Recently retired UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov wasn't exactly known for his controversial comments or being the centre of attention out of the Octagon. That was a job often left for his adversaries.
But lately, his words seem to be rubbing folk up the wrong way and drawing him heat.
In a recent press conference, Khabib shared his thoughts on the role of ring girls, who he calls "the most useless people in martial arts."
Khabib went on to say: “What is their purpose? I have a question. You can show that it is the second round on the screen." He went on to note: “These people are passing by and showing that it is the second round. But no one looks at the plate."
This opinion seems to have irked others, including several UFC ring girls who have spoken out to defend their role.
Luciana Andrade explained how she used her job as a ring girl to pursue a Master's in law and learn new languages. Several other well-known ring girls have taken the opportunity to poke fun at Khabib's unpopular views, including Arianny Celeste and Brittney Palmer.
Over in Russia, female boxing talent Angelina Semenova has questioned Khabib's views, labelling them as old-fashioned and sexist.
Speaking to Russian sports betting outlet MetaRatings, Semenova said: “The 21st century has already arrived. Women have the same rights as men.
"Ring girls are, of course, traditional, like the cherry on the cake. It’s time for Khabib to leave the sexism he was accustomed to in the Dagestani mountains.”
While it's unlikely Khabib will be enjoying the backlash from his comments, several of his rivals have taken the chance to bask in this rare moment of negative attention for the Dagestan Eagle.
Both Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz have been quick to troll Khabib, sharing a meme of him being intimidated by ring girls. However, none of this is likely to coax the ex-undefeated pound-for-pound champ back into the Octagon.