During face-offs, conferences and during fights in UFC (and sometimes even in wrestling or boxing matches), it's often noticed that women walk around wearing bikinis around the octagon. Why is this the case? One might not notice this in a football, basketball, tennis or any other kind of sporting competition or event.
The strangeness of this matter, got my head scratching. I hope someone can provide me with a reasonable answer.
These women are called "Ring Girls" and have been part of the boxing folklore since 1965. The initial intent was to give the feeling of a show more than just a combat.
This article from livestrong.com says:
Ring Girl Duties
When it comes right down to it, the responsibilities of the ring girl aren't vast or complicated. Usually, the attractive model holds a large placard indicating the next round. Often, the ring girl walks around the ring or cage with the sign, then blows a kiss to the camera and takes her seat to watch the fight with the rest of the crowd.
History in Boxing
Ring girls first rose to prominence after a 1965 edition of "Ring Magazine" ran a photo of a Las Vegas model holding a sign at a boxing match. The scantily-clad women were meant to draw viewers in and create more of a Vegas-like spectacle out of the combat on display. Eventually, most fight promotions adopted the practice of including ring girls in their events.
It could be a carry over from boxing when ladies would display a sign when a new round was about to start. Why use ladies??...probably because most spectators are men.
It's because the majority of watchers of UFC are men. Hence, the UFC uses those girls to get the attention of these men, which leads to a larger viewership and hence ultimately more money for the UFC.
It's the same concept that underlies cheerleaders in other American sports competitions. There's a slight difference in the sense that at least cheerleaders are required to perform some possibly difficult acrobatics, but ultimately, they're all there to attract the attention of men.
