Gina Carano tells Craig Ferguson: MMA is like sex

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Female mixed martial arts fighting remains a work in progress, but at least it has a star: Gina Carano, also known as ‘Crush’ on NBC’s ‘American Gladiators.’

Carano, daughter of former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Glenn Carano, takes an unbeaten record into Saturday night’s CBS-televised bout against Kelly Kobald on a card that also features MMA phenom Kimbo Slice and ex-UFC champ Andrei Arlovski in separate fights.

The 26-year-old Carano has come a long way since December 2006, when I first met her at the unveiling of Elite Xtreme Combat. She’s trained in Las Vegas at Randy Couture’s gym, and has won fans with her beauty and cage skills -- assets she deftly showcased in this late-night talk with Ferguson (see clip above).

‘It’s easy to say it’s all about her looks, but the people she meets with -- especially young girls -- come away amazed and inspired,’ Elite XC publicist John Beyrooty says.

-- Lance Pugmire