WNBA enforcer Sophie Cunningham becomes surprise octagon girl at UFC 329

Indiana Fever forward Sophie Cunningham made an unannounced appearance as an octagon girl during the UFC 329 co-main event between Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint Denis on Saturday night, carrying the ‘Round 1’ sign around the cage before taking a seat alongside the regular octagon girls as the fight began.

The cameo caught fans off guard because, as UFC CEO Dana White revealed at the post-fight press conference, there was no advance planning involved. Cunningham simply asked on the night — and White said yes on the spot.

“[We hired her] about eight minutes before she did it,” White said with a laugh. “I love Sophie Cunningham. We’ve created a relationship and she was here tonight. When she walked in she goes ‘I want to walk around that [octagon].’ I said then you’re going to walk around it. She’s fun.”

Cunningham has become one of the most recognisable names in the WNBA this season, largely through her association with Indiana Fever teammate Caitlin Clark. She earned the nickname “enforcer” after retaliating against a player who had committed a foul on Clark, a moment that went viral and brought her widespread attention beyond basketball circles.

Given that profile, her presence at a major UFC event was perhaps less surprising than the circumstances surrounding it. Rather than watching from the crowd, Cunningham ended up centre stage — if only for one round.