New Octagon girl ready for debut at UFC 101

By Allison Duck

Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009 | 2:14 a.m.

Though she go-go dances at XS and models for top agencies like Platinum, Las Vegas native and new UFC Octagon girl Natasha Wicks does not have the typical Vegas tale.

Growing up on a farm near Nellis Air Force Base as one of eight home-schooled children, Wicks spent time gardening and raising farm animals before getting involved with her family’s sport of choice: running.

This passion for speed led her to enroll in Cimmaron Memorial High School. where she went on to place 18th in the Western U.S. in the Foot Locker Nationals.

Running gave way to modeling when she moved to Hawaii following several years on the cross-country team at Northern Arizona University.

Modeling in Las Vegas afforded her the opportunity to get into go-go dancing at XS at Encore. When UFC 100 took place last month, Wicks entered the Maxim Magazine-sponsored contest to be the next Octagon girl. After beating out 39 other ladies for the top honors, Wicks secured the job and will be debuting at UFC 101 today in Philadelphia.

Read on to hear Wicks’ thoughts on modeling in Las Vegas and her incredible UFC opportunity.

What was your transition like into modeling?

After doing a program in Mammoth, Calif., called Masters Commission, I moved to Hawaii where my sister lives. I picked up surfing and did a lot of snorkeling.

I’ve always been into fashion and modeling but I figured I was too short to be a model. And I’ve always been athletic so I’m not tall and lanky like I thought you had to be for modeling.

Some lady in Hawaii approached me about modeling and I did a few little things out there. I moved back to Las Vegas and a few [modeling] agencies said I was too short or not what they wanted but I started working with Best Agency and now I work mostly with Platinum. I’ve been modeling and go-go dancing at XS ever since.

What was your first big break in the modeling world?

Definitely the Maxim thing. In Vegas, I’ve done a lot of the come-hang-out-with-Pamela-Anderson type of parties but never anything big. So this is definitely huge for me. I have never been so excited about anything in my entire life.

What was the Maxim contest like?

In the beginning of the whole competition, they had all 40 of us in there and a guy told us, “One of you is going to be the next Octagon girl,” and he was telling us about all the things we would win.

I remember looking at all the girls and thinking to myself that if I won this, it would be great but if I didn’t, something else would come along.

So everyone else was really nervous and I wasn’t stressed. And when I won, I remembered thinking, “This is not just a bikini contest.”

I’m extremely honored that I got picked, especially because there were some extremely drop-dead gorgeous girls there.

You are the first blonde Octagon girl in a while. Did you think your big blonde hair would impact your chances in the contest?

Everybody probably thinks my hair is crazy because I have big curly hair. My hair is kind of wavy, ’80s style. I get compared to Farrah Fawcett all the time. I have no complaints about that. I think she’s beautiful.

When I work any big parties or events for agencies, they’re always saying, “Natasha, you need to turn your hair down a bit.”

But in the competition I really wanted to just go as myself. I feel most confident and sexy with my big crazy hair because it just fits my personality. I figured if I went and they liked me like that, then I would feel great. I have to wear it straight for the UFC fights, and they straightened it for the magazine shoot.

Were you a UFC fan before trying out to be an Octagon girl?

I have definitely always enjoyed watching the fights, but I’m a pretty busy person. I would have to say that I’m a fan of Forrest Griffin just because I see him a lot; we even get the same smoothie at Tropical Smoothie. Just cheesy stuff like that. And he’s local, so you want to support your local fighters.

How do you think you will get along with the other Octagon girls?

I already got to meet Arianny Celeste. She is gorgeous and so sweet. I can’t wait to work with her and Logan Stanton.

Also they have me in the red and the other girls wear black.

The “den mother,” Leslie Hedges, is so nice. I love real people and she just tells it like it is and doesn’t try to suck up to anyone. She helps me with my makeup.

That’s what I’m most nervous about. I prefer not to wear makeup so, even with modeling, I’m just not very good at it. I’ll do it and then she [Hedges] will look me over and say, “OK, we need to help you with this.” I guess I’ll stand out because I’m the only blonde and I’m the shortest; I’m only 5-2.

You pride yourself on being “all natural” with no cosmetic enhancements. Do you think you’ll be able to keep to that when you get older or will time change your mind?

I’ve never really wanted to get fake boobs ever. I’m not going to say I’m going to lose a ton of weight just because I’m on TV. I’m not into that.

I like having muscle tone and being healthy. If they wanted me to get a boob job, I would say that I’m here for a year and if you wanted to rehire me and that was a requirement, then I would just be excited that I had a year with it and I don’t think I would do that.