LAS VEGAS — From a WNBA star to a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model — and now a UFC ring girl.
Sophie Cunningham surprised everyone when she grabbed the ring card and gave her best ringside impression on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, strutting around the octagon holding it above her head with pride.
The crowd was already going absolutely wild as fan favorite Paddy Pimblett walked out to “Lethal Industry” by Sunnery James and Ryan Marciano.
Cunningham grabbed the ring card, and all of the fans stood up in shock at what was happening.
Cunningham was all smiles and giggles as she grabbed the card with full support from the ring girls.
It is unclear if this was impromptu or planned, but she certainly looked like a natural.
The tall 6-foot-1 WNBA star went barefoot around the octagon side, wearing a black tank top and black shorts, with fans loving the surprise appearance.
“I love Sophie Cunningham,” White told reporters after the fight.
White revealed that the appearance was impromptu, with Cunningham talking to White “eight minutes” before she ended up walking onto the octagon side.
“She was like, ‘I want to do that, ‘” White said. “I told her, ‘Then you will do it.’”
Cunningham was having fun with it, walking around laughing as she held the card and pointing toward celebrity row.
She then stopped and posed for the cameras as the fight’s first and only round took off.
Pimblett made quick work of everything from there.
The Englishman set the fans ablaze with an impressive first-round submission of Benoit-Saint Denis after he shot in for a sloppy takedown attempt and was submitted unconscious with a nasty Peruvian necktie maneuver.
