Carano.  “I don’t want to lose.  I’m competitive.”

“But I think that people are human and anything can happen.  That’s what makes a fight so exciting.  You don’t ever know exactly what’s going to happen.  Anybody can be caught.  Anybody can lose a fight.  I think that’s the beauty of this sport.  It keeps you humble and anything can happen at any time.”

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