Former MMA star Gina Carano has publicly voiced her disappointment after being noticeably absent from ESPN MMA’s recently published list of women who pioneered the sport in the 21st century.
ESPN MMA, which bills itself as the “Worldwide Leader in Sports,” released a compilation of 10 female fighters who they believe “shattered stereotypes” and elevated women’s mixed martial arts to unprecedented heights. While the list included several well-deserved names such as Amanda Nunes, Ronda Rousey, and Zhang Weili, Carano’s omission raised eyebrows across the MMA community.
Gina Carano’s dispute with Disney might be to blame since Disney owns ESPN. The dispute began when she was fired from The Mandalorian in February 2021. The controversy stemmed from her social media posts, which included opinions on political and social issues that sparked backlash. The final straw for Disney and Lucasfilm was a post where she compared the treatment of conservatives in the U.S. to the persecution of Jews during WWII.
Lucasfilm labeled her posts as “abhorrent and unacceptable,” cutting ties with her. Carano, however, claimed she was targeted for her conservative views and accused Disney of political bias. She later partnered with The Daily Wire to produce her own films, portraying her firing as an example of cancel culture.
Here are the top 10 female MMA stars according to ESPN based on accomplishments and impact:
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Amanda Nunes – Two-division UFC champion, dominant across bantamweight and featherweight, considered the greatest female fighter ever.
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Cris Cyborg – Multi-promotion champion (UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce, Invicta), known for her power and longevity.
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Ronda Rousey – Pioneer of women’s MMA, first UFC women’s bantamweight champion, undefeated streak made her a global star.
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Valentina Shevchenko – Longtime UFC flyweight champion, elite striker with multiple Muay Thai world titles.
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Joanna Jędrzejczyk – Former UFC strawweight champion, record-holder for most title wins in division history.
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Rose Namajunas – Two-time UFC strawweight champion, first woman to regain a lost title.
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Zhang Weili – Two-time UFC strawweight champion, regarded as China’s greatest MMA fighter.
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Miesha Tate – Former UFC and Strikeforce bantamweight champion, pivotal in women’s MMA history.
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Megumi Fujii – Pioneer of women’s MMA, undefeated in first 22 fights, elite grappling skills.
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Holly Holm – Former UFC bantamweight champion, three-division boxing champion, famous for knocking out Rousey.
In 2024, Carano filed a lawsuit against Disney and Lucasfilm, backed by Elon Musk’s legal fund, alleging wrongful termination and discrimination. The lawsuit reignited discussions about free speech, corporate influence, and political bias in Hollywood.
Carano, who was instrumental in bringing women’s MMA to mainstream attention during her career, took to social media platform X to express her frustration with the snub.
“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.,” Carano wrote.
She added in a follow-up post: “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.”
UFC President Dana White quickly came to Carano’s defense, commenting on ESPN MMA’s Instagram post: “@ginajcarano not being on the list is INSANE.”
White has previously praised Carano’s dedication to the sport on numerous occasions. During a May 2024 appearance on The Pete and Sebastian Show, White commended Carano’s commitment to pursuing a professional MMA career despite coming from a wealthy family background.
The controversial omission sparked significant backlash from MMA fans who flooded the comments section of ESPN MMA’s social media posts. Many supporters expressed their disagreement with the decision to exclude Carano:
“Not including @ginacarano is why EVERYONE HATES YOU ALL,” wrote one fan.
“We all know why @ginacarano wasn’t on here and you’re pathetic for it,” commented another.
“Leaving Gina off this list because of politics is the most b*tch made move ever,” added a third supporter.
In a previous interview, Carano revealed that White had reached out to her during a difficult period in her career after she faced public scrutiny. “Dana was actually one of the people randomly enough that reached out to me when I got cancelled,” Carano said, noting that she was surprised by his support given that their previous interactions had been centered around controversies regarding her potential return to competition.
“He was very encouraging,” Carano added, explaining that White’s support came at a time when many others distanced themselves from her.
The exclusion of Carano from ESPN’s list continues to fuel debate about the criteria used to determine the most influential figures in women’s MMA history, with many arguing that her pioneering role in the sport deserves recognition regardless of any controversy.
