Ronda Rousey blasts Arianny Celeste: ‘She wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for the fighters’

TORRANCE, Calif. — Arianny Celeste didn’t take kindly to Ronda Rousey’s comments last week that fighters should make more money than the UFC’s Octagon girls.

Celeste told MMAjunkie Radio on Wednesday that Rousey was a “big bully” who “continuously picks on me.” The UFC women’s bantamweight champion also made incendiary remarks about Celeste in 2012.

Rousey went back at Celeste on Wednesday afternoon after UFC 184 open workouts at UFC Gym, saying nothing that she said last week made her a bully.

“What did I say that was a bully?” Rousey said. “That the fighters should get paid more than the ring girls? How does that make me a bully? That makes me f*cking right. I’m sorry, but she wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for the fighters. She wouldn’t. You think her walking in circles around the two guys or two girls out there fighting for their lives is worth more? Think she works harder than they do?”

Three years ago, Rousey took a shot at Celeste, the UFC’s most tenured Octagon girl, when the two were both ranked in the Maxim Hot 100. Rousey was not in the UFC at the time.

“It would have been really funny if I’d beaten Arianny Celeste, because that would be like a triathlete coming along and beating the runners in a marathon,” Rousey said at the time. “Like, ‘Haha, it’s your job to show your t*ts – I do that better than you!’ Maybe next year. She’s only getting older, and I’m reaching my prime.”

Celeste told MMAjunkie Radio that she’s sick of the “bullying” and people “don’t know how hard it is to be a model, be a host, be an Octagon Girl.” Celeste said she tries to separate herself from the MMA world due to harsh critics and doesn’t appreciate people looking down on her or her peers.

“I’m not going to talk about her because I’m not a fighter,” Celeste said. “I’m not going to waste my time. I actually don’t talk about anyone. It blows my mind that someone who doesn’t even know me continuously picks on me. And that’s all I see her as: a big bully.”

Rousey, 28, who meets Cat Zingano in the main event of UFC 184 on Saturday in Los Angeles, was surprised that Celeste took the fighter pay quotes personally.

“You know what would have been the best thing for her to say?” Rousey said. “‘Oh my God, you know, these fighters work so hard and I wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for them. I just admire them so much. And yeah, I definitely think that they should get paid more than anybody in the arena tonight.’ There ya go. That’s a PR lesson for her.”

Rousey said she isn’t particularly against Octagon girls in general, adding that she has “a lot of respect” for Celeste’s partner Brittney Palmer.

“She went and became a ring card girl to pay her way through art school and become a renowned artist,” Rousey said. “And her being ring card girl helps her promote her art. If you’re working at Hooters because you’re trying to pay your way through medical school, then f*ckin’ work it girl. I respect the hustle. But don’t think you’re hot sh*t just because you work at Hooters. Use it to further yourself in life; don’t think that you’re awesome just because you do that. I’m sorry, but I’m not impressed with the job in itself.”

TORRANCE, Calif. — Arianny Celeste didn’t take kindly to Ronda Rousey’s comments last week that fighters should make more money than the UFC’s Octagon girls.

Celeste told MMAjunkie Radio on Wednesday that Rousey was a “big bully” who “continuously picks on me.” The UFC women’s bantamweight champion also made incendiary remarks about Celeste in 2012.

Rousey went back at Celeste on Wednesday afternoon after UFC 184 open workouts at UFC Gym, saying nothing that she said last week made her a bully.

“What did I say that was a bully?” Rousey said. “That the fighters should get paid more than the ring girls? How does that make me a bully? That makes me f*cking right. I’m sorry, but she wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for the fighters. She wouldn’t. You think her walking in circles around the two guys or two girls out there fighting for their lives is worth more? Think she works harder than they do?”

Three years ago, Rousey took a shot at Celeste, the UFC’s most tenured Octagon girl, when the two were both ranked in the Maxim Hot 100. Rousey was not in the UFC at the time.

“It would have been really funny if I’d beaten Arianny Celeste, because that would be like a triathlete coming along and beating the runners in a marathon,” Rousey said at the time. “Like, ‘Haha, it’s your job to show your t*ts – I do that better than you!’ Maybe next year. She’s only getting older, and I’m reaching my prime.”

Celeste told MMAjunkie Radio that she’s sick of the “bullying” and people “don’t know how hard it is to be a model, be a host, be an Octagon Girl.” Celeste said she tries to separate herself from the MMA world due to harsh critics and doesn’t appreciate people looking down on her or her peers.

“I’m not going to talk about her because I’m not a fighter,” Celeste said. “I’m not going to waste my time. I actually don’t talk about anyone. It blows my mind that someone who doesn’t even know me continuously picks on me. And that’s all I see her as: a big bully.”

Rousey, 28, who meets Cat Zingano in the main event of UFC 184 on Saturday in Los Angeles, was surprised that Celeste took the fighter pay quotes personally.

“You know what would have been the best thing for her to say?” Rousey said. “‘Oh my God, you know, these fighters work so hard and I wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for them. I just admire them so much. And yeah, I definitely think that they should get paid more than anybody in the arena tonight.’ There ya go. That’s a PR lesson for her.”

Rousey said she isn’t particularly against Octagon girls in general, adding that she has “a lot of respect” for Celeste’s partner Brittney Palmer.

“She went and became a ring card girl to pay her way through art school and become a renowned artist,” Rousey said. “And her being ring card girl helps her promote her art. If you’re working at Hooters because you’re trying to pay your way through medical school, then f*ckin’ work it girl. I respect the hustle. But don’t think you’re hot sh*t just because you work at Hooters. Use it to further yourself in life; don’t think that you’re awesome just because you do that. I’m sorry, but I’m not impressed with the job in itself.”