An accomplished artist, spokes model, host, and dancer, Brittney Palmer is on top of the world. Circling the cage with World Extreme Cage Fighting on the regular, Brittney gets to be front and center for a sport that is blowing up worldwide. With an electrically exciting career with the UFC and having a hobby that blossomed into a thriving career with her painting, planning her wedding to the man of her dreams is just the icing on the cake for this multi-talented beauty. She speaks to Runway about her passion for art, how she became involved with the UFC, and dishes on the most important day of her life.
With all of your creative endeavors and accomplishments, you’ve been called a modern day Renaissance Woman. What inspired you to jump into the world of mixed martial arts?
I’ve always been into all types of art. I’m a painter, I’m a professional dancer, and I think mixed martial arts, and the UFC, are such beautiful art forms. I didn’t ever dream, or aspire, to be a spokes model for this sport, but once I got into, I’ve stayed loyal to the company and we’ve become a tight knit family.
Throughout your career as an Ultimate Fighting Championship Octagon Girl, you get to travel and see so many beautiful parts of the world. What has been your favorite place to visit?
Sydney, Australia. I have a soft spot for Australia, and my fiancées Australian.
A healthy and fit lifestyle is obviously high on your list of priorities. What is your favorite form of exercise?
I am an avid spinner. I spin probably 5 times a week. I’m a little intense about it, I love spinning. I love being in the class for an hour and I sit in front so I can’t slack off.
So many women want to know, what are your tips for getting a sexy, sculpted bikini body for the summer?
70% is what you put in your mouth, and the rest is cardio. A lot of girls try a lot of different types of workouts, strength training and aerobics, but if you do a lot of cardio you’ll burn fat. It’s that simple. But what you eat is what your body is going to use as fuel. If you eat a cheeseburger, you won’t get much fuel from that.
SEE BRITTNEY’S BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEO SHOOT
And do you stick to a specific diet when you are working on shoots and in the ring? Do you have a favorite “indulge” meal or treat?
I used to stick to specific diets. Now, I just watch what I eat. I eat when I’m hungry and I don’t eat until I’m full. When I eat something, I don’t over indulge. I know what to eat, I don’t eat carbs. If my fiancé and I go out to eat, we will just eat the crust of the bread in the breadbasket to save on carb intake. As far as a “cheat meal”, I kind of cheat every day, I’m not very strict. If I want ice cream, I’ll eat ice cream.
Speaking of getting in shape, we hear that you are getting married. Congratulations! Can you share some details about the big day and, we of course have to know, who designed your wedding gown?
Yes! First the dress, the dress designer is Galia Lahav. The dress is fantastic, it is the center piece of the wedding and it fits me like a glove. She flew from Israel for the fitting and she’s just amazing. And the wedding venue is the iconic Charles Laughton Estate, Marilyn Monroe took acting classes at this place, and the theme is magical garden. A garden theme in ivory and beige with chandeliers, candles and flowers galore. We plan on having around 150 guests including notables in the UFC world.
Not just a dancer, model and personality, you are also an exceptional artist. Your acrylics on canvas are beautiful. What inspires you to paint?
I’ve always been inspired to paint since a young age, my mom said I should have been a child of the 60s or 70s. Jimmy Hendrix was the first music icon I painted, and that’s what I mainly paint. Iconic rock stars from the 60s and 70s. I also do a lot of custom commissioned work as well. I started working as an artist when I was 22, and I’m turning 27 now, so I feel very blessed to be able to work doing things that I love.
Wearing so many hats, how do you find balance in juggling it all? And what is a typical day like in the life of Brittney Palmer?
A typical day for me would be to get up, go to the gym, walk my dogs, and depending on if I have a meeting or not, I will plan all of my work related tasks after noon so I can get to the gym and have all of my morning chores done. I mean, I paint from home, and I live in the Hollywood Hills, so I just stay in and paint through the night. It’s not hard to juggle everything because I love what I do, and I don’t mind being busy.
What is your typical weekend wear? And do you have a favorite designer?
My fiancé is more into fashion than I am. My style, I can find something casual and be happy. My favorite is cut-off shorts and converse. When we go out together, I’ll dress up, and I’m usually in Chanel and Dolce and Gabbana.
As a model and UFC personality, do you see yourself crossing over into the acting world?
That’s an interesting question, and living in Hollywood I’m around it all the time, I’m exposed to it. But, I’m a really bad liar, and I think actors are just horrible liars, so I could never be an actress. It’s just not for me, for me it’s cheesy, not the profession itself, but the thought of me as an actress. That’s what cheesy.
Are there any future projects you can let our Runway readers know about?
They can always visit my website to keep up with what’s going on, www.brittneypalmer.com. And my fitness blog is on there as well, and we are launching
a lot of great things there soon!
Interview by Mandi Pimental for RUNWAY / Summer 2014