Ring Card Boy Elias Theodorou Wants to Start a Conversation on Equality in MMA

Elias Theodorou is a professional fighter with a winning record in the UFC. He is also a spokesperson for Pert Plus, a stuntman, and former reality show contestant. Theodorou has appeared on the cover of Harlequin Romance novels, made cameos in supernatural cop dramas, and recently tried his hand at stand-up comedy. The fighter wears a lot of different hats and has been (mostly) successful at whatever he’s tried. But on March 24 Theodorou will add something completely new to his résumé. At Invicta 28, an all-women’s MMA promotion, he is set to become a ring card boy—the male equivalent of the scantily clad women who walk the perimeter of the cage to announce each round.

While the decision to become a ring card boy is one of many high profile positions Theodorou has secured for himself, it’s something he takes seriously. Speaking about the job he pontificated on both the nature of equality and the new normal of the fight game, Theodorou says getting booked is as much about self-promotion/personality as how well you compete. I had the chance to talk with the Ultimate Fighter winner about becoming a ring card boy, his natural aptitude for self-promotion, and how fighting is always about more than just fighting.

VICE Sports: The next major venture for you is becoming a ring card boy at Invicta 28. For those who aren’t familiar, can you walk us through what a ring card boy is?

Elias Theodorou: There is a pageantry to fighting. In many ways the UFC is a big traveling circus. People go to the circus for different reasons. They go to see the passion. The aggression. The fighting, obviously. But in MMA, and many other combat sports, there has always been ring card holders (women who walk the perimeter of the ring to announce each round). It’s another part of the circus that continues today.

Lately there have been opinions that they should remove ring card holders all together. The card holders have been primarily female. The argument is that having them there is sexist or misogynistic. That they’re being objectified. I thought that becoming a ring card boy was a chance to start a conversation. In the true pursuit of equality I believed the answer is more, not less. The best way to prove this was by getting up there myself.

Walk us through how the whole thing came together. Was there any hesitations going in?

I started at a regional event called MFL in Montreal. Some of my original hang ups were about what people would think, but it was a chance to step outside my comfort zone. It’s crazy to say but I was more nervous about being a ring boy than I was for my last fight. It’s all psychological. But Invicta is a chance to do something new. It’s a chance to start a bigger conversation about the topic in general.

Your stint as a ring card boy has been met with a lot of hate online. People have thrown out homophobic slurs and personal attacks. How do you respond to that?

When you put yourself out there in an out of the box way some people won’t understand it. Some people won’t respect it. And some people are just assholes. But honestly it’s been a seventy/thirty split on the ring card boy stuff. Most people have been positive. And I think that’s a testament to how I carry myself online and how I project myself to others. I’m just trying to do me and have fun. People are welcome to join. Whether they love me or they hate me, at least they’re noticing.

But I don’t want to dwell on the negativity. Part of the larger conversation (about being a ring card boy) involves making people uncomfortable. I want them to question why they’re cool with women doing this and not men. I think comfort kills performance in training. I think that’s true of life in general. Pushing outside of your boundaries in any capacity forces you to grow. This is outside of my comfort zone but I think we should all be trying to push outside of our comfort zones.

Do you ever think the jobs outside of the UFC distract from your abilities as a fighter?

Fighting is not like the NFL or the NBA. No one is getting two hundred million dollar contracts. I take the opportunities outside of fighting because they keep me from having another job. There is a need to diversify. Athletics are a finite resource and you want to squeeze the lemon for all its worth. But more importantly I’m having a blast doing it. Even though MMA is my passion, and my career, and it’s what I want to do for as long as possible… it’s not the only thing about me.

A lot of people have pointed out that the fight game has shifted from being about who is the best competitor to who the people want to see most. How do you feel about that?

Like you said, it doesn’t just matter how good you are. It matters how many people want to see you. Combat sports are a way to entertain the masses. We project our own story and our own thoughts onto the athletes we follow. Modern day combat sports are an opportunity to project our aggression on these two individuals. And that’s easier when you give the people something beyond just your skills.

The stint as a ring card boy is a part of your larger hustle in the fight game. Are there plans to continue beyond Invicta?

Before we wrap I want to stress that I’m not looking to distract from the incredible fighters at Invicta. I’m looking to add, not subtract. I may be the first ring boy they have but the most important thing is to allow the very powerful women competing to be at the forefront and kicking ass. But as far as ring card boys? Well I do own the trademark for Ring Boy and plan on making a calendar for it! I’m planning to include body positive images with plus-size fighters. In MMA, big is beautiful, too! Why not approach a heavyweight fighter like, Black Beast? If he wants in, that would be an awesome addition to the calendar. Who wouldn’t want to see Derrick Lewis like that?