UFC ring girls: Who are some of the most popular octagon-side beauties?

UFC ring girls have been a part and parcel of the sport since its inception in the 1990s. However, ring girls have not been used exclusively in MMA, and the concept originally began in boxing in 1965.

Whilst some may not agree with the purpose of UFC ring girls, such as Khabib Nurmagomedov, many fans and fighters have no issue with their presence octagon-side.

So, who are the most popular UFC ring girls of all time? Whilst there are four veterans of the UFC ring girl scene, others may have gone unnoticed.

Arianny Celeste is undoubtedly the most popular, and the longest-serving ring girl for the UFC. Having begun working with the promotion in 2006, Celeste has amassed an impressive following of 3.1 million on Instagram. She has also won the Ring-card Girl of the Year six times, including four times in a row between 2008-2011.

Arguably just as notable as Arianny Celeste, with an impressive 1.1 million followers on Instagram, is Brittney Palmer.

Whilst it is unclear when Palmer began working with the UFC, she has won the Ring-card Girl of the Year award five times between 2012-2022 and features at almost every UFC pay-per-view event.

Jhenny Andrade, the blonde bombshell from Brazil, is another longtime UFC ring girl that fans have come to adore. Andrade is the only other ring card girl to win the Ring-card Girl of the Year award, having taken home the honors in three consecutive years between 2016-2018.

Another Brazilian ring card girl who has become a permanent fixture at UFC PPV events is Luciana Andrade. With no apparent relation to Jhenny Andrade, Luciana has become a fan favorite since her promotional debut in 2014. With a following of 349,000 on Instagram, Andrade has endeared herself to both the fans and the promotion over the last decade.

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Luciana Andrade confirms UFC ring girls don't earn more than fighters

Luciana Andrade has become one of the most notable UFC ring girls over recent years.

Following rumors that ring girls are earning more than some UFC fighters, Andrade appeared on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani to dispel those rumors. Fighter pay in the UFC has been a hot topic for many years, and Luciana Andrade was on hand to ensure that fans knew the truth. She said this:

"It's not true, we don't make more money than the fighters. Think about it, we have 14 girls across the globe and some girls work a few times a year 'cause we don't have international fights at the frequency that we have in the U.S."

Watch the video below: