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Charly Arnolt has just made UFC history, which drew countless MMA community's attention, including the promotion's former bantamweight champion, Cody Garbrandt. Yesterday, on Saturday, UFC Vegas 91 took place, but it was briefly marred by the absence of octagon announcer Joe Martinez.
Martinez is something of a recognizable voice for MMA fans, as he fills in for the legendary Bruce Buffer, who does not work as an octagon/ring announcer for Fight Nights. Unfortunately, Martinez fell ill, forcing the UFC to call on Arnolt, who works as an interviewer for the promotion, to step in on short notice.
In doing so, Arnolt became the first female octagon/ring announcer in UFC history, which earned her praise from the likes of Garbrandt. MMA Junkie shared an Instagram post commemorating the magnitude of the moment, and the former bantamweight titleholder popped up in the comment section.
"Congrats @charlyontv history made"
Whether this leads to more opportunities for Arnolt remains to be seen. However, she is no novice to ring announcing. She previously worked for WWE as a ring announcer, initially working under the NXT brand. However, she was subsequently called up to the main roster, where she was given a wide range of roles.
Arnolt conducted backstage interviews with WWE Superstars and hosted several events, segments, and promotional shows. Her experience with WWE will likely serve her well in the UFC, given that both organizations are now under the corporate umbrella of TKO Group Holdings.
Charly Arnolt is one of two recent breakthroughs in the UFC for women
Charly Arnolt made history by becoming the UFC's first female octagon/ring announcer. However, in early 2023, Laura Sanko became the first female color commentator in UFC since Kathy Long, who was the promotion's first-ever female color commentator, had worked UFC 1.
While Sanko's debut in the broadcast booth was well-received by most, including UFC CEO Dana White, not everyone was welcoming. Former UFC lightweight Jamie Varner was extremely critical of her commentary work, claiming that someone with fighting experience ought to be on the commentary desk.
This, however, neglected the fact that Sanko actually is a former fighter, which she reminded Varner of.
