Khabib Nurmagomedov: Ring girls ‘the most useless people in martial arts’

Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t see a need to have ring girls in his promotion.

Nurmagomedov, who recently bought Russian MMA promotion Gorilla Fighting Championship, won’t have ring girls in his newly branded “Eagle Fighting Championship.”

The former UFC lightweight champion deems ring girls unnecessary, and even if you disagree with him, Nurmagomedov says he’s entitled to his own opinion.

“Look, I don’t want to offend anyone: Ring girls are the most useless people in martial arts,” Nurmagomedov said at a Moscow press conference. “What is their function? I have a question. You can show that it is the second round on the screen.

“I realize that is 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. 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 went on to use an example of how uncomfortable he’d be if he attended an event with his father, who died in 2020, and ring girls were present – citing differences in his cultural values.

“I sit with my father (at an event),” “Every person has his own preferences – the culture and values. 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.”

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