Last Updated on January 16, 2025
When the fight is on in the octagon, UFC ring girls carry the sign with the number of the next round. They showcase the board to the crowd with a scintillating gait, captivating smile, and sultry poise.
But…
With or without the help of card-swinging ring girls, UFC has grown exponentially over the years to become one of the most popular sports in the US.
Thanks to this publicity, people often ask: how much do ring girls earn? I can see why fans or even fighters will be curious. Unfortunately, the UFC never releases the income of its ring girls, but we'll use close estimates copied from Sportekz.
First…
What Do Ring Girls Do?
As you already know, ring girls carry a signboard during fight intervals to indicate an ensuing round. On pay-per-view (PPV) events, bikini-clad UFC girls work (stand/sit) for up to 13 hours but sometimes wear a robe when the arena gets chilly.
There's a little more to octagon girls than walking around, though. Occasionally, they attend meet-and-greets, sign autographs for fans, and may promote the UFC on their social media pages too. Like it or not, a small portion of MMA fans tune in to see the top UFC ring girls.
However, they make more money outside the UFC, using their popularity to secure sponsorship and advertisement deals. Some platforms, like Snapchat, even pay for engagement alone.
How Much DO UFC Ring Girls Make?
The UFC keeps the earnings of its staff and fighters private. However, in an interview with the NY Post, UFC ring girl Brooklyn Wren points out, "we are not allowed to say what we make, but trust me it's not as much as the fighters."
So we'll use the table we got from a trusted source:
| RING GIRLS | MATCH FEES | PPV-EVENT | ANNUAL EARNINGS |
| Arianny Celeste | $1000 | $5000 | $1 Million |
| Brittney Palmer | $1000 | $5000 | $30,000 |
| Camila Oliveira | $1000 | $5000 | $50,000 |
| Rachelle Leah | $1000 | $5000 | $20,000 |
| Chrissy Blair | $1000 | $5000 | $30,000 |
| Vanessa Hanson | $1000 | $5000 | $20,000 |
| Carly Baker | $1000 | $5000 | $30,000 |
The annual income for Arianny Celeste includes earnings from endorsements and other ventures.
Are UFC Ring Girls Worth the Money?
Although not exactly the highest-paying career path, critics question the usefulness of ring girls in martial arts.
A strong believer in this opinion is the retired MMA star, Khabib Normangedov. He believes "they are the most useless persons in martial arts."
However, the wealthiest UFC ring girl, Arianny Celeste, responded, saying he should keep mute if he has nothing good to say. And it’s not her first time going up against powerful critics of what ring girls earn.
She did the same thing in 2015 when UFC star Ronda Rousey called ring girls out for earning more money than female UFC fighters.
Arianny Celeste backed the girls, making a point for how much ring girls earn, and called Rousey a "big bully."
Arianny has appeared in dozens of major magazines and is the wealthiest UFC ring girl ever.
Hottest UFC Ring Girls
We already know most, if not all, ring girls are built sexy and hot. The hottest ring girls make the most money in this context. For the purpose of this article, they refrained from disclosing their earnings for privacy concerns.
1. Arianny Celeste
Arianny, the uncrowned queen of UFC ring girls, earns over $2 million annually. While she started out on a ring girls' salary, she grew her online following and landed several sponsorship deals.
She has hosted TV shows such as Overhaulin and UFC Ultimate Insider. Celeste has also modeled for top magazines, including Maxim, Playboy Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and FHM.
Arianny also regularly defends UFC ring girls' salaries from critics. In response to Khabib's recent derogatory comments about them, she prides herself as a real estate investor, risk-taker, and wealthy independent female.
Ultimately, it's easy to declare that Arianny Celeste sets an example for ring girls and is the hottest UFC Octagon girl.
2. Brittany Palmer
Brittany Palmer is a veteran ring girl, artist, and model with an excess of $1 million in earnings.
Her salary as a UFC ring girl is reportedly only about $30,000 yearly. But she leveraged her persona as a stunning octagon girl to build a strong Instagram audience with over 1 million followers. In addition, Brittany, against all odds, beat Arianny Celeste at the World MMA Awards for Ringcard Girl of the Year in 2012 and 2013.
She has partnered with top brands like Sedona and modeled for the largest publications, including Playboy Magazine and Maxim.
As an artist, Brittany has donated over $100,000 by featuring her paintings at prominent global organizations. She's currently an artist ambassador for UNICEF, Generation Cure, Lady Gaga's Born, and, recently, Star Wars.
Brittany is a multi-talented UFC ring girl who earns more money from different sources outside the octagon.
3. Camila Oliveira
Camilla Oliveira is currently on a similar path to Arianny Celeste. She's the highest search ring girl after Arianny. And she allegedly makes about 50,000 as a ring girl, which is arguably the official income for octagon girls.
She's active and was present at one of the latest UFC events in Singapore — UFC 275.
Camilla also models and infamously promoted her brand at last year's UFC 253. In addition, she runs an Only Fans and Cameo page where she earns handsomely with her stunning looks.
Aside from the UFC estimate above, we don’t have a concrete record of Camilla's earnings. Needless to say, a handful believes she's one of the highest-earning UFC girls.
4. Rachelle Leah
Rachelle Leah is an American model, ring girl, and TV personality. Sportekz estimates that she earns about $20,000 as an Octagon girl. However, she hasn't been in the ring in a while.
While on a break from the ring, Rachelle hosted the UFC All Access on Spike and made a short return. She's also appeared on Spike's Sexiest NYC Bartenders, Inside the UFC, and numerous television shows.
Also, she has been featured in top magazines like Sports Illustrated, Playboy Magazine, Maxim, Men's Fitness, Vegas Magazine, AXL, Muscle, and Fitness, to mention a few.
With such a lineup of brands in her portfolio, Rachelle Leah surely rakes in cool cash. But these days, she's mostly enjoying life on trips with her significant other.
5. Chrissy Blair
Chrissy Blair is a ring girl, creative professional, and CEO of Kalumi Beauty. She earns an estimated $30,000 as a ring girl but rakes in a ton more with her creative and entrepreneurial qualities.
As a graphics design graduate and an octagon girl, she started a beauty food brand called Kalumi Beauty. Her marine collagen protein bars promote soft, hydrated skin and hair.
With her modeling, branding, and marketing experience, Chrissy Blair
could easily be on a six-figure income.
6. Carly Baker
Carly Baker has been one of the recurring octagon girl faces in recent years.
She started modeling at 14, so her advent into the ring wasn't far-fetched. Carly reportedly earns $30,000 yearly and $5,000 on Pay-Per-View nights.
This hot ring girl works out four to six days a week to keep her toned body in shape. Unsurprisingly, she's also a personal trainer, as spotted on her Instagram page with almost 250,000 followers.
Between the UFC, sponsorship deals, and modeling, With these streams of income, Carly Baker surely makes more than 50k a year.
Knock-Out Point: Watching the UFC ring girls parade makes us forget the brutality of the sport. However, could you know exactly determine when each round ends? Read our post and find out -- How Long Are UFC Fights.
Watch this!
Conclusion
UFC ring girl's salary is not a record that’s out in the open. But rough estimates show that active girls earn around 30-50k yearly from UFC.
On top of that, UFC ring girls earn substantial income from side hustles such as modeling, real estate, and hosting TV shows. Another sought-after ring girl even displayed paintings alongside influential artists such as Damien Hirst and Picasso.
Overall, ring girls aren’t just beautiful vixens but also relentless workers.