Looks have nothing to do with Cyborg vs. Carano matchup

In August, Strikeforce is finally matching up its two best-known female fighters. Gina Carano and Cris Cyborg will meet up on August 15 for Strikeforce's women's featherweight belt. It will be an exciting night, and much of the MMA blogosphere has already begun to buzz about the fight.

Many have even resorted to calling it "Beauty and the Beast," see, because if you do that, you can ignore the fact that these women are two top-notch athletes. You can reduce it down to their looks, and that's the only thing that matters when it comes to the ladies, right?

Except, one little thing. Carano and Cyborg's looks have absolutely nothing to do with the outcome of the fight. Carano's pretty face will not keep Cyborg from trying to punch it as hard as possible. Cyborg's less-than-supermodel-like looks will not scare Carano out of the cage.

"I don't give any thought to that. It has nothing to do with looks," Gina Carano said on today's media conference call. "Fighting has nothing to do with looks."

Picking Gina Carano because she's on Maxim's list of sexiest whatever, or not picking Cyborg because you don't want to sleep with her is sexism at its most rudimentary levels. The only thing that should matter to you when you tune in Cyborg vs. Carano is whether or not you're watching a good fight.