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Gina Joy Carano is an actress, fitness model, and retired mixed martial artist (MMA) with an estimated net worth of $8 million. From 2006 to 2009, she competed in mixed martial arts. She has an impressive 7-out-of-8 winning record in the field. Carano competed in World Extreme Fighting's first-ever sanctioned female MMA event, winning in a record-breaking 38 seconds.

Carano is the daughter of Dana Joy Cason and Glenn Carano, a casino executive and former professional football player. She was born in Dallas County, Texas, and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She comes from a family of three sisters and is the middle child. Gina was raised by her mother following her parents' divorce when she was seven years old. Carano attended Trinity Christian High School in Las Vegas, where she was a member of the girls' basketball team that won the state championship. She was also a volleyball and softball player. She majored in psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno for a year and then at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for three years.

Gina began her career as a professional fighter (Muay Thai) after graduating from college, and her success garnered national attention. She debuted in the MMA circuit in 2006 and has gone undefeated in her first six fights, earning the nickname "Conviction."Carano moved and struck quickly in the cage, having trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, and Muay Thai. Carano believed that her best fighting asset was her mind, despite her impressive fighting skills. From 2006 to 2009, she competed in EliteXC and Strikeforce, posting a 7–1 record. Carano was dubbed the "face of women's MMA" due to her popularity, but she rejected the title. During their 2009 Strikeforce fight, she and Cris Cyborg became the first women to headline a major MMA event. After her first professional MMA loss to Cyborg, Gina announced her retirement from the sport. Since August 2009, she hasn't competed professionally.

The former MMA fighter's success in the ring allowed her to make a name for herself in the entertainment industry as an actress. She appeared on American Gladiators and earned up to $35,000 for each fight on the show. Gina has also appeared on the reality TV show Fight Girls, which focuses on the training of female fighters. She made her acting debut in Michael Jai White's martial arts film Blood and Bone in 2009. Gina got her first major role in September 2009, playing Mallory Kane in Steven Soderbergh's spy thriller Haywire, which was released in 2011. She was cast in In the Blood in February 2012. (released 2014). The film is directed by John Stockwell and is an action thriller. Gina played the wife of a man who goes missing while they are on holiday together. Gina's starring role in 2013 as a member of Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Special Agent Luke Hobbs' team in Fast & Furious 6. Gina's performance was well-received by the critics. Gina then appeared in the 2015 film Extraction as well as the 2016 film Deadpool as Angel Dust.  The actress was announced as a member of the cast of Disney+'s The Mandalorian in December 2018. Gina portrayed Cara Dune, a character who first appeared in the fourth episode of the first season. Throughout Seasons 1 and 2 (2019–2020), Carano's character made appearances.

Unfortunately, Gina made headlines after being fired from Disney's The Mandalorian in February 2021 because she shared an Instagram post comparing political polarization in the United States to Nazi Germany's treatment of Jews. The actress was no longer employed by Lucasfilm and would not be appearing in any future Star Wars projects, according to the company. Due to the controversy, Carano's talent agency, UTA, dropped her the next day.

SOURCES: Celeb Net Worth, Sportskeeda, The Cinema Holic 

This article was updated on April 6, 2021 by Vanessa Shumbanhete

Earnings & Financial Data

Date

Category

Description

Amount

2017

Salary

Avengelyne

$250,000

2016

Salary

Deadpool

$500,000

2016

Salary

Kickboxer

$207,871,000

2015

Salary

Extraction

$450,000

2015

Salary

Heist

$350,000

2014

Salary

In the Blood

$200,000

2011

Salary

Haywire

$205,128,000

2009

Salary

Blood and Bones

$17,313,000