Sophie Cunningham shares reaction to serving as UFC 329 guest ring girl

One of the surprises of the night during UFC 329 on Saturday was WNBA and Indiana Fever star guard Sophie Cunningham serving as a guest ring girl for one of the fights.Cunningham said it was her first-ever UFC event and she ended up being a guest ring girl during the co-main event between Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint-Denis.No surprise, Cunningham had a blast.

“Went to my first live fight last night, which was so cool,” Cunningham told reporters on Sunday. “The whole experience overall was wonderful.”Cunningham serving as a guest ring girl was not initially in the plans for her evening.

MORE: Sophie Cunningham Adidas PE set to release this monthShe said it came together “literally like five minutes before” she went into the Octagon after she spoke with UFC president and CEO Dana White, who she has become friends with.“Dana came over to say what’s up and I was like, ‘Hey, if you need a ring girl, let me know,’ and he’s like, ‘Alright, first round for the Paddy fight, that’s you,'” she revealed.“I was like, ‘Yeah, hah,’ and he was like, ‘No, seriously,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, God,'” she said with a laugh.

“It was so much fun, though. It was a great environment.”“I love Sophie Cunningham,” White told the media after the event.

“We’ve created a relationship, and she was here tonight. When she walked in, she goes, “Oh, I want to walk around that.’ I said, ‘Then you’re gonna walk around it,'” White explained.

Ultimately, everything went off without a hitch. Cunningham absolutely crushed her guest role.As if Cunningham serving as the ring girl wasn’t awesome enough, the WNBA star also re-enacted her viral pointing standoff with UFC fighter Max Holloway after the main event.

A disappointing finish to UFC 329Jul 11, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Conor McGregor (red gloves) looks on in a welterweight bout against Max Holloway (not pictured) during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesWhile Cunningham had a great night, one of the participants in