If you’ve ever watched a UFC event, you’re likely familiar with the captivating presence of UFC ring girls, who have become an integral part of the promotion’s presentation. These alluring figures, dating back to the early days of combat sports, elegantly carry cards signaling the upcoming round to the crowd.
With such a glamorous element to the spectacle of UFC events, many fans have wondered how much UFC ring girls get paid.
As a fan of the UFC for nearly two decades, it’s a question that’s come up a few times in MMA media coverage. There has even been controversy and confusion surrounding the topic of UFC ring girl salaries.
In this article, I’m doing a deep dive into the financial side of UFC ring girls. I’ll break down the net worth and average salary of UFC ring girls, as well as how much UFC ring girls get paid per event.
Table of Contents
How much do UFC ring girls make?
The average salary of UFC ring girls ranges from $30,000 to $75,000 per year. The exact figures are not publicly disclosed by the UFC, but reports suggest an average salary within this range. The earnings of a UFC ring girl can vary depending on a number of factors, including their experience, popularity, and the number of events they participate in.
Sponsorships, modeling gigs, and appearances at promotional events can all supplement a UFC ring girl’s salary. Generally speaking, UFC ring girls who have established a strong following and brand presence have higher earnings through endorsement deals and collaborations.
The salary range for UFC ring girls reflects the industry standards for similar roles in other combat sports promotions. Besides getting paid for UFC events, UFC ring girls can earn through things like photo shoots, social media campaigns, and public appearances.
How much do UFC ring girls make per event?
On average, UFC ring girls typically make an estimated range of $1000 to $5000 per event. The per-event earnings of UFC ring girls depend on a number of factors, including the specific event, the stature of the fight, and the individual’s experience and popularity. While per-event earnings provide a substantial portion of a UFC ring girl’s salary, they also earn through the other ways mentioned before.
The payment structure for UFC ring girls is not publicly disclosed, but the industry standard is to pay ring girls per event. UFC ring girls are present for every fight of a UFC event. Factors like the magnitude of the event itself and the prominence of the fighters can have a positive or negative impact on how much UFC ring girls are paid per event.
The Top 10 Highest Paid UFC Ring Girls in History
10. Brookliyn Wren
- Country: USA
- Birthday: December 17, 1993
- Height: 5’10’’ (1.77 m)
- Estimated Annual Salary: ~$50,000
- Estimated Net Worth: ~$500,000
Brookliyn Wren is a UFC ring girl and model from Anchorage, Alaska. She’s been with the UFC since 2017. In addition to her job as UFC ring girl, Wren also has a large following on Instagram and OnlyFans.
It’s estimated that Wren makes around $50,000 as her UFC ring girl salary. However, with nearly 15,000 followers on OnlyFans, it’s estimated that she’s making an additional $100-150k per year. That doesn’t include her endorsements as a model, so her net worth may be even higher.
9. Red Dela Cruz
- Country: Philippines
- Birthday: October 9, 1992
- Height: 5’5’’ (1.65 m)
- Estimated Annual Salary: ~150,000
- Estimated Net Worth: ~$1,000,000
Red Dela Cruz is a UFC ring girl and model from Quezon City, Philippines. She is the first and only UFC ring girl from the Philippines. She joined the promotion in 2015 after winning the UFC Octagon Girl competition.
Dela Cruz currently lives in Sydney, Australia with her partner Joey Bacic. Unlike other UFC ring girls, Dela Cruz was already a fan of the UFC before joining. Even more unique is the fact that Dela Cruz works a regular job during the day as a data analyst. She currently has over 2.5 million followers on Instagram, making her one of the most popular UFC ring girls.
Red Dela Cruz won the Ring Girl of the Year award at the Asia MMA awards in 2018.
8. Luciana Andrade
- Country: Brazil
- Birthday: April 8, 1986
- Height: 5’6’’ (1.68 m)
- Estimated Annual Salary: ~$60,000
- Estimated Net Worth: ~$1 million
Luciana Andrade is a Brazilian model and UFC ring girl from Curitiba, Brazil. She has been with the UFC since 2014 and currently lives in Miami, Florida. Her first appearance as a UFC ring girl was at UFC Fight Night 56.
Andrade is one of the most educated ring girls, having studied law both in her native Brazil and in the United States. Although she doesn’t work as frequently as some other UFC ring girls, keeping her salary low, she earns a substantial amount from endorsements as a model. She has nearly 350k followers on Instagram.
7. Rachelle Leah
- Country: USA
- Birthday: August 20, 1984
- Height: 5’7’’ (1.7 m)
- Estimated Annual Salary: ~$100,000
- Estimated Net Worth: ~$1.5 million
Rachelle Leah is one of the UFC’s longest tenured ring girls, joining the promotion in October, 2008. Hailing from San Carlos, California, the UFC discovered Leah from a picture she had posted on a boxing website.
In addition to her career as a UFC ring girl, Leah appeared in multiple magazines such as Playboy, Maxim, and Men’s Fitness. She also had an extensive television career, working on shows like Spike TV’s Women of Action, The Ultimate Fighter, and Inside the UFC.
Although Leah no longer works as a UFC ring girl, she still has connections with the promotion, including close ties with president Dana White. She owns her own media company and has one of the highest net worths of any ring girl on this list.
6. Vanessa Hanson
- Country: USA
- Birthday: April 13, 1991
- Height: 5’8’’ (1.75 m)
- Estimated Annual Salary: ~$600,000
- Estimated Net Worth: ~$5 million
Vanessa Hanson is an American UFC ring girl from Orange County, California. She started working for the UFC in 2011 after beginning her career in modeling. In addition to her work as a UFC ring girl, Hanson has also posed for TJ Maxx, Maxim, GQ, and Obey. She currently has over 250k followers on both X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram.
Hanson was first recruited by the UFC to be a guest ring girl after winning the US Open Surfing competition, making her one of the few UFC card holders to have had a successful career in sports. After her first appearance as a guest UFC ring girl, she was hired for a more permanent role.
Hanson has worked multiple notable events for the UFC, including UFC 279 (Diaz vs. Ferguson), UFC 271 (Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2), and UFC 196 (McGregor vs. Diaz). She was ranked as the 7th highest paid UFC ring girls in 2020.
5. Carly Baker
- Country: England, United Kingdom
- Birthday: March 7, 1987
- Height: 5’6’’ (1.67 m)
- Estimated Annual Salary: $600,000
- Estimated Net Worth: ~$5 million
One of the few UFC ring girls from Europe, Carly Baker is one of the most famous and well paid UFC card holders in the world. Hailing from London, England, Baker has over 200k followers on X (formerly known as Twitter) and over 250k followers on Instagram.
Before beginning her career in modeling, Baker was part of a pop duo called Mynxsters. She followed that up by being in the girl bands Holla and SW1. Baker was also the winner of the Miss Great Britain beauty pageant. She joined the UFC as a ring girl in 2013.
In addition to her work as a UFC ring girl, Baker is also a personal trainer who frequently posts fitness related content on her social media. Many consider Baker to be the third most popular UFC ring girl after Brittney Palmer and Arianny Celeste.
4. Chrissy Blair
- Country: USA
- Birthday: January 5, 1989
- Height: 5’7’’ (1.7 m)
- Estimated Annual Salary: ~$300,000
- Estimated Net Worth: ~$2.5 million
Chrissy Blair is an American UFC ring girl from Florida, USA. She got her start in modeling after winning a competition and signing with Major Model Management in New York City. After appearing in magazines like Sports Illustrated and Maxim, she was offered a job as a UFC Octagon girl. She currently has over 200k followers on Instagram.
Blair used her platform as a UFC ring girl to start her own business. She is the CEO and founder of Kalumi, a health brand that makes protein bars for a healthy lifestyle. Before beginning her career in the UFC, Blair worked as a ring girl for Strikeforce, a now-defunct MMA promotion that eventually merged with the UFC.
Blair is close friends with Vanessa Hanson, who started working as a UFC ring girl at the same time in 2011.
3. Brittney Palmer
- Country: USA
- Birthday: June 24, 1987
- Height: 5’6’’ (1.68 m)
- Estimated Annual Salary: ~$650,000
- Estimated Net Worth: ~$5 million
Brittney Palmer is an American UFC ring girl and model from San Diego, California. She is one of the most famous UFC Octagon girls, with over 380k followers on X (formerly known as Twitter) and over 1 million followers on Instagram.
Before becoming a model, Palmer began her career in the performing arts as a dancer. She was hired by the UFC in 2011, with her first gig as UFC card holder starting at UFC 125. Palmer has posed for Playboy and also won the Ring Card Girl of the Year at the 2012 World MMA Awards.
In addition to being one of the highest paid UFC ring girls, Palmer is also a noted philanthropist. She has raised over $100,000 for various charities, including UNICEF and the AMFAR Galas. Palmer is also a distinguished painter, having her works displayed alongside famous artists like Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol.
2. Camila Oliveira
- Country: Brazil
- Birthday: October 24, 1988
- Height: 5’7’’ (170 cm)
- Estimated Annual Salary: ~$500,000
- Estimated Net Worth: ~$1.5 million
Camila Oliveira is a Brazilian model and UFC ring girl from Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil. Along with Brittney Palmer and Arianny Celeste, she is the only current UFC Octagon girl with over 10 years with the promotion. She has over 50k followers on Twitter and nearly 400k followers on Instagram.
In addition to her work as a model and UFC ring girl, Oliveira also owns an OnlyFans account, where she earns a large portion of her yearly income. She was the first Brazilian UFC ring card holder, although many others would go on to join her.
It has been disclosed that Oliveira earned $25k for her first main event back at UFC 162.
1. Arianny Celeste
- Country: USA
- Birthday: November 12, 1985
- Height:5’5’’ (165 cm)
- Estimated Annual Salary: $1 million
- Estimated Net Worth: $4.5 million
Arianny Celeste is an American model and UFC ring girl from Las Vegas, Nevada. She is the most famous UFC Octagon girl, with over 650k followers on X (formerly known as Twitter) and over 3 million followers on Instagram. In addition to her work with the UFC, Celeste has also appeared in Playboy, Maxim, and Sports Illustrated.
Celeste made her first appearance as a UFC ring card holder back in 2006, making her one of the longest tenured UFC Octagon girls. She was the 2008 winner of the Ring Girl of the Year at the inaugural World MMA Awards, an honor she would go on to win five more times.
Celeste has also hosted multiple television shows, including Overhaulin’ and UFC Ultimate Insider. She is an outspoken defender of the ring girl profession, criticizing former UFC fighters Ronda Rousey, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Uriah Hall for their comments degrading the UFC ring girls’ salaries.
FAQ
Who is the main UFC ring girl?
Arianny Celeste is the most prominent and recognizable UFC ring girl. Although there is no official role for “main” UFC ring girl, she has been with the promotion for the longest time and is the highest paid by a wide margin. Celeste has been a staple of the UFC for over a decade.
How much does Arianny Celeste make a year?
Arianny Celeste’s yearly earnings are estimated to be around $1 million USD. However, this figure could be much higher because her UFC salary isn’t disclosed. She also makes a considerable amount of money as a model, from endorsements, and on OnlyFans.
Do ring girls make more money than the fighters?
It is not true that UFC ring girls make more money than the fighters, based on their compensation from the UFC. There may be instances where newer, low-ranking fighters may make less, but generally speaking, the fighters are paid more.
MMA fighter compensation is a hot-button issue, especially in the UFC. Retired UFC middleweight Uriah Hall once made the claim that Arianny Celeste was paid more than the fighters. Hall stated that some UFC ring girls make over $70,000, while some fighters only get $10,000 to show with another $10,000 if they win.
Although Hall mentioned Celeste, UFC ring girl Luciana Andrade challenged his claims on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. She stated that people were overestimating how much UFC ring girls are paid when factoring in how sparingly they work. “[UFC ring girls] work once, twice a month if [they’re] lucky. Do you really think we would be making more money than the fighters, than the broadcasters, than the commentators? It’s just crazy to me that people think that’s true!”
There are three tiers of UFC fighter pay, ranging from low, to medium, to high. In the low tier, fighters make between $10,000-$30,000 per fight. In the mid tier, fighters earn anywhere from $80,000-$250,000 per fight. The upper-echelon tier of UFC fighters can earn anywhere from $500,000 to $3 million.
Compared to the estimated $1000-5000 that ring girls are paid per event, even the lower tier of fighter pay is higher.
How do you become a UFC ring girl?
To become a UFC ring girl, it requires a mix of modeling experience, networking, and auditioning. The UFC holds open auditions for ring girls, though this doesn’t happen often. In addition to auditioning directly with the UFC, you can also sign with a modeling agency and express your desire to work as a UFC ring girl.
Of course, you’ll need the necessary modeling experience required to be a UFC ring girl. You can build up your resume by working for smaller MMA and boxing promotions before applying with the UFC.
As a professional model, the beauty standards are extremely high compared to the general public. You will need to exercise, maintain your health and hygiene, and hone your craft.