Arianny Celeste finally explains her side of the story in Ronda Rousey feud

Former UFC Octagon ring girl Arianny Celeste has reflected on her infamous feud with UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey. Celeste and Rousey had some beef during their stints with the promotion. Discussions about fighter pay, bullying accusations, and Maxim's 'Hot 100' list fueled the fire of their beef. Years later, the now-retired ring girl has opened up on their past bad blood.

"I never talked to her," Celeste told MMA Junkie Radio. "I kind of just avoided the whole situation just because I didn’t even know her. For me, it was understandable a little bit, though, because she’s a fighter. I’m a ring girl at the time. I believe I was the female face of the UFC, and here comes this amazing athlete, but she’s like, ‘Who are you? You’re the face of the UFC. No, no, no – I’m going to be.’ So I get it. It’s like a competitive thing, but I think the way she handled herself was not cool. If I feel like she’s a little bit more aggressive in nature, to each their own. She didn’t make me sweat at all."

She continued on saying, "I was perfectly fine. I just ignored the situation. I’m pretty peaceful unless you mess with me. I definitely did call Dana. I was like, ‘What do I do about this?’ and he was able to calm me down because it didn’t affect me, but it did bother me. I’m like, ‘Hey, I don’t even know this person. What should I do? Why is she being like this?’ After thinking about it letting it fizzle, I kind of got her perspective a little bit more."

Celeste made her UFC debut as a ring girl in 2006 and recently announced her retirement from the role. She earned multiple 'Ring Girl of the Year' awards during her time with the promotion. Celeste and Rousey's feud went public after Rousey jabbed at Celeste's ranking on Maxim's 'Hot 100' list, which ranks female celebrities by attractiveness. Celeste responded by calling Rousey a bully for her remarks.

When discussing fighter pay in 2015, Rousey hinted that Celeste and UFC ring girls are overpaid. After a back-and-forth war of words between the two women, their feud has fizzled out in recent years.

Rousey entered the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018 after a legendary career in the Octagon. She won the first women's title in UFC history and holds numerous promotional records, including six consecutive finishes during her bantamweight title reign.

After winning her first 12 professional fights, Rousey lost to Holly Holm at UFC 193, one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. She returned at UFC 207 in a loss to then-champion Amanda Nunes, falling by first-round TKO. Celeste made her last Octagon walk at UFC 296 in December. She hosts a new travel show for the UFC and has transitioned full-time to broadcasting and her huge social media following.

Arianny Celeste says she squashed Ronda Rousey feud long ago

Celeste and Brittney Palmer are considered by many as ringgirl pioneers. Both women were ring girls during the UFC's rise in the mid-2000s, followed by its immense popularity at present. Rousey retired from MMA following the loss to Nunes, although she was a rumored candidate to return at UFC 300 in April. Despite the rumors, Rousey remains intent on making her MMA retirement a finality and remains a massive star in professional wrestling.

Rousey and Celeste are inarguably two of the most important female figures in UFC history, and it seems their feud has ended. But, their past beef offered a unique insight into the at-times tense relationship between female fighters and ringgirls.