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Sophie Cunningham kicks off her shoes and walks the Octagon at UFC 329 as a surprise ring girl
By Amber Harding
Published July 12, 2026
Sophie Cunningham made the most of her night off in Las Vegas.
The Indiana Fever guard made a surprise appearance as an Octagon girl at UFC 329 on Saturday night, just hours before she was due back at her real job against the Las Vegas Aces.
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Sophie Cunningham announces a round during a lightweight fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on July 11, 2026. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Cunningham was already sitting ringside at T-Mobile Arena when she apparently decided watching the fights wasn’t enough.
Before the co-main event between Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint Denis, the 6-foot-1 WNBA star grabbed the Round 1 card, kicked off her shoes and took a lap around the Octagon in a black tank top and shorts.
She also broke out the pointing gesture that has become one of the biggest memes of the year.
According to UFC CEO Dana White, the whole thing came together about eight minutes before Cunningham walked out.
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"We’ve created a relationship, and she was here tonight," White told reporters after the event. "When she walked in, she goes, ‘Oh, I wanna walk around that.’ I said, ‘Then you’re gonna walk around it.’"
And that was that. Sophie Cunningham was a UFC ring girl.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham jokes with Max Holloway following UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on July 11, 2026. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
She only got one lap, though. Pimblett choked Saint Denis unconscious in less than a minute, ending the fight in the first round.
Cunningham still seemed to enjoy her brief career change, laughing, posing for cameras and pointing toward celebrity row.
"I love Sophie Cunningham," White said. "Yeah, she’s fun."
Clearly.
Sophie Cunningham announces a round during a lightweight fight at UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on July 11, 2026. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
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Cunningham has become one of the WNBA’s most recognizable players, thanks largely to her role as Caitlin Clark’s enforcer.
Her finger-pointing confrontation with DeWanna Bonner became one of the memes of the year. Her Adidas Crazy Energy player-exclusive shoe comes out July 24. And now she can add UFC ring girl to her résumé.
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Sophie Cunningham is on top of the world.
https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/sophie-cunningham-kicks-off-shoes-walks-octagon-ufc-329-surprise-ring-girl