UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov feels that ring girls are "useless" and sees no need for them in the sport.
The retired mixed martial artist, who recently bought the Russian MMA promotion Gorilla Fighting Championship, made the statement during a recent press conference at which he explained that ring girls will not feature in his rebranded promotion, Eagle Fighting Championship.
"Look, I don’t want to offend anyone: Ring girls are the most useless people in martial arts," Nurmagomedov said, according to MMA Junkie. "What is their function? I have a question. You can show that it is the second round on the screen."
Nurmagomedov explained that while there was a history behind ring card girls, "history knows many mistakes."
"We read history to avoid mistakes of the past in the future. If we look in the history, it says they are useless," he continued. "That is my personal opinion. Dana White maybe likes it. Maybe you do, too. But my name is not Dana. My name is Khabib."
Nurmagomedov, a devout Muslim, recalled an incident during which he was at a fight with his father and felt incredibly uncomfortable as the ring girls walked past.
"Every person has his own preferences — the culture and values," he said. "I come to fight night (and) sit with my father. These (ring card girls) are passing by and showing people that it is the second round. But no one looks at the (round number). I feel uncomfortable with my father. I am not against it. If you want, you can do it. But don’t impose it to me. Do it aside. There are the designated places for it. I think we must not mix all of it. This is my (personal) opinion."
Nurmagomedov is known for his religious beliefs and has garnered the respect of ring girls in the past. In 2016, a ring girl named Anna Galochkina decided to cover herself up when Nurmagomedov walked past her at a Russian MMA event so that she did not make him feel uncomfortable, The Mirror reported.
"He’s not only the best athlete but the man for me! He’s a pride of Russia and great MMA fighter. Of course, guests of the event were shocked seeing a ring girl putting on a longer skirt so fast," she said. "I respect the views and religion of Khabib and I didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable."
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Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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