Strikeforce CEO expects Gina Carano back before the end of the year

Gina Carano, the former face of women’s mixed martial arts, has been missing in action for quite a while now.

After debuting in Strikeforce in August of 2009 in disappointing fashion when she was defeated be reining 145-pound champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (for the then vacant title), Carano has done everything to stay away from the cage since the TKO loss–the lone loss of her career.

Movie roles, television duties have consumed her life, however Scott Coker, CEO of Strikeforce has hope that the beautiful Muay Thai specialist has it in her to return to the cage and compete again, and he feels she could do it sometime this year.

Before the loss to Santos, Carano ran a seven-fight win streak, with three of those victories coming by way of knockout (one by submission, three ended in a decision).

Gina, a product of Master Toddy and the Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas, has since wrapped up Steven Soderbergh film “Haywire” which she starred as the leading role. The upcoming spy-thriller is set for release in April of this year and after all of her obligation’s with the movie (as far as P.R. work is concerned) is done with, Coker thinks that Carano could be making a return to the cage.

“I believe she’ll be back in the cage this year,” said Scott who spoke with Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com on ‘The MMA Hour.

“From what I know of her, she is a competitor at heart; she’s going to want to fight. She’s not going to want to end her career the way it ended. So, I think she’ll be back.

“This girl’s a real fighter. She’s not this actress that became a fighter. She’s a real fighter that became an actress. So that fight is inside her.”

Though nothing is set and stone and it’s all speculation, I wouldn’t exactly hate seeing Carano back in action in the foreseeable future. So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the Gina update? Would you like to see the former “American Gladiator” aka “Crush” back in action, and if so, against who? The depth of talent in the women’s 145-pound division isn’t exactly staggering, but I’m sure they could set up the 28-year-old with a fun match up. Sound off in the comment section below.