The Ultimate Fighter 20 is now entering its third week and appears to be picking up some momentum in the ratings. One of the more polarizing figures in the TUF house is Felice Herrig. Herrig has made a name for herself by putting together a somewhat successful MMA career (9-5), but even more so by creating an image of herself as being the “sexy one.”
Herrig isn’t the most exciting fighter you’ll see and would be best known for her weigh-ins such as this one and this one. She’s positioned herself not only as a fighter, but as a sex symbol and she doesn’t mind it one bit.
In an interview with MMAmania last year, she explains her thoughts on how she’s perceived:
I play up the sexy side, but I’m not playing. I’m being me. I’m not doing anything I’m uncomfortable with. A lot of people think that’s what I’m all about and that I don’t care about my fighting, that I spend more time promoting myself than training. There’s only so much time in the day. I’m more dedicated than any other woman I’ve met and most of the guys. At the same time, fighting is a business. I’m promoting my brand. With women athletes, you get a lot more opportunities. It’s more intriguing to the general public if the see a woman that wouldn’t strike you as a fighter.
Most of the women on the UFC’s roster don’t play up the sex card. They don’t want fight fans to see them as people who are only popular because of their looks. They want to continue gaining notoriety for their skills inside the Octagon and quite frankly, most of them don’t have the time to do the type of photo shoots Herrig has done because they are so caught up with spending their time in the gym in an effort to have a successful fight career.
While most perceive Herrig as being a loud and obnoxious person who will do anything for attention, she’s doing nothing but good things by not conforming to how most fighters act. The way she jokes around and carries herself with such a free spirit is refreshing.
Each week we see and hear the same questions and answers from fighters. We hear them talk about their camp, who they want to fight next, what injury caused them to underperform in their last fight, etc. What’s wrong with Herrig‘s sexed-up image?
Some might say it’s bad for the sport. How? Others could say she’s not being a good role model. What kid is looking up to Felice Herrig as a role model? If anything, Herrig is showing girls that it’s okay to “be a girl,” do girly things, and do something like fight at a high level.
The UFC knows sex appeal can sell. That’s why we’ve seen Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate buck naked in ESPN The Magazine. It’s why Herrig taking off her underwear was the talking point surrounding episode two of TUF 20. Can you imagine if Herrig went on to win this show and become the first UFC strawweight champion? She’d have all the tools the UFC would need to make her as popular as their bantamweight champion.
Fighters like Herrig are needed in the UFC. Being sexy is not disrespecting the sport and the spunk she brings to the table is a welcomed addition to the UFC roster. If she can be successful inside the Octagon, it’s the fans that’ll benefit.
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