Brittney Palmer Steps Away from Octagon After UFC 296
End of an Era
Brittney Palmer might be one of the longest-serving UFC employees now, as she’s been with the company for 16 years, making MMA breaking news with the announcement of her retirement. While the sport has had peaks and troughs in popularity, with fighters coming and going, Palmer has been one constant. Whatever the criteria for being the ‘Ring Girl of the Year’ award is, Palmer has been successful at fulfilling it, having won the prize five times, including this year. Given her long-standing presence in the company, she has acquired her own following and is regularly cheered at UFC events. There’s no doubt that those in attendance at UFC 296 will give Palmer a warm reception.
Woman of Many Talents
Brittney Palmer isn’t just a pretty face. Well, she is that as well – the point here is that after calling it a day on her ring girl career, she’s got multiple avenues to explore. Unsurprisingly, she’s no stranger to modeling, as it’s a very similar field of work to being a ring girl. However, she’s also got a fascinating art portfolio and sells multiple pieces online. Her style seems to be predominantly watercolor designs. However, art fans can buy most of her designs on canvas or clothing as she makes several pieces of apparel. There is also a ‘nerdy’ element to her artwork as she is known to redesign famous trading card designs and make them as pieces of art. To date, she’s made several Major League Baseball cards and multiple Star Wars-inspired designs. In addition, she’s also got an OnlyFans account if you want to see lewd content. Therefore, fans can still see a lot of her, even if she’s not going to be appearing on UFC content anymore.
Does MMA Still Need Ring Girls?
Khabib Nurmagomedov has long slated the use of ring girls in MMA. While he’s often tried to explain that it’s his opinion, the former UFC champion has at times called them ‘useless’ and said ‘they have nothing to do with MMA’ when talking to MMA news websites. Nurmagomedov now owns and operates his fight promotion, Eagle Fighting Championship, where he doesn’t have ring girls and made it clear there is no intention to have them appear in the future. It is worth noting that Nurmagomedov is a deeply religious man, as a devout Muslim. As such, his faith and associated beliefs may shape what he thinks of ring girls.
Some people share similar opinions with Nurmagomedov. There’s a thought that ring girls serve little purpose other than to be looked at in a lewd fashion. While in yesteryear, ring girls in boxing might have told everyone the current round, the advent of technology allows the same information to be displayed on screens in the fight venue. Television audiences have graphics to signify the round.
There are then some more serious voices who believe the practice of ring girls is sexist and objectifying. The fact that they are wearing very small outfits with no apparent purpose other than to offer titillation.
In addition to this, women’s participation in MMA has come a long way since people started fighting in the octagon. When the elite stars like Zhang Weili and Alexa Grasso are standing in the cage ready to fight, it does feel a bit weird when there are ring girls simply parading themselves in the same camera shot.
Other Sports Removing Similar Female Performers
Formula 1 decided to stop the practice of Grid Girls in 2018. They were very much like ring girls, as they would pose near the cars and drivers in the build-up to the races. Some applauded the decision, while others felt it was unnecessarily taking away from the show aspect. Similarly, the Professional Darts Corporation decided to remove its walk-on girls and dancers from its biggest events – which include the widely followed World Championship event. The PDC, however, hasn’t stopped them from appearing at smaller events, which seems like a half-hearted approach. Does MMA and, by extension, other combat sports need to follow suit?
Are Ring Girls a Problem?
While Khabib Nurmagomedov, extreme feminists, and others may dislike the very existence of ring girls, some voices support them. One of the biggest reasons is that they add to the overall show experience. Top touring musicians have dancers and performers appear alongside them at live concerts, which is a very similar practice. Yet nobody resents the Rolling Stones or Lady Gaga for this.
The practice of ring girls has a long lineage in fight sports as they would often signify the round number in boxing by holding a large sign up with a numerical value. In a world that wants to tear up tradition with new values, is it really so bad to preserve ring girls? It’s certainly an active discussion for MMA news sites.
There is also the overwhelming audience demographic for MMA. Heterosexual men make up the bulk of it. Heterosexual men like to look at women, as you would expect. Therefore, ring girls add another element of enjoyment to the spectacle of MMA presentations.
At present, the biggest MMA promotions, the UFC, PFL, Bellator, OKTAGON, RIZIN, and ONE Championship, all have ring girls within their events. While one could act, it would take a group decision to truly set a precedent for the industry. Brave CF doesn’t have ring girls at present, but given its position in the MMA landscape, it doesn’t make too much of a difference.
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