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Arianny Celeste: The UFC’s Number One Octagon Girl

The Octagon girls are no strangers to anyone who is a fan of MMA. Their simple, yet important role in an event is sometimes overlooked. Their jobs at the events is to put on their outfits, and then hold round cards up while walking around the perimeter…

The Octagon girls are no strangers to anyone who is a fan of MMA. Their simple, yet important role in an event is sometimes overlooked.

Their jobs at the events is to put on their outfits, and then hold round cards up while walking around the perimeter of the cage. Simple. But along with that, they play a bigger role.

It is always nice to have balance, and for a sport filled with predominantly sweaty, half-naked men wrestling on the ground or in a hold, having some ladies next to the cage and between rounds is a welcomed thing for most.

But for these girls, it does not have to be that simple. Take Arianny Celeste for example. Arguably the most popular card girl now, and maybe most popular to date, she has created her own image and identity just as significant as any of the fighters. She is becoming just as well known and media friendly as some of the MMA executives.

Why is this?

She does not simply just do her job and leave it at that. She extends her involvement with the company and remains in the public eye. Of course her physical appearance tends to be half of the equation, but she is also involved in more organization functions.

Arianny hosts the UFC.com’s popular UFC Ultimate Insider, which is a weekly installment of news, interviews, recaps and more. Not only that, she almost always attends any social function the UFC puts on.

Meeting her for the first time, she seemed very willing to engage her fans and be amongst them, instead of on a stage or in front of a barricade. Whether it is a fan expo, community outreach or other promotional outlet, her face is always around somewhere.

Currently, she is becoming more fluent with media outreach. With her cover debut of Maxim and being put in their Hot 100 list, she has made herself known to the world outside of MMA.

But then she took it a little further. Arianny was featured as the cover girl of Playboy magazine in November of 2010. Once again, she created a media boom that would continue to resonate.

Sometimes when a celebrity has always been covered up and people wanted them to show more skin, once they do, they can lose some of their luster. For Arianny, she has continued to put herself out there and it helps in a counteracting way.

Her recent commercial with Bud Light, which features her topless surrounded by limes, is nothing short of a perfect example of “sex sells.” Also, she is the newest cover girl for the latest issue of UFC magazine. This continuous growth aides in retaining her popularity.

She has created an image so successful that even the UFC online store has given Ms. Celeste her own cardboard standup along with big name fighters. She is featured fashioning the newest apparel for the UFC and is involved with the video games as well.

We do not know how long her reign of popularity will last, but she will still be a significant part of UFC history, just as Rachelle Leah had done before her. Wherever the UFC goes, Arianny Celeste is surely to be alongside.

Who do you think is the best ring card girl and why? Share your thoughts below!

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The UFC’s 5 Greatest Champions In History

Throughout the years, we’ve witnessed some phenomenal talent displayed within the confines of the UFC’s octagon.Stellar champions have impressed fanatics and drawn new viewers with exciting styles, slick submissions and devastating knockout…

Throughout the years, we’ve witnessed some phenomenal talent displayed within the confines of the UFC’s octagon.

Stellar champions have impressed fanatics and drawn new viewers with exciting styles, slick submissions and devastating knockouts.

While most divisions tend to juggle champions, due to such evenly paired skill sets, some men have reached above and beyond the confines of nature and proven nearly unstoppable.

Before I offer a nod to the five greatest champions to compete for the promotion, I’d like to first give a nod to some worthy champions who just missed making this list.

Tito Ortiz: Ortiz helped shed light on the sport during its darkest time. He also held a firm grip on the light heavyweight title for some time. Limited opposition prevents him from making this list, but he’s a man worthy of respect, like him or not.

Rich Franklin: Before Anderson Silva joined the UFC’s ranks, Franklin was the legitimate owner of the middleweight title. Impressive wins over Evan Tanner and Nate Quarry highlight the peak of Rich’s title run.

B.J. Penn: The only reason B.J. didn’t earn a spot on this list is inconsistencies. He’s proven capable of beating nearly any man, and he’s been a terrific champion in the past. However, to be the best, you must perform at 150 percent and that means every time you enter the cage.

Lyoto Machida: Machida may not be as accomplished as many former champions, but he’s already proven he can beat just about any man alive, and he’s added some devastating techniques to punctuate his fighting style. This man could easily regain the light heavyweight title.

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Anderson Silva: Who Is He Going to Fight Next, Assuming He Beats Yushin Okami?

It is probably unfair to ask this question so far in advance as there are still 74 days until UFC 134 in Rio takes place. The main event of that fight card will feature Anderson Silva defending his middleweight belt for the ninth time, this time agains…

But when you aren’t completely satisfied with a fight, your mind will tend to wander. Nothing against Okami who is a perfectly adroit fighter, boasting an impressive 10-2 record inside the Octagon with his only losses coming to Rich Franklin and Chael Sonnen.

And technically, he was the last man to beat Silva. But we all know that is “fools gold” as Silva was on his way to victory before being disqualified because of an illegal upkick. So assuming all goes according to plan, Silva will extend his record for most consecutive victories in the UFC to fourteen.

So, without sounding too disinterested, what’s next?

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All 7 UFC Belts Could Be on the Line During Second Half of 2011

With the surge in the amount of UFC events over the last few years, one downside is that less and less PPV events are being anchored with a title fight. While the UFC usually does a good job putting together PPV cards worth the price of admission, many…

With that said, fans of title fights may be in store for an embarrassment or riches during the second half of 2011 where, if the stars all align, we could bear witness to all seven UFC belts being defended. Four title fights are already on the books, with one being tentatively booked, while three others are likely to happen as long as all the fighters in question heal from their respective injuries.

Lets take a look shall we.

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Georges St-Pierre Versus Nick Diaz: Ride the Hype, but Cross Your Fingers

Every MMA fan will watch Georges St-Pierre versus Nick Diaz on Oct. 29 this year—from the opposing camps of those in favor or disfavor, each expecting eventual justification for his biased point of view.Again, the disagreement could be summarized…

Again, the disagreement could be summarized into these two polarities:

“Yes, it’s a UFC champion vs. Strikeforce champion event, and Diaz poses a real threat and will take the bore out of GSP.”

“No, Diaz is a ‘paper champion’ and must earn more credibility by beating worthier opponents, before facing the pound-for-pound contender GSP.”

There may be other opinion strands flowing and entangling in this debate, but the above contradictory statements basically sum them up.

Okay, maybe fans will watch with different levels of enthusiasm.

Some will take the hype for a joy ride while others will shrug it off as just another walk in the MMA park.

Still, I’m confident every MMA fan worth his salt will watch this fight.

Maybe you’ll indulge in it, with eyes and mouth wide open and drooling, over a fight that may last inside the first five minutes or persist till the 25th.

Or, maybe you’ll watch with a smirk on your face in front of the TV set, while doing something else of more import on that precious Saturday night.

Whatever the case, you’ll watch and wait to finally exclaim, “See, my like-minded intelligent brothers and I were right all along.”

And, if you’re just someone who’s sitting idly somewhere along The Great Divide separating the gabbing loggerheads, then you’ll watch because you love this sport or just for the hell of it.

But before anything else (and forgive me for sounding like a party pooper), here’s a factual and grim reminder on why we should pray and cross our fingers for that fight to actualize, courtesy of Trent Reinsmith:

Here are fights that had to be scrapped as of late:

UFC 130: Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard—both fighters injured

Cody McKenzie vs Bart Palaszewski—both fighters injured

Brad Pickett forced to withdraw from bout with Miguel Torres

TUF Season 13 Finale: Jonathan Brookins forced to withdraw from bout with Jeremy Stephens

UFC 131: Brock Lesnar forced to withdraw from fight with Junior dos Santos

Court McGee forced to withdraw from fight against Jesse Bongfeldt

Rani Yahya forced to withdraw from fight against Dustin Poirier

Anthony Perosh forced to withdraw from fight against Krzysztof Soszynski

Mac Danzig forced to withdraw from his fight against Donald Cerrone

UFC Live: Martin Kampmann forced to withdraw from his fight against John Howard

Anthony Johnson forced to withdraw from his fight against Nathan Marquardt

UFC 132: BJ Penn vs. Jon Fitch—both forced off card

Evan Dunham forced to withdraw from his fight against George Sotiropoulos

Cub Swanson forced to withdraw from his fight against Erik Koch

Who’s next?

In life, crazy things happen. In MMA, crazier things happen or don’t happen.

Another thing is, after his major screw-up of a (mis)calculation, the preacher now claims that the world will really, really end this October 21.

Naah, the senior guy had too much coffee or something stronger.

Whatever it was, it made him too addled and amnesiac, forgetting or missing the part where the book says the world will end only after “GSP Vs. Anderson Silva.”

In other words, the world may not end at all.

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4 Reasons That Wrestling Is Killing the Sport of MMA

As of recently, fighters have realized that a good way to win fights is to lay on their opponents and kill time, scoring a 10-must round for barely “fighting at all.” Some people call this tactic “lay and pray,” some call it a more appropriate name, “wrestling”, but I call it “boring.” Wrestlers in the limelight are killing the sport of MMA, by winning fights doing the bare minimum they need to win the fight. Some may disagree with what is being said, but not many people find Jon Fitch to be an exciting fighter, albeit his last fight wasn’t awful.

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