UFC Octagon girls have hit back at Khabib Nurmagomedov after the MMA legend called them “the most useless people in martial arts”.
The Dagestani former lightweight champion made the comments last month, saying their role is pointless and he feels uncomfortable when they walk around with a sign indicating to the crowd what round of the fight is about to start.
Following the criticism, some of the UFC’s most popular Octagon girls have hit back. Arianny Celeste took to social media to air her opinion regarding Khabib’s comments.
“For 15 years we have been more than just ring girls — we have dedicated time in promoting UFC and showing love and time to our diehard fans through touring the world and personal appearances,” Celeste wrote to her 3.3 million Instagram followers. “And while the world is very different right now, I can still feel that energy and love every time we have a show with an audience.
“It’s taken me 15 years of hard work, dedication, and time to be: A bad a– independently wealthy female; A real estate investor and owner of not just 1 but 3 homes/properties … and a female who is not afraid to take risks and build for my future.
“You can call us useless, but to people like me who have worked this hard, it slips right off my shoulders. My life is too good to be unhappy.
“You don’t have to like me, but you will respect me.”
Other UFC Octagon girls supported Celeste in the comments section of her post.
Brittney Palmer said “Preach sis!”, Red Dela Cruz added “damn bang on” and Vanessa Hanson wrote “Yasss preach” with some clapping emojis.
Octagon girl Luciana Andrade also weighed on Khabib’s take, saying there’s more to each lady than holding up a card and blowing a kiss at the camera.
“People spend way too much time and energy arguing over others’ lives and choices. UFC is both sport and entertainment, and brand ambassadors (aka ring girls) serve not just to ‘inform rounds’ but to represent the brand when and where needed,” Andrade wrote on social media.
“I’ve been proudly/happily working as an OG (Octagon girl) for almost 8 years now and can only thank UFC for all the doors that keep being open to me. I also LOVE to keep proving haters wrong — yes, it’s possible to be a model while also studying, working and investing in other areas.
“I had people calling me stupid (remember the ‘do nothing b—-es’ era? Women supporting women didn’t always exist in this industry) while I was literally using this opportunity and income to pursue a Masters in Law, learn other languages, improve myself. Sometimes you just have to laugh.
“If one thing, all this exposure, free hate and lots of judgment made us all ‘grow’ thicker skin – it’s 2021 and I refuse to let people *try to* control my life, personal decisions and/or tell me what I should do for a living.”
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