On the surface, UFC middleweight Elias Theodorou serving as an Invicta FC “Phoenix Guy,” a.k.a. ring boy, might seem like a joke. And, sure, it’s about having fun.

But the real reason for Theodorou doing this is simple. He wants to raise awareness on gender equality, which “The Spartan” explained so eloquently in this interview with the BBC.

Theodorou (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and that glorious mane of his made their debut Friday during the Invicta FC 28 weigh-ins – which you can check out in the video above – and not everyone understood why.

For the most part, though, the response is positive. And most importantly, Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp is completely on board with Theodorou’s mission. She’s also pleasantly surprised by how serious he’s taken this, as she explained to MMAjunkie Radio:

“I didn’t think I’d ever allow this, because I don’t really want it to be a joke or anything like that,” Knapp said. “But he’s taking it very serious. He’s very excited about it, and he wants to be with the company longterm – not just this event. It’ll be interesting to see how the fans react to it. I’ve never met him before. I got the chance to sit down with him (Thursday night). He’s a good kid. I like his hustle. He’s definitely out there trying to do things to make life better. … Hopefully all goes well, and people will embrace it.”

Invicta FC 28, headlined by a bout between Mizuki Inoue or Virna Jandiroba for the vacant strawweight title, takes place Saturday at Union Event Center in Salt Lake City. The entire lineup will stream live on UFC Fight Pass.

You can hear more on the event from Knapp in the video below.

For more on Invicta FC 28, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.