Is Arianny Celeste a Future UFC Hall of Famer?
Arianny Celeste has been a staple with the UFC for close to two decades. Serving as a UFC octagon girl, Celeste has held the position longer than any other girl, and is one of four UFC octagon girls to have posed for Playboy magazine. The others, Rachelle Leah, Brittney Palmer, and Brittny Ward.
She is recognized as one of the most consistent personalities of the UFC. Celeste made her UFC debut in 2006 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Paradise, Nevada and is with the organization to this day.
She is adored around the world for her exotic beauty and great relationship with her fans. Born in Las Vegas, Nevada, Celeste booked her first modeling job when she was just four months old. Growing up as a very athletic and hardworking young woman, she excelled in cheer, dance and gymnastics before attending the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) to purse a degree in Fitness Management and Nutrition.
Fluent in Spanish, Celeste has quickly become one of the most sought-after talents in the modeling world. She has appeared on the covers of some of the world’s most foremost magazines including Playboy, Maxim US, FHM, Maxim Korea, Maxim Philippines, FHM Australia and UFC Magazine. In addition to modeling, Arianny has hosted television shows, appeared in short films and recorded some original music.
Celeste earned the title “Ring Girl of the Year,” a record, five times. She also has been involved with shows such as UFC Ultimate Insider and Overhaulin.
But is she worthy of the UFC Hall of Fame?
The Current UFC Hall of Fame:
The names currently in the UFC Hall of Fame are legendary: Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Forrest Griffin, Stephan Bonnar, B.J. Penn, Matt Hughes, Bas Rutten, Mark Coleman, Pat Miletich, Randy Couture, and Charles (Mask) Lewis, Jr., (Brand – TapOut founder), Jeff Blatnick (commentator), and then there is also a spot for the fight between Hughes and Frank Trigg.
Mask and Blatnick are currently the only entrants in the Hall who were not fighters in the UFC organization.
Does an Octagon Girl Deserve a Spot in the UFC Hall?
If any octagon girl is deserving of a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame, it is Arianny. Not saying that Mask doesn’t deserve to be in the hall, but he was never an official paid employee of the organization. His brand, TapOut, was heavily involved in the sport of MMA and helped grow the industry to what it is today, but he was never employed by the UFC.
So, if there is room in the hall for non-fighters, the other obvious choices are the figure heads in Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta, commentators Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan, ring announcer, Bruce Buffer, and then of course, the formerly employed, “Babysitter to the Stars,” Burt Watson, and the octagon girls. One can argue that Rachelle Leah is another obvious choice as an early UFC octagon girl, but Celeste has made a bigger impact on the sport and continues to serve today whereas Leah sporadically appears on special occasions.
If So, When?
UFC 200 is slated for July 2016 which also happens to be the 10th year (a decade) that Arianny Celeste will be with the organization. The week leading up to International Fight Week which culminates annually with the July pay-per-view event, also includes a UFC Hall of Fame ceremony. Entrants are named just weeks prior to the event. The UFC should strike while the iron is hot. Celeste is currently 30 years old. She may soon seek to leave the organization or take a hiatus to pursue starting a family.
Former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is without a doubt the first female fighter that needs to be inducted into the UFC Hall, but the questions comes, “does an octagon girl make the entry before Rousey to claim the first female spot overall?”
Send us your comments/feedback. Is Arianny Celeste a future UFC Hall of Famer?
