The controversial UFC Lingerie Fighting Championships is back, this past weekend in Las Vegas.
The night of the feud featured seven pay-per-view matches in Las Vegas, with the biggest result of the night coming when La Scorpia crowned the new Booty Camp Champ, defeating rival Vulcana unanimously.
Although the tournament has generated widespread controversy and criticism from many in the sports world, and not for the first time, its promoter says it is “not sexist”.
She also described the “Longeri FC” tournament on her Twitter account as a “successful event” and that the tournament presented some great possibilities that are expected of it more and going forward.”
The tournament has come under scrutiny in the past and has often been described as sexist, no more so than in 2016 after a promotional video for the sport was criticized.
Nicola Miller of the charity Women in Sport commented, “What do you say about sport if women have to be sexualized in order to compete?” However, the CEO of the tournament, Sean Donnelly, was often quick to uphold the spirit and ethos of the event.
He is reported to have said in 2016 in response to comments from his women’s tournament: “Girls should be able to move around in the cage and protect themselves. LFC is not a brutal event like a UFC fight, but there are black eyes and ripped lips.”
Mixed martial arts (MMA) has grown exponentially in recent years, spawning some of the world’s biggest sports stars in the process.
Boxing champion Clarisa Shields has appeared in the Pro Fighter League and now holds a 1-1 MMA record.
The American Mixed Martial Arts Association’s Professional Fighter League (PFL) is also said to be in talks with other boxers and “cross-athletes” who might be interested in a life-changing prize – worth a million dollars.