Gina Carano on Elon Musk’s unique role on road to Ronda Rousey fight Your support helps us to tell the story Read more Carano during her last MMA fight, against Cris Cyborg in 2009 (Getty) “I never let it go until five years ago,” she says, “and strangely enough, that’s when my life started falling apart. Now I realise: martial arts to me is like somebody else’s yoga or therapy. It helped me when I was 21, and here it is today, changing my life again. “I never knew when I was in my teens that I’d be a martial artist – we just got in a ton of street fights in Vegas – but it’s been a love story. I’m never letting it go again. I definitely have to access who I was, but it’s a whole different animal now. It feels almost magical, the timing of this fight.” Carano, despite her Disney controversy, has always held a special place in the hearts of longtime MMA fans. In contrast, Rousey has proven an abrasive figure – yet one who has started to win over fans in recent weeks. “When I talked to Ronda about this fight and met her in person,” Carano starts, “I was like: ‘Oh, she’s nothing like what the internet says.’ I was really confused. She didn’t mind being the ‘heel’ [a pro-wrestling term for a ‘villain’], but I asked her: ‘Why don’t you show people this side of you?’ She just likes to poke the bear sometimes, which I love! “I think years from now, we’ll look back at this big ball of fiery energy. When she went off [at Wednesday’s press conference], and you saw that passion come out, that’s so authentically raw and extremely beautiful to me. I wanted to stand up and start clapping! open image in gallery