UFC Could Lose Its Octagon Girls, if Politicians Get Their Way
UFC 243 will be held in Melbourne, Australia
A local politician in Australia is leading a charge to eliminate the UFC's Octagon Girls.
It would follow suit with Formula One racing, which has eliminated a similar role.
As Dana White prepares to bring UFC 243 to Australia next month, some local politicians are making the case that the UFC should do away with its "Octagon Girls."
The Octagon Girls. who sport minimal clothing while keeping viewers informed of each new round, have become a staple of the UFC. Arianny Celeste, the promotion's longest-tenured Octagon Girl, has been with the UFC since 2006.
The event is set to be held in Melbourne, and Sally Capp, who serves as the city's Lord Mayor, says that the UFC should get with the times. “It’s 2019, do we really still need scantily clad women to wander around the middle of a fighting ring between rounds?” she asked, as the New York Post reported through the Herald Sun.
She noted that other popular sports in Australia have also gotten rid of using women who operate in a similar capacity—"grid girls" for Formula 1 racing, and "walk-on girls" for professional darts are no longer featured.
Daniel Andrews, who serves as Premier of Victoria, echoed a similar sentiment. "The Grand Prix did the right thing in ending the use of grid girls and we encourage other events to make similar moves," a spokesman for Andrews said.
The UFC has hosted events in Australia 14 times before, including three times since the start of 2018.
The Post previously reported that Octagon Girls, who often work part-time in hopes of using the position as a jumping off point for more modeling work, make between $30,000 and $80,000 per year. By comparison, the same report said that entry-level UFC fighters are paid around $8,00 per match.
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