UFC Ring Girls Salary: What They Earn and 6 Famous Octagon Girls
Contents
Photo by Jose Miranda, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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…
The UFC has grown into one of the most popular combat sports in the U.S., and fans often ask how much its ring girls earn.
The short answer: nobody outside the UFC knows. The UFC does not publish ring girl pay, and the dollar figures that circulate online are unverified guesses.
First…
What Do Ring Girls Do?
Ring girls carry a sign between rounds to show which round is next. On big event nights, that can mean a long day at the arena.
They also promote the UFC at fan events and on social media.
For the best-known ring girls, the job is also a springboard. Many earn more from modeling, sponsorships, and their own businesses than from the UFC itself.
How Much Do UFC Ring Girls Make?
The UFC keeps ring girl pay private. Ring girl Brookliyn Wren told the New York Post: "We aren't allowed to say how much we make, but I promise you it's not as much as the fighters."
None of the ring girls the Post interviewed would share their pay, though they described the job as lucrative and a springboard to other work.
You will find tables online listing exact per-event fees and yearly salaries for each ring girl. They are not based on any official figures, so treat them as guesses.
Are UFC Ring Girls Worth the Money?
Some critics question whether ring girls belong in martial arts at all.
In 2021, retired UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his own MMA promotion would not use ring girls and called them "the most useless people in martial arts."
Arianny Celeste, the best-known UFC ring girl, responded: "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say it."
It was not the first clash. In 2015, Ronda Rousey said ring girls should not make more than fighters, which started a war of words between her and Celeste.
Celeste defended the job then too. She has since built a career well beyond the Octagon.
Famous UFC Ring Girls
The best-known ring girls tend to earn the most, mainly through work outside the UFC. Even so, they avoid disclosing their earnings when asked, so the profiles below skip the made-up salary figures.
1. Arianny Celeste
Photo by US Marine Corps, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Arianny Celeste is the most famous UFC ring girl. She grew a large online following and landed sponsorship and modeling deals, including magazines such as Maxim and Playboy.
She has also worked in TV hosting and runs her own businesses. The New York Post reported in 2021 that she owns a subscription jewelry service called Girlfriend Box.
Celeste regularly defends ring girls against critics, and she remains the benchmark for the job.
2. Brittney Palmer
Photo by Brittney Palmer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Brittney Palmer is a veteran UFC ring girl, model, and contemporary artist. The New York Post described her in 2021 as an MMA fixture for 15 years.
Her artwork has been displayed at the W Hotel in Hollywood and a gallery at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and she has collaborated on projects with Conor McGregor, the UFC, and Reebok.
Like Celeste, much of her income comes from work outside the Octagon.
3. Camila Oliveira
Camila Oliveira is a model and one of the most searched-for UFC ring girls after Celeste.
She has worked major UFC events and also earns from modeling and her social media following. There is no reliable public record of her UFC pay.
4. Rachelle Leah
Photo by Unknown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Rachelle Leah is an American model, former ring girl, and TV personality. She has not worked as an Octagon girl in years.
She has hosted UFC programming on Spike TV and modeled for men's magazines.
5. Chrissy Blair
Chrissy Blair is a UFC ring girl and the founder of Kalumi Beauty, a brand that sells collagen snack bars.
Her income outside the Octagon comes from that business and her modeling and marketing work.
6. Carly Baker
Carly Baker has been one of the regular Octagon girl faces in recent years.
She models and posts fitness content to her social media following. As with the others, her UFC pay has never been made public.
Knock-Out Point: Ring girls mark the start of each round, but how long does each round last? Read our post and find out: How Long Are UFC Fights.
Watch this!
Conclusion
UFC ring girl salaries are not public. The ring girls themselves say they are not allowed to disclose their pay, and that it is less than the fighters earn.
The best-known ring girls earn much of their income outside the UFC, through modeling, sponsorships, art, TV work, and their own businesses.
Sources
- UFC ring girls defend themselves against Khabib Nurmagomedov, New York Post
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