“It makes you nervous (to do the nude photos),” Leah said. “The thing about America in general is that people pass judgment so easily. But my deal with it is, getting naked around people I don’t know is very scary. I already have a hard time putting on the octagon girl outfit in front of an arena. The only time I’m comfortable being semi-nude or in a bathing suit like that is on a beach."
Hard. Hitting. Journalism.
This is from a profile piece on Yahoo by Kevin Iole where said author describes Leah as " brash and thoughtful and introspective and witty and plenty crafty". According to Iole, Leah also has "the quick wit and the courage to trade barbs" and " the playful spirit and exuberant personality" and so on.
And while Leah actually wears midriff bearing tops, sometimes skimpy outfits and yes, the occassional bikini, Iole contends the show she hosts ("UFC All Access") is "a ratings hit, even though there are no shots of Leah in a bikini." Leah doesn't saunter around the screen always partially nude, but her sex appeal is part of her hosting duties.
Now, let's be fair. Leah does fulfill the obligations of the job, is probably quite bright and I'm sure is a very nice person. But the success of the show isn't so much Leah as it is the show itself. She is the enticing eye candy to keep steady wandering eyeballs, but is not the lynch pin or the raison d'etre of the show's success. The show thrives on the intimate look into the life of celebrated fighters and their pre-fight ritual. Quite literally, it's the "all access" of "UFC All Access" that accounts for its well-deserved success.
And while Leah is certainly an asset to the UFC, Spike and the sport of MMA (believe me, it helps that she's on the cover of Playboy), I just don't think it's necessary we stretch ourselves to great lengths to portray her as a renaissance woman. I congratulate her on her success, but I'm a little tired of trying to pretend every publicly positioned beautiful woman can talk the ins and outs of string theory.