Crush

(Let's remember the good times. Props: Old, Bald, & Irish.)

First EliteXC tanked, leaving Gina Carano without an organization to call home.  But if that wasn’t enough of a kick in the ovaries, American Gladiators has also been cancelled.  We can’t say we didn’t see it coming, but it’s sad nonetheless.  If only the new American Gladiators could have captured some this kind of magic from the old AG, maybe they’d still be around.  Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.  Not only does this mean we may never again see “Crush” tossing old ladies around in a unitard, it also means Hulk Hogan is being released back into the wild, so look out.  

But just when all Carano’s revenue streams look to be drying up, it sounds as if Dana White may actually be serious about getting her signed.  The UFC prez told Five Ounces of Pain’s Gary Herman that Carano, Robbie Lawler, and Jake Shields are all former EliteXC fighters he’d like to sign.  He also chastised fighters for signing with “fly by night companies,” saying they were “wasting their time.”

There you have it, young fighters not in the UFC.  Don’t sign with organizations other than the UFC or you’ll be wasting your time.  Just keep fighting one-offs in tiny regional shows for almost no money.  Then, after the UFC signs you and later cuts you, it won’t be so hard to re-adjust to your life of poverty and despair.  See?  Circle of freaking life.

(Props: MMA Payout)

Gina Carano was a guest on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson last night to plug her upcoming appearance at EliteXC: Heat. It's nice to see her getting some late-night couch time for a change (not that Kimbo's appearances on Jimmy Kimmel don't make for classic television). Explaining why she has chosen such a painful profession, Conviction explains, "I'd rather have a job where I travel and fight people and train than be married with children who hate me and a horrible husband." Gina? WHY DO YOU HATE THE SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE SO MUCH? She also drops this bomb on Craig: "You can't really hide anything in the cage. It's just real, two people going at it. It's kinda like sex." But it's cool, because she's "just kidding."

It wasn't just American Gladiators that kept Gina Carano from making weight on Friday. "Conviction" had also been busy filming live-action interlude scenes for Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3, which will be released for Xbox 360 and PC in October. Here's the promo, which shows her dressed as her character "Natasha." (Hopefully she'll have a terrible Russian accent in the game to go along with that name.) Warning: The cheesiness level on this one is HIGH.

(Props: EA via Kotaku via reader Trevor E.)

Here's Gina Carano's segment from yesterday's ESPN E:60, in which we learn that "Crush" got into kickboxing after one of Kit Cope's trainers called her fat, she'll be appearing in EA's new Command and Conquer video game, she'll never do Playboy, and Tara LaRosa still can't stand her.

Related: MMAPayout reports that ESPN is launching an online MMA news show this Thursday, which will be hosted by Kenny Florian for the first two weeks. Said MMAPayout: "The program's launch was apparently delayed by the UFC's insistence that it be exclusive to the UFC."

Heads up, "Crush/Conviction/Beautiful Disaster" fans — Gina Carano will be featured on today's ESPN E:60, which airs at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. A sample clip is above; after the jump is a recent American Gladiators promo where Crush reveals she prefers pizza to sushi, and can't watch love scenes because she's single and it's hard to see other people in love. Awwww! :' (