Elite XC did a lot of ridiculous things that caused MMA fans and journalists to smash their heads against the proverbial wall. However, one of the positive things they did was bring attention to women’s MMA. The promotion that brought us $kala also brought us Gina Carano and the 2009 ProMMA.info female fighter of the year.
Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos put herself on a collision course with Carano in 2008. After Elite XC closed their doors, the fans hoped that another promotion would save the match up. Eventually Strikeforce stepped up and signed the fighters.
Before taking on the so-called face of women’s MMA, “Cyborg” had to get by veteran Hitomi Akano. The fight almost didn’t happen since Santos didn’t even come close to making weight. In the cage, “Cyborg” was entirely dominant as she finished her undersized opponent late in the third round.