As the Ultimate Fighting Championship gears up for their first show in China, they’ll also be introducing Korean TV star Kang Ye-bin as their brand new Octagon girl.
However, it’s not Kang‘s first gig with the UFC.
According to South Korean daily news group The Chosen Ilbo (via MMA Mania), Kang also hosts UFC Inside on the region’s popular “Super Action” cable channel. She has most recently gained some traction in the modeling circuit with a vampire-themed cover and photo-shoot for Maxim Korea’s October 2012 issue.
Kang tells Chosen Ilbo that she’s currently “working out hard to get in the best shape of her life” in anticipation of her Octagon debut during UFC on Fuel TV 6 this November:
“I’m thrilled to be Korea’s first Octagon Girl. I’m just a little anxious whether I’ll be able to do a good job, but I’ll try my best and hopefully I can raise the spirits of our three Korean fighters in the UFC,” she said.
“I’d like to look sexier and hotter than [Mexican-American Octagon girl] Arianny Celeste.”
UFC on Fuel TV 6 features a main-event match between former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin and international kickboxing-star-turned-MMA-fighter Cung Le. Aside from his combat sport credentials and notable career in Strikeforce’s middleweight division, Le is also a notable action star, with roles in films like Tekken and Dragon Eyes.
Zhang Tiequan, the only Chinese fighter employed by the UFC, is featured on the main card against Ultimate Fighter: Live competitor Jon Tuck. Zhang is 1-3 in his last four fights, with a 14-win streak coming to an end at the hands of former UFC lightweight Danny Downes.
Dong Hyun Kim (welterweight), Hyun Gyu Lim (welterweight) and Kyung Ho Kang (bantamweight) will be the only athletes representing South Korea on the card, with the latter two fighters making their UFC debuts against American opponents David Mitchell and Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres.
Not only is it Zuffa’s first event in China, but UFC on Fuel TV: Franklin vs. Le will also be the 10th event run by the UFC this year out of a planned 12 international fight cards for 2012.
It seems that “guest Octagon girls” will continue to be an occasional trend for the UFC as they promote future events around the world.
Earlier this year, Miss Japan 2008 finalist and former Sengoku ring girl Azusa Nishigaki took on the role during UFC 144 at the Saitama Super Arena. However, she’s not credited or mentioned as an Octagon girl on the UFC’s official website, which currently highlights the trio of Arianny Celeste, Brittney Palmer and Rachelle Leah.
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