Randy Couture rumored to be training Gina Carano for August 15 'Cyborg' fight

Strikeforce recently confirmed that former Elite XC fighter and recent Strikeforce acquisition Cristiane Santos (7-1) will finally fight female fighting sensation Gina Carano (7-0) at the upcoming Strikeforce event planned for August 15.

And like any other championship bout, the 145-pound contest will feature five, five-minute rounds.

With such a historic fight taking place, it seems only "Natural" that Carano would pull out all the stops in her attempt to defeat her toughest opponent to date.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Randy "The Natural" Couture is rumored to not only be training Carano, but also cornering her the night of the fight, even as he prepares for his bout with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira just two weeks later according to MMAWeekly.

"Conviction" will be assisted by several Xtreme Couture trainers as well as many of the other fighters who train under Randy. Tyson Griffin, Jay Hieron, Mike Pyle and Gray Maynard are just a few of the mixed martial artists who will help prepare Carano for her title fight under the Strikeforce banner.

Santos was last seen squashing Hitomi Akano last April at the Strikeforce: "Shamrock vs. Diaz" Showtime event, the first televised show for the San Jose-based promotion under their new contract with the cable television giant.

"Cyborg" was roundly criticized for missing weight for the Akano bout and subsequently blaming it on her menstrual cycle. "Girlfight Monster" was undersized to begin with and while she offered little-to-no offense, she did absorb a lot of punishment before Cyborg was finally able to put her away early in the third round.

Santos is currently 7-1 with five wins coming via (T)KO.

Carano has been the face of women's MMA since she was first seen on CBS as part of the now defunct EliteXC promotion back in May of 2008. "Primetime" was the first mixed martial arts event broadcast on network television and along with Kimbo Slice, Carano helped deliver impressive ratings.

When she appeared again on CBS in October of 2008, Elite XC had already put the Cyborg-Carano bout in motion. Unfortunately the company folded and Carano has been out of action ever since. She had also been part of the new version of American Gladiators as "Crush," which only added to her appeal.

"Carano vs. Cyborg" is scheduled to take place on August 15 and will emanate from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. Also on tap is a rematch between Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson and the man he defeated for the title (and current interim lightweight champion) Gilbert Melendez.

Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem is rumored to be facing Brett Rogers for the organization's heavyweight championship as well.

For more on the upcoming Strikeforce event click here.