Sophie Cunningham Became a UFC Ring Girl on 8 Minutes Notice. Dana White Approved Instantly.

Sophie Cunningham walked into T-Mobile Arena on UFC 329 night with no plans to be in the Octagon. Eight minutes later, she was holding a round card in front of thousands of fans and millions more watching on TV. That is a very Sophie Cunningham thing to do.

The Indiana Fever guard became an overnight viral sensation after she stepped in as a ring girl for the Max Holloway vs. Conor McGregor rematch. It was her first UFC event ever. She did not have time to practice. She did not have time to overthink it. She just went for it.

UFC president Dana White made it sound almost casual when asked about the hire later that night.

“About eight minutes before she did,” White said with a grin. “I love Sophie Cunningham. We’ve created a relationship. She was here tonight, and when she walked in, she goes, ‘Oh, I wanna walk around that.’ I said, ‘Then you’re gonna walk around it.’”

Cunningham confirmed the story to Forbes Sports’ Tony East. She admitted she was caught off guard that White agreed so quickly. The UFC’s official ring girls gave her a quick crash course, and she went out there cold.

“Anytime we can go and support another sport, that’s great,” Cunningham said. “Our schedule is brutal. We don’t really get to do a lot of other stuff, so when we do have a couple of days to team bond or go do stuff that is fun and extracurricular, of course we’re gonna say yes to that.”

This is the same player who became an internet legend for her pointing meme during the WNBA season. She recreated that moment in the Octagon after the fight, this time pointing at Holloway. The two shared a quick laugh and a photo that instantly made rounds online.

Cunningham’s teammate Caitlin Clark was not surprised at all. Clark described her as the most spontaneous person on the Fever roster. If there is a chance to do something fun and weird, Cunningham is probably already saying yes before anyone finishes the sentence.

The whole thing took less than 10 minutes from idea to execution. That is the kind of energy that makes Cunningham a fan favorite whether she is draining threes in Indianapolis or walking around a cage in Las Vegas.