"Khabib's prayers being answered" - Fans react as UFC ring girl Brittney Palmer announces retirement with an emotional farewell

Brittney Palmer has announced her retirement as a UFC octagon girl, and the MMA community subsequently chimed in with their reactions. A WEC ring girl in 2005, she became a UFC ring girl the following year when the promotion acquired the WEC.

Adding to her accolades, Brittney Palmer has won the Ringcard Girl of the Year award at the 2023 World MMA Awards. The American model bagged the award in 2012, 2013, 2019, and 2022 too.

During her award acceptance speech, Palmer revealed that UFC 296 in Las Vegas on December 16, 2023, would mark her final appearance as an octagon girl.

The widely-revered visual artist made the announcement during the World MMA Awards ceremony on Thursday, December 14, 2023, at the Sahara Theater in Vegas. Thanking UFC CEO Dana White, the UFC organization, and the fans, Palmer stated:

"This weekend will be my last event, and I’m so, absolutely, grateful for this unforgettable experience... I’ve traveled the world and met some incredible people, and I’ve met some lifelong friends. I will forever appreciate the memories, and I’m so excited for the future. Thank you to the UFC, Dana White, and to all the fans for this incredible honor. I’m truly blessed to be a part of this journey. I love you guys.”

Check out Palmer's comments below:

MMA legend Chael Sonnen later recalled Brittney Palmer onstage. He noted that retiring fighters lay down their gloves inside the cage, and Palmer must similarly lay down her octagon girl shorts as part of her farewell.

Sonnen unraveled a pair of shorts, which he implied belonged to Palmer. He then asked her to lay down the shorts onstage, which she did.

Watch the Sonnen-Palmer segment below:

MMA fans reacted to the Brittney Palmer retirement announcement, with many lauding the 36-year-old for her Hall of Fame-worthy career.

Back in 2021, ex-MMA star Khabib Nurmagomedov had deemed ring girls as unnecessary in combat sports. Many, including Brittney Palmer, seemingly disagreed with him. Some fans have now jestingly speculated that Palmer's retirement would make Nurmagomedov happy. One fan asserted:

"Khabib's prayers being answered"

A few screenshots of fan reactions to Palmer's announcement are displayed below:

Screenshots of fan reactions

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Khabib Nurmagomedov's remarks regarding ring card girls like Brittney Palmer

During a Russian-language media scrum in 2021, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov opined that ring girls shouldn't be a part of combat sports. As translated by X user '@manny_mma_', Nurmagomedov stated:

"Ring girls are the most unnecessary people in mma, what function do they bring? You turn on the tv and you see it’s the second, why are they walking there."

Nurmagomedov has consistently maintained his position and even labeled the ring girls as "the most useless people in martial arts." 'The Eagle,' who's known to be a devout Muslim, particularly indicated that the ring card girls' attires go against his religious beliefs and family values.

Watch Nurmagomedov's assessment below: