UFC legend Michael Bisping has defended the use of ring-card girls amid harsh criticism from Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The Eagle caused a stir earlier this week when giving his honest opinion on the scantily-clad females who parade around the cage prior to each round at UFC events.
“Look, I don’t want to offend anyone, ring girls are the most useless people in martial arts," Nurmagomedov told reporters at a press conference in Moscow.
“What is their purpose? I have a question. You can show that it is the second round on the screen. I realise that is a history. 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. That is my personal opinion.”
In the aftermath of those comments, former UFC middleweight champion Bisping has jumped to the defence of Octagon girls like Brittney Palmer and Arianny Celeste, claiming that the tradition is steeped in history.
“Nobody goes for the ring girls, that’s not how it works," Bisping told the 'Believe You Me' podcast.
“They’re a little bit extra for the show. And I like it because it’s historic in boxing and now with MMA, of course. It’s a little bit of fun.
“I’m a huge fan of Khabib. But come on, man! Let the girls have a job. They make a lot of money with sponsorships and endorsements.”
UFC legend Michael Bisping has jumped to the defence of Octagon girls like Brittney Palmer and Arianny Celeste
A boxing ring girl has also defended her profession after getting wind of Khabib's recent comments.
Sara Beverly Jones, 36, from Manchester, also works as a model and runs her own modelling agency.
“We’re all excited to see Ebanie Bridges fight again on this card, as a former ring girl turned boxer, we love to support her," she told The Daily Star.
“It also shows the opportunities that can arise from being a ring girl, the opportunities created and the different paths taken. I know this has happened in MMA too, former ring card girls turned to training to fight.
She added: "Khabib has made a comment regarding ring girls in MMA and branded them 'useless' and a 'distraction' from the fight.
"Which seems absurd to me as the girls only ever enter a cage or ring during the interval, so they're not distracting from any fighting taking place.
"It's a great job and a great side earner for lots of women who enjoy doing it. I know many ring girls feel very fortunate for the opportunity to work huge fighting events, such as the Joshua vs Usyk fight coming up."
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