It’s only Wednesday. Usually big drama enters this middle stretch of the UFC Fight Week only if Renan Barao is missing weight or Nick Diaz missed his flight.
Not so this week, not with Ronda Rousey stalking the town, prowling back and forth in the various cages and grand cotillion ballrooms of the area where she’ll eventually defend her title against Cat Zingano in the main event of UFC 184. Only it’s not Zingano who has caught the champ’s nervous irritation. It’s an old nemesis, the top model in the UFC’s beloved fleet of Octagon girls, namely a Ms. Arianny Celeste.
The week before, Rousey had baited a sharp hook with red verbal meat when she said at a media day fighters should be paid more than the company’s ring card girls. (Ring card girl salaries are not released, but this same sentiment, true or not, has previously been expressed by other fighters.)
Fast forward back to fight week, and Celeste is addressing Rousey’s comments Wednesday on MMA Junkie Radio (h/t MMAJunkie.com). Celeste looked at the bait, circled a few times then decided a little nibble couldn’t hurt. Maybe no one would feel the line tug.
“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 felt the tug. From what I can tell, she’s sensitive (to a fault perhaps) about being slighted and eager (again, potentially problematically) to engage in any way if it means another victory.
So get your microphones ready. Here comes Rousey, addressing the masses later that day following UFC 184 open workouts:
What did I say that was a bully? 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?
But wait, wait. Rousey has a thought to finish. She doesn’t dislike all ring card girls and women who work in such areas. In fact, she admires some of them, including Brittney Palmer. No, the only time she has a problem with the whole thing is when the person’s name is, you know, Arianny.
I’ve got a lot of respect for 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.
Your move, Arianny.
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