This is hardly the first time Arianny Celeste has had to respond to talk about how much she makes in the ring.
The 36-year-old began her UFC career in 2006 and remains one of the more popular UFC girls at events 16 years later.
Just last week, it was widely reported that Celeste makes roughly $1 million per year. That would be more than most UFC fighters make.
She saw the rumors surrounding her so she fired back at people with a video on TikTok.
“I don’t know where the assumption is [coming from] but it’s always an article from a fighter saying, ‘We make more’ and it’s always a picture of me,” Celeste said. “So, no I don’t make more than the fighters. I’ve been in this industry for over 15 years and I’ve worked my ass off to be where I am in life.”
“I have an OnlyFans that makes me money. I also put my money into real estate that makes me equity. It’s about really hustling in the position you’re given.
“I gotta just say the rumors are not true, so stop spreading these lies.”
She would also share a direct message from another fan who decided to call her useless for the job that she does.
She was even called out by name by former UFC fighter Uriah Hall back in 2021 when he claimed when discussing fighter pay, “It’s a big problem. How is Arianny Celeste… she’s a ring girl, right?”
“How does she make more money than some of the fighters in the Octagon who are risking their lives? Doesn’t make sense to me.”
He later said, “You don’t have to go too much into details but I know people that are making [$10,000 to show, $10,000 to win], which is ridiculous.”
“Cause you’re going out there and fighting and you’re putting your brain cells on the line and f–ng ring card girls are making $70,000, which is utterly f–ng ridiculous.”
2021 former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov branded UFC ring girls ‘the most useless people in martial arts.’
The 36-year-old also had a public feud with Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey when the former UFC bantamweight champion commented about her profession, saying: “It’s your job to show your t***.”
Rousey later said: “I’m not impressed with the job in itself”, and demanded UFC fighters be paid more than ring girls.
Celeste would later label her a ‘bully.’
