The poster girl for MMA is back. 

Gina Carano (7-1) officially announced her return to mixed martial arts during a ring-side interview last night at Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Silva. She is aiming for a return sometime in June.

After a 7-0 start in the sport, Carano was chosen to fight Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos to crown the very first women's middleweight (145 lbs) champion. Carano was mercilessly beat down by the bigger and stronger Santos during the fight and suffered a TKO defeat inside of round 1.

Since that loss Carano had abandoned MMA for a movie star life in Hollywood. She filmed "Haywire", which is due in theaters over the summer. Many questioned if she would ever return, but Strikeforce President Scott Coker always knew she would be back.

“I believe in her heart just like these other athletes that go into the movies, even though they have success in the film industry such as Quinton Jackson or Cung Le, like he’s doing right now, and Gina, I saw parts of her movie and it was fantastic, but equal time, you’re still a fighter at heart. I know they want to compete,” Coker said on a recent radio show when asked about Carano. 

While Coker doesn't have an official date pegged down for her return, they are planning for sometime in June as well. The surging Strikeforce promotion is sure to make waves upon Carano's return. The San Jose based promotion is making some serious headway in the world of MMA.

“I think I just need to settle the score with myself really," said Carano when asked about the sudden change of heart. "I just need to get back in there for me.”