Bellator’s Felice Herrig explains how she uses sex appeal to enhance her MMA career

Bellator fighter Felice Herrig spoke to ProMMANow about the role sexuality plays in marketing her MMA career. Video is above.

“I do design all my outfits,” Herrig said. “My next one is so awesome, but I can’t tell [what it is]. I keep having to try to reinvent myself, try to top my last fight outfit. My last fight outfit was a schoolgirl. I know that’s like every boy’s fantasy. It’s not like I’m trying to do this because it’s hot. I have these ideas in my head. I’m creative and I have a marketing side to me. I design it, I come up with it and it is what it is.”

She also posted on MMA.tv on the topic:

From: FeliceHerrig
Edited: 01/21/13 10:32 PM
Member Since: 1/8/13
Posts: 37

In Response to the whole “Sex Appeal ” thing thats been going around in the media about me lately.
Yes, I do do some risky photo shoots. 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.

I need to do these things to further my career and keep the sponsors happy. None of what I do outside of fighting with the media and photo shoots in 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.

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. I spend a lot more time training than I do doing photo shoots or being in the media. Together my management ( Suckerpunch ent) 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, promotors 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.

Eric Holden pointed out something interesting about Herrig’s weigh in antics:

Herrig’s weigh-in video for her fight against Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc received over 72,000 views on YouTube, while the fight itself gained just 20,000 clicks.

Herrig’s weigh-ins for Bellator 84 received over 30,000 views, while the fight itself had just over 1,000 views.

She also likes to get “interactive” with other ladies:

Thoughts? Is Herrig’s approach to marketing overshadowing her actual fighting? Is this the direction more female martial artists need to go or is it limiting the sport?