Gina Carano Agrees to Face Sarah D'Alelio in June Return

**Kemal** · 09-05-2011, 09:41

Gina Carano's opponent for her long-awaited return fight will be Sarah D'Alelio, a Washington-based fighter with a 4-1 record who goes by the nickname "The Monster."

Sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed that both fighters have agreed to the bout, which will take place on June 18 in Dallas. Over the last week, D'Alelio's name had been rumored as a possibility, but sources tell MMA Fighting that it's now essentially a done deal, and that the matchup may be officially announced as early as next week.

The return comes after a nearly two-year absence. Carano (7-1) has not fought since an August 2009 loss to Cris "Cyborg" Santos in a championship match. Since then, Carano took a hiatus from MMA to begin an acting career. Her first major feature film, "Haywire," is scheduled for an August 2011 release.

The matchup should provide a bit of a style contrast from the pair, as D'Alelio has three of her four pro wins via submission while Carano is known for her standup prowess.

Like Carano, D'Alelio will be trying to rebound from a loss. In her last bout, she fell to veteran Julie Kedzie in a unanimous decision.

Carano's return will be part of a strong card. Also scheduled for the American Airlines Center show are Heavyweight Grand Prix bouts pitting Alistair Overeem against Fabricio Werdum and Josh Barnett against Brett Rogers.