Arianny Celeste’s name is synonymous with UFC Octagon Girl. One of the hottest babes around, MMA Ring Girl of the Year and Playboy cover girl, Arianny has been a fixture on the ultimate fighting scene since 2006. She has been featured on the cover of Maxim and in countless men’s magazines including FHM and Sports Illustrated. More than eye candy for UFC fans around the world, Arianny has built a brand that represents sexy, fit, and powerful women.
WHO’S THAT GIRL?: Arianny Celeste from Mankind Unplugged on Vimeo.
Check out what Arianny had to say about: why she posed for Playboy, her favorite asset on a man, why she thinks Carmen Elektra is smart, and hooking up with a UFC fighter.
Tam-Star: Before we get started, I wanted to say congratulations on winning the 2010 UFC MMA Octagon Girl Award.
Arianny: Thank you.
Tam-Star: How was it winning the award?
Arianny: It was pretty exciting. It’s actually my third time winning it, but this time there was a huge production with the awards show and everything. It was really nice because everyone was all dressed up and you don’t really get to see a lot of the MMA world all dressed up. It was a good time, a good night.
Tam-Star: Like they say, the third time is a charm. So, how do guys react to you when you tell them you are an UFC Octagon Girl?
Arianny: I don’t really talk about it when I meet people and they’re like, what do you do? If they don’t know, I don’t really tell them. If people know I’ll be like, yeah, I work for UFC. From there they’re like oh, she’s kinda cute, I wonder what she does for them. So then eventually I kinda have to tell them.
It’s cool because now that I know about the sport I can talk to guys about it. We’ll talk about some certain fight and be like oh, yeah, that was crazy…or yeah, I can’t believe that happened…I can’t believe the judges called that…or blah, blah, blah.
So it’s cool because I can relate to guys on that level now so it’s kinda nice.
Tam-Star: Great. I know you come from a fitness background, but did you know anything about the UFC before you started working there?
Arianny: Actually, no, I was going to college full time. My major was fitness management/nutrition, so I’ve always had that fitness background. When my agent sent me to this casting I had no idea what UFC was. It hadn’t blown up like it has today, so I was looking at it as just another job, you know?
Tam-Star: I know you were born and raised in Vegas, which is crazy because you hardly ever meet people that are born in Vegas. Going to the left, what do you think is the difference between Las Vegas guys and Los Angeles guys?
Arianny: [laughing] Oh, that’s a tough question. The Los Angeles guys and Las Vegas guys are kind of the same I guess, unless you meet them not in like the Vegas lifestyle. Because everybody in L.A. and Vegas is kinda like flashy and all about money. So I would say they’re kind of the same.
Tam-Star: Mankind Unplugged is all about guys’ stuff from a girl’s view. Guys need a little help when it comes to winning out of the ring per se. What dating rules would you suggest for a guy?
Arianny: I would suggest just to be yourself and make them laugh. Because the worst thing is getting to know someone and having them like be totally cool and then find out they were just putting on a show for you. So, be yourself and make them laugh. Have a good time and I don’t know, just not overdo it. A lot of guys will try a pickup line or try to be super funny by making really lame jokes or something like that; but if you’re just yourself I think that’s the best, even if you’re kind of dorky you know…some girls like that.
Tam-Star: You like dorks?
Arianny: Yeah, I find some dorks very attractive. Like that Facebook movie. I don’t know, Mark Zuckerberg, I mean his brain is sexy, so.
Tam-Star: What would you consider the perfect date?
Arianny: I think dinner before comedy, comedy show or comedy movie or something, preferably a comedy show because you can kinda talk over it, but I love laughing and I love food, so that would be a good combo.
Tam-Star: What would you consider your favorite asset on a man?
Arianny: I think my favorite, or the most important is confidence. When a guy is confident, no matter what he looks like or what his bank account is like, that’s sexy. And with a girl like me there’s a lot of I think jealousy, so a guy has to be confident in order to be with a beautiful woman that holds herself the same way, like in a confident manner. So, to find someone who’s comfortable with themselves and who’s just got their shit together.
Tam-Star: Got it. So what would be your favorite asset in terms of like body part? You look at UFC guys all the time. Do you look at their biceps, do you look at their ass cheeks, their pecs. I know some girls actually like calves…I don’t know. What do you like?
Arianny: I think I’m like a dude, I love a nice ass. Like, I love a nice athletic booty, something to grab onto.
Tam-Star: That’s what I like!
Arianny: Yeah.
Tam-Star: If you were stuck on an island, what UFC fighter would you choose to be stranded with and why?
Arianny: [laughing] Oh, my gosh, I think I would choose Chuck Liddell because he always has hot women with him and he always seems to be fun and like party lifestyle.
Tam-Star: What’s the best thing about being an Octagon Girl?
Arianny: I think the best thing is just you’re right there. You have the best seats in the house. And now the big perk is we’re getting to travel the world. And it’s been so amazing to see all these crazy different places. I think that’s a big plus. And me, I also have a show with them and I’ve always wanted to host a show, so that’s a big benefit working for the UFC and being part of this power brand. It’s amazing.
Tam-Star: Tell us a little bit about the show.
Arianny: The show is called UFC Ultimate Insider. And basically, we get to go behind the scenes with the fighters, behind the scenes pretty much anywhere that’s interesting, that a lot of these shows can’t do because they’re not for UFC. So, we have our own show and it’s produced by UFC producers and all that, so we get all the dirt and all the behind the scenes that other people can’t. So, it’s kinda cool.
Tam-Star: Cool. If you had to choose between Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture, which one would you date?
Arianny: Between Tito and Randy, definitely would choose Randy because Randy is one of the most sweetest, humble guys in the UFC. He’s just so mellow and so nice. I mean you would think someone like him would have a huge ego, but he’s not. No matter who you are he’ll say hi to you and will make you feel just like a regular person. So that’s what I like about him. And Tito on the other hand, I don’t know, not so much.
Tam-Star: Okay, so you know, we hear this word “swagger” a lot, what UFC fighter do you think has the most swagger?
Arianny: Most swagger, hmm. I think there are a couple of them that have their own type of swagger. People like Rampage, he’s got his own swagger; he doesn’t pretend to be like anyone else. In all his interviews he’s the same person, so he’s got swagger too. BJ Penn as well. All of them have their own personality. They stay true to their colors. I think that’s what true swagger is.
Tam-Star: What would people be surprised to know about you?
Arianny: That’s a hard one. I think people have the wrong impression of me. They see me at my best, which is cool, but I’m kind of a nerd. I’m really down to earth and I’m a lot less high maintenance than most people would think. I live on the beach. I live a pretty normal life. And my home life is so much different than my work life; like I have to put on this sexy persona because that’s who I am and like I’ve embraced that and I’m proud of it. But at the same time, when I’m home I have no makeup on, I’m in sweats and a t-shirt, and I’m very low key. I actually mesh into the public a lot.
Tam-Star: That’s actually a cool thing because unfortunately, a lot of guys think that girls who are pretty are very high maintenance. When in fact, a lot of pretty girls are totally opposite. There is a way to be sexy, such as you and pretty while having a career, and really just be a flip flop and beach type of a girl.
Arianny: Yeah, thank you. Yeah, I know when to turn it on. I know when I go to events I’m gonna put full makeup on, full hair, put out the sexy vixen look because that’s what my fans love. But like Twitter I feel is pretty cool because it shows me when I’m just chilling, being normal.
Tam-Star: True. Who leaves the Octagon, Brock or Rampage, meaning if these two were in a cage fighting, who would you put your money on?
Arianny: Oh, wow. I think Brock is a real redneck and he has that attitude, so Rampage would want to bring it on and just show him what his little country swagger is right because he’s from Tennessee I think — I don’t know, um Memphis. So he even, he never changes no matter what in front of anyone. So I think Brock is very misunderstood. Like he has that badass persona, but he’s a sweetheart too, so.
Tam-Star: Okay, well, I know you’ve done FHM and Maxim, but let’s talk about Playboy. What made you decide to do Playboy? Playboy is one of those things, some women dream about it, some women when they’re approached they hesitate to do it, and then others, they enjoy doing it. What made you actually go ahead and do it?
Arianny: Well, as a younger girl I’ve seen the Playboys and I thought oh, my God, they’re so beautiful and I want to be like that one day. And I actually got the opportunity in 2008 to be in the magazine, but at the time I just wasn’t ready mentally I think. I was still really young and I just, I wasn’t ready.
So now, I think as the years have gone by, like I’m much more confident and I feel good in my skin…so sexy, and so I was like you know, why not? And they offered the cover especially, like that goes down in history. There’s books filled with women who have been on the covers. These are women like Marilyn Monroe and Carmen Elektra, and you know, really…I think Carmen Elektra is one of the smartest people I know. She’s played sexy her whole career and has done well and made a living out of it. So that’s not being dumb, that’s being smart to me.
Tam-Star: Yeah, definitely, and like you said, you were at a time when you were feeling sexy and secure, why not. It’s definitely a great career move.
Arianny: Yeah.
Tam-Star: So, kinda switching subjects a little bit, if you had to choose one other Octagon Girl to take with you to the Playboy mansion, which girl would it be?
Arianny: One other Octagon Girl? Uh, [laughing]…
Arianny: I think it would be a tossup between Chandella and Rachelle because no matter what mood they’re in they’re fun. And they’re cool to kick it with. So it would be a tossup because they’re both fun and I love them.
Tam-Star: What did you think about Holly Madison as a guest Octagon Girl for UFC 125?
Arianny: I thought that actually was really cool because it shows what an honor and what a cool thing it is to be an Octagon Girl, because not a lot of girls get to do that. So, bringing a girl like Holly in just shows how cool it is to be a part of this company. And to have that confidence and walk around and look beautiful for the UFC fans. I thought it was really cool.
Tam-Star: Okay, great! Very last question. What can we expect from you in the future?
Arianny: I might possibly be shooting for an Australian magazine once I’m out in Australia for the UFC show. And I have a single coming out. We’ve already recorded it. We started shooting a music video, we just need one more scene. And we’ve been doing it around my schedule, so it’ll be a really cool thing for not only fight fans, but everyone in general. It’s a cool song, it’s called Fight to Love Me.
Tam-Star: Oh, so what type of music?
Arianny: It’s pop/dance. It would definitely be played at the clubs.
For more information about Arianny and to purchase her giant wall stickers and custom iPhone cases please make sure to visit her official website www.MissAriannyCeleste.com. To follow Arianny on Twitter go to Twitter.com/AriannyCeleste .
Be Sure to check out ManKindUnplugged for more pictures of Arianny and watch the video interview!
