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UFC president Dana White responds t. Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Sally Capp’s call to get rid of Octagon girls for UFC Melbourne.
Lord Mayor of Melbourne Sally Capp was vocal about her dislike towards the tradition of having Octagon girls as part of UFC events. According to her, “it’s time to move on” from having “scantily-clad women wander around the middle of a fighting ring.”
It did not take long before these statements got to UFC president Dana White, who issued a response.
“Our Octagon girls, they’re as much a part of the UFC brand as anyone, they’re ambassadors for our sport,” White told the Daily Telegraph (via MMA Mania). “So for someone who has absolutely no education whatsoever about who these girls are – about what they do, what they mean to the UFC – to start going off, it’s ridiculous.
“So you can look at any sport you like, nobody treats women better than we do,” he continued. “And I’d suggest these people calling on them to be banned go have a look at what these girls do with the company, the type of money they’re making.
“Do that and you’ll realize these girls are as important to our brand as anyone else in the company. And that’s exactly the way we treat them.”
Based on White’s comments, it’s looking like Arianny Celeste and company will remain present at UFC 243, which takes place on October 6th at the Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.