Bantaweight World Champion, Ronda Rousey will be defending her title this Saturday night against Cat Zingano at UFC 184, reports the NY Post. Despite Zingano being a worthy opponent, however, it is the champ's fight with Arianny Celeste that is getting all the attention, observes Fox News.
According to Fox Sports, the argument between the two started when Rousey made the following statement, "I think that [fighters] should get paid more than the ring girls." The site adds that it is not publicly known what either ring girls or UFC fighters earn.
MMA Junkie reports that Arianny Celeste responded by saying, "I'm not going to talk about [Ronda Rousey] because I'm not a fighter. I'm not going to waste my time...It blows my mind that someone who doesn't even know me continuously picks on me. And that's all I see her as: a big bully."
Rousey's comment on fighters' salary was in defense for lesser-known fighters, states the Inquistr. Celeste, in the meantime, was defending herself and other ring girls, states MMA Junkie.
According to the Washington Post, Rousey replied to the "big bully" comment by saying, "I said that the fighters should get paid more than the ring girls. That doesn't make me a bully, that makes me [expletive] right."
Rousey continued, "I'm sorry, but [Celeste] wouldn't have a job if it wasn't for the fighters...Do you think her walking in circles around the two guys or two girls out there like, fighting for their lives is worth more?..."
The Inquistr reports that the UFC premiere ring girl has a net worth of $1 million. Though to be clear, KGB has said that the average salary of an Octagon girl in the UFC is $20,000 a year. KGB adds, however, that Celeste's salary is higher than most ring girls due to her experience.
Meanwhile, Fox Sports states that a fighter's purse is just the tip of their salary. The Inquisitr reports that Rousey earned $120,000 for her win against Alexis Davis last July. It is important to note at this point that Rousey is paid higher than most of her colleagues as well.
So far, when comparing the supposed basic salary of Celeste to Rousey per fight, it seems that UFC fighters get paid more. This is assuming that Celeste gets paid $20,000 per fight, while Rousey gets paid around $120,000.
Fox Sports points out, however, that ring girls make more appearances than fighters fight. Also, in Celeste's case, she has other jobs, which could probably explain her net worth of $1 million. MMA Junkie reports that Celeste also works as a model and co-hosts "Overhaulin" on Discovery Channel.
