Major Media Gathering for Carano/Santos July 14 in NYC

According to a release circulated by Strikeforce and highlighted by Fanhouse, the promotion is set to dangle some mainstream media bait by hosting a press conference for the Aug. 15 Gina Carano/Cristiane Santos fight at Madison Square Garden’s WaMu Theater on July 14.

Considering that it wouldn’t take roping off a city block to house MMA media, it’s clear Strikeforce is counting on a surplus of mass press attention for what has easily become the highest-profile women’s MMA bout to date. Securing the WaMu Theater lobby may not be practically necessary, but it is an interesting bit of status posturing, particularly for an industry that doesn’t see a lot of PR stunt work outside of the UFC. (Both Carano and Santos will have a public demo/workout on 8th Avenue and 33rd Street, which is likely going to crane a lot of necks passing by in walkthrough traffic.)

The question: With Strikeforce positioning the bout as the non-UFC fight event of the summer, why didn’t CBS entertain the idea of a network broadcast -- particularly in summer, when original programming is in short supply?

If Kimbo Slice’s October 2008 fiasco is still giving off a stench, it’s possible CBS is regulating itself to spectator for the time being; if Carano/Santos delivers on the hype, there’s always the rematch.