After gracing the Bellator cage for eleven years, Mercedes Terrell has announced her departure from her role as a ring card girl. Mercedes Terrell, a familiar face to Bellator fans, marked her final appearance at Bellator 246 on September 12th. This decision, according to Terrell, had been planned since the previous year, signaling a carefully considered career transition for the celebrated personality.
In an interview with MMA Junkie Radio, Mercedes Terrell clarified that her exit from Bellator was amicable. She expressed profound gratitude for her long and fruitful association with the company. Mercedes Terrell’s decision is driven by her ambition to dedicate more time to her podcast, “The MAJic Hour,” co-hosted with actress Jade Bryce, and to explore a wider array of professional opportunities in content creation and beyond.
Terrell recounted her discussions with Bellator’s producer in December of the previous year about her future aspirations. “I had originally talked to the producer December of last year and basically discussed what was next for me,” Mercedes Terrell stated. “What did I want to do going forward? Did I still want to be a ring girl? Was there another position in Bellator that made sense and at that point? I said I’d like that to be my last season as a ring girl, and then I had a bunch of ideas of what that would look like moving forward.”
Mercedes Terrell further explained her proactive approach in proposing a comprehensive program to Bellator for her transition. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought unforeseen changes and challenges, impacting the original plans. Despite the altered landscape, Terrell’s resolve to embark on a new chapter remained firm.
While Mercedes Terrell cherishes her experiences and accomplishments over the past eleven years with Bellator, she articulated a clear sense of timing for pursuing new ventures. For Mercedes Terrell, the transition represents a move beyond the confines of being a ring girl, stepping into a broader arena that aligns with her evolving professional goals.
“For me, it was really this clarity of the transition that I was really just getting myself ready for which was moving from the limitations that being a ring girl held for me into the bigger space that felt right for me,” Mercedes Terrell elaborated. This “bigger space” includes delving deeper into her podcast, “The MAJic Hour,” with Jade Bryce, and expanding her creative horizons in content creation across various platforms.
Looking ahead, Mercedes Terrell remains open to future engagements within the MMA world, but for the present, her focus is firmly set on nurturing her podcast and amplifying her presence across social media channels. Mercedes Terrell’s departure marks the end of an era for Bellator, but the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Terrell herself.
For a more in-depth look into Mercedes Terrell’s reflections on her Bellator journey and future plans, the full interview is available in the video below.
