"...where is the promotion of her MMA career vis a vis American Gladiators"

It doesn't have to be instantaneous.  If and when she returns to fighting she will not only have her looks and talent to sell the show and increase her paycheck, but her bargaining power will be inflated by the ability to use her status as a Gladiator.
I wouldn't be surprised at all if part of her contract includes the usage of AG imagery for her fighting career.

Gina Carano is doing the right thing. It's been said  many times it's not always the best fighters that become the biggest megastars. While one can argue whether or not Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, or Tito Ortiz were ever legitimately the best fighters in the world there's no doubt they are the three biggest superstars we've seen. A UFC event will garner hundreds of thousands of more buys with the attachment of any of those names. Does this mean that Randy, Tito, or Chuck aren't amazing fighters? No. But to be a superstar you have to have a combination of looks, charisma, talent, and most importantly, the correct promotion. (Promotion in the sense of how you're promoted, not the actual promotion you're working for)

Gina Carano is doing what's best for herself financially. No matter what the industry, "die-hard" fans always criticizes different athletes and entertainers for "selling out". If selling out means finding a way to make more money doing what you love to do and taking advantage of it then those who don't "sell out" are simply stupid. Not everyone has the opportunity but there are a select few who do.

Gina was handpicked by Elite XC to be the face of women's MMA due to her good looks and the fact that she can actually fight. Throw in her really sexy voice and you've got something you can guarantee returns on when you bring it to market. All she had to do was go out there and win and she held up her part of the bargain in rather exciting fashion. Now she's given a shot to be on network television every week on a show with a similar demographic as most MMA and she's being criticized? This show is only on for a few months and everyone who's saying that she is not "committed" isn't with her all the time to make that assumption and neither am I to say otherwise; we simply don't know. But if I were a betting man I don't think American Gladiators is a M-F 9-5 job. Maybe I'm wrong, it's just my hypothesis. I'd like to think that she has to be around for the once a week taping of the episode and maybe a few outside promotions. The girls earning money on the side and at the same time getting her face on network TV which will only garner her more fans and in turn attract more fans to MMA.

She builds herself up with two big wins in EXC, takes a few months off from MMA competition to be an American Gladiator, and comes back fighting again. Her star will be much bigger when she returns so even if she were to lose that will automatically turn her opponent into a star, thus creating two legitimate female stars in mixed martial arts. And don't say "But Tara LaRosa is already a star"; she may be potentially the best women's fighter out there but until she does some damage on a national stage (not BoDog) she's just like Jon Fitch was.