Bellator MMA star Felice Herrig posted on Jan. 21 on mixedmartialarts.com her take on the "sex appeal thing" that has been focused around her in the media lately.
Herrig, 28, defended her approach, noting that it is necessary to keep her sponsors happy and keep the money rolling in.
"In response to the whole sex appeal thing that's been going around in the media about me lately, yes I do do some risky photo shoots," Herrig said. "Yes, I do travel a lot for my sponsors and for fight events. My job is fun so sometimes it might be taken as all play and no work. This is all a part of my job, training, traveling, photo shoots and a lot of other endeavors that keep me in the media light."
Herrig recently appeared on TMZ and The Jeff Probst Show to essentially make the same claims.
"I need to do these things to further my career and keep the sponsors happy," Herrig added. "None of what I do outside of fighting with the media and photo shoots is a supplement for the hard training and fighting or to mask a lack of talent. Last I checked looks and lack of talent do not put you at the #5 spot in the WMMA rankings or #2 in the Muay thai rankings."
Herrig, who holds an 8-4 MMA record, is currently the No. 5-ranked strawweight in the world. It's clear she has the talent inside the cage to back up her good looks.
"I have a strong desire and passion to fight and put my all in training and lay it all on the line in the cage," Herrig wrote. "I spend a lot more time training than I do doing photo shoots or being in the media. Together my management (Suckerpunch) and I work well to market and promote me and seek out opportunities and together my team and I (Team Curran) and coaches work together to make me the best fighter that I can be. And at the end of the day it all comes together. So I have a career outside of fighting and it keeps my sponsors happy, promoters wanting to book me on their shows and the fans wanting to watch me fight. And it all makes it so that I can support myself as a fighter and put food on my table and a roof on my head."
Herrig is one of a handful of female MMA fighters who uses sex appeal to get enhance her career. Other MMA fighters who do the same include Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate. No word yet on when Herrig plans to enter the Bellator MMA cage again.
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