“In my head, I’m like, I train and work out like everyone else. They like to tell you what you’re not. They like to keep you down, so they can get more out of you for their money. But fans don’t lie. When they’re all chanting your name, you know they’re supporting you.” – Gina Carano

Professional MMA fighter Gina Carano tried the whole American Gladiators thing but realized kicking ass inside the octagon was her true passion. At 5′8″ and toting a 38 bust, Gina Carano will kick your ass in the ring and then go home and kick some other lucky dude’s ass in the bedroom.

Here’s to Gina.

Gina Carano, MMA fighter and ex American Gladiator has been busy inside the ring but has also made time for a recent Maxim photoshoot.

Check out the gallery below and then head on over to Maxim for more Carano. She’s the face (and body) of women’s MMA and you won’t want to miss her.

To most MMA fans, Rachelle Leah is known as the leggy octagon girl who carries a sign around the cage wearing nothing but a bikini. And to be fair, that’s all that some women strive to be and some men strive to be with.

But Leah, who will return to her position as MMA Eye Candy at UFC 90 on Oct. 25 at the Rosemont Horizon in Rosemont, Ill, claims to be a lot more than just another perfect body.

Sure, she’s Playboy’s November cover girl, which hits mailboxes on Friday. She was the UFC’s most popular octagon girl, and she just signed a deal as a spokesmodel with Anheuser-Busch, but just because she looks the part and plays the role, doesn’t mean shes as stupid as she is hot, at least according to Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports who writes:

“She is brash and thoughtful and introspective and witty and plenty crafty. She uses her share of coarse language, her conversation invariably turns to sports and, most significantly, guys, she loves – absolutely loves – mixed martial arts.”

“Spend a half-hour talking with the Las Vegas resident and it’s no different than talking to your buddies about MMA, except you realize you’re speaking with one of the world’s most beautiful women.”

In all reality, Rachelle Leah is someone I will likely never meet, so why would I care if she can carry a heated MMA discussion or not?

What I care about more is figuring out what time the mail gets delivered on Fridays…

Because her Playboy shoot is probably more interesting than talking to her about martial arts, here’s what Leah had to say about her recent Playboy endeavor:

“It makes you nervous (to do the nude photos),” Leah said. “The thing about America in general is that people pass judgment so easily. But my deal with it is, getting naked around people I don’t know is very scary. I already have a hard time putting on the octagon girl outfit in front of an arena. The only time I’m comfortable being semi-nude or in a bathing suit like that is on a beach.”

“Obviously, it’s nerve wracking. But I got in there with some of the most professional people I have ever worked with and one of the most talented photographers I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with. He made wonderful artwork. I knew this would be a great opportunity for me and it’s been better than I could ever have imagined. And it’s only just begun.”

Finally, what would an article about a beautiful woman posing naked be without a photo gallery?

Other things you’ll like:
7 Moments in mixed messages
If you like Rachelle, you’ll also like Gina Carano.
Smokin. Hot, Chee-iks (funny commercial)
A few words and pictures from UFC and Playboy’s Rachelle Leah
One video to sum up the entire Dodger season
SI Extra Mustard’s MMA Links
Anna Kournikova linkage
The coolest thing to happen to beerpong, bp in your pool!

“Thin and Intellectual Brook” as father Hulk Hogan affectionately called his daughter while oiling her petite body down at a Las Vegas swimming pool a few months back was spotted shoveling cheeseburgers with extra mayo down her large face at the Kimbo Slice/Other Guy fight during Saturday’s Elite XC disappointer.

Though the 37 patties that Thin and Intellectual Brook consumed during the 14 second match seems like a lot, the six-foot, five-inch 267-pound ball of thunder thinks differently.

When questioned by Elite XC correspondent Christopher Crosby about her feeding trends, Thin and Intellectual Brook responded in a pitch similar to Crosby’s:

“Thirty-seven patties is normal [nom, nom, nom], I need to make weight, stupid.”

The “weight” she mentions, of course referring to her upcoming MMA Heavyweight bout with Tank Abbot, is set at 280 lbs.

Is undefeated Mixed Martial Arts fighter Gina Carano all that she’s made out to be, or is she just a less attractive version of Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby? The brunette is currently 6-0-0 in her professional fighting career and won’t fight again until October 4th, 2008 when she’ll rumble with Kelly Kobald at EliteXC: Primetime 3 in Florida.

Editor’s Notes: Carano was voted “Hottest Woman In America” by Big Biz Magazine in the spring of 2008 issue, but as far as I’m concerned, Big Biz has just as much authority on women as Carson Daly does on humor.

“Excuse me sir, you are telling me? This thing about my wife?”
“Bong, Bong, Bong. Don’t. You. Ever. Do Dis!”