UFC Ring Girls - Ahead of the fight between Ronda Rousey and Cat Zingano at UFC 184 this weekend, the bantamweight champion has been caught in a controversy with UFC Octagon Girl Arianny Celeste.
During a media event on Wednesday Feb. 18, Rousey was asked a question about the salaries of female fighters. She then proceeded to compare their pay with that of the ring girls and conclude that fighters should get paid more.
"I don't know if the ring girls get paid too much or the fighters don't get paid enough," she said."But yeah, there's definitely a lot more in what the fighters do than what they [ring girls] do. So I think that's one thing that's unfair."
Entry-level UFC fighters are reported to be paid about $8,000 per fight (plus $8000 winning bonus), UFC ring girls are believed to get up to $20,000 annually. While the difference doesn't seem to be so large, it is apparently enough reason for a dispute between Rousey and Celeste.
On Thursday Feb. 19, Celeste responded to Rousey's comments by tweeting that she cannot comprehend why the bantamweight champion is talking "badly" about her and other ring girls.
On Wednesday Feb. 25, she continued to tweet about the incident saying "Last I checked. I'm not fighter and never will be. Although, I have nothing but respect for our athletes."
"So please, have some class like the one of the best fighters in the world should have. Focus on your fight, not me. Thank u.Much respect," she added.
This is not the first time that Rousey and Celeste are having a spat. During an interview on MMAJunkie Radio last year, Celeste revealed that Rousey had talked about her in a way that she did not like although she had only met her twice.
"I don't really like the way she carries herself," Celeste said."I don't think she's a good role model for women. I think that women should empower each other and give each other a little pat on the back."
"She's paving the way for women's MMA, and I've made being a UFC Octagon Girl into a career. She should definitely recognize that and be nice," she added.
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