In what can only be described as another stunning example of Disney rewriting history, ESPN—the sports media giant owned by the House of Mouse—released a list of the “Top 10 Women Who Changed MMA in the 21st Century”… and completely excluded Gina Carano. Yes, ESPN excluded the same Gina Carano who helped build women’s MMA into what it is today.
The list, which features names like Ronda Rousey, Amanda Nunes, Holly Holm, and Cris Cyborg, was presented with the tagline: “Champions, trailblazers, Hall of Famers and icons 🏆👊 … these stars shattered stereotypes and elevated women’s MMA to unprecedented heights.”
Gina Carano walks to the ring for an MMA Fight – YouTube, Jehu Media
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But somehow, the woman who literally brought women’s MMA to the national spotlight—who headlined the first major televised female MMA fight and helped establish the sport’s legitimacy—didn’t even get a mention.
Even UFC President Dana White wasn’t having it. He blasted the list and called out Disney for this sleight.
“Gina Carano not being on the list is INSANE,” he said blasting the ESPN list.
Carano, never one to back down, took to X to clap back at Disney and ESPN directly.
You think @espnmma :
Do not have qualified journalists who know real WMMA history or are they trying re-write history by keepin me out of it?
Even Dana @danawhite called them out. 😂🙏
No, they will not be re-writing my history. If anything they’re writing themselves into… https://t.co/h1463NeJtg pic.twitter.com/mIlfLVxPt5
— Gina Carano 🕯 (@ginacarano) March 29, 2025
“You think @espnmma do not have qualified journalists who know real WMMA history or are they trying [to] re-write history by keeping me out of it?” Carano wrote on X. “Even Dana @danawhite called them out. 😂🙏. No, they will not be re-writing my history. If anything they’re writing themselves into mine. When I get through this I think jaws will drop. Thank you everyone for the support.”
Gina Carano speaking at the 2015 San Diego Comic Con International, for “Deadpool”, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
It’s hard not to see this as part of Disney’s ongoing vendetta against Carano, whose high-profile firing from The Mandalorian in 2021 over sharing a meme on social media ignited widespread backlash. Since then, Carano has become a symbol of standing against cancel culture, earning praise from fans who value authenticity over corporate censorship.
And if Disney and ESPN won’t give Gina Carano the recognition she’s due, we will. Here’s the history they’re trying to bury:
The Trailblazing MMA Career of Gina Carano
MMA Record: 7-1
Years Active: 2006–2009
Promotions: EliteXC, Strikeforce
Background: Carano began in Muay Thai with a 12–1–1 record, encouraged by her then-boyfriend, professional fighter Kevin Ross.
Gina Carano via Shawn Ryan Show YouTube
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Key Fights and Achievements:
First-Ever Sanctioned Women’s MMA Bout in Nevada
- Defeated Leiticia Pestova in 38 seconds.
Defeated Rosi Sexton at World Pro Fighting
- Won via KO late in Round 2.
First Female Fight in Strikeforce (Dec 8, 2006)
- Beat Elaina Maxwell via unanimous decision.
• First Televised Female Fight on Showtime (Feb 10, 2007)
- Beat Julie Kedzie in what was called “Fight of the Night.”
First Submission Win (Sept 15, 2007)
- Defeated Tonya Evinger with a rear-naked choke.
EliteXC: Primetime (May 31, 2008)
- Defeated Kaitlin Young after failing to make weight by 0.5 pounds; still fought and won.
Defeated Kelly Kobold (Oct 4, 2008)
- Won by unanimous decision despite early takedown challenges and weight controversy.
Gina Carano and Cris Cyborg on stage
Historic Championship Bout:
Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg (Aug 15, 2009)
- The first major women’s MMA championship bout. Though Carano lost to Cris Cyborg by TKO at 4:59 of Round 1, the fight was monumental in legitimizing women’s MMA on a national stage.
More Than a Fighter
Carano wasn’t just fighting opponents in the cage—she was battling stereotypes, breaking barriers, and bringing visibility to a sport that many dismissed. Before Rousey and Nunes, it was Gina Carano who opened the doors.
The erasure of her contributions is blatant. ESPN’s omission isn’t just an oversight—it’s part of a pattern. And it’s one that fans are seeing through more clearly every time Disney tries to pretend she never existed.
Cara Dune (Gina Carano) in Lucasfilm’s THE MANDALORIAN.
This comes as Carano is actively suing Disney and Lucasfilm for wrongful termination and discrimination, a lawsuit backed by Elon Musk’s X Corp. The legal filing accuses the companies of targeting her for her personal views and selectively enforcing social media standards. With discovery underway, Carano has vowed to expose the truth behind her firing.
Whether in the octagon, on screen, or in the courtroom—Gina Carano isn’t backing down. And no list, no matter how sanitized or selective, can erase what she’s accomplished.
Are you surprised that Disney and ESPN left Gina Carano off its MMA list? Sound off in the comments below and let us know!
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