What are UFC 261 attendees Tim Tebow and Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters famous for?

UFC 261 is the first event in over a year to welcome fans back into the arena. The state of Florida has been keen to host a UFC event ever since worldwide lockdowns changed the sporting world. That dream was realized at UFC 261 with 15,000 tickets sold.

As the arena opened and the crowds started to throng in, UFC posted about Florida royalty present in the building.

Florida royalty in the building 🐊 #UFC261 pic.twitter.com/qzrO4yb5TP

— UFC (@ufc) April 25, 2021

Who is the 'Florida royalty' the UFC is talking about?

For those who aren't sure, the man above is Tim Tebow, a former professional football quarterback and former baseball player. The sign he's making on camera is that of the Florida Gators, the college team where he became the starting quarterback in 2007. Tebow went on to become the first college sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy.

Tim Tebow played with the Denver Broncos, the New York Jets, the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL. A devout Christian, Tebow is famous for kneeling and praying before a game, an act which is now referred to as 'Tebowing'.

The footballer also forayed into professional baseball, playing five seasons with the New York Mets.

#Tebowing - to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different. Love it!

— Tim Tebow (@TimTebow) October 28, 2011

Pictured with Tebow in the audience is his wife Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters. The South African model and beauty queen rose to stardom when she won the Miss South Africa pageant in 2017 and subsequently won the Miss Universe title in the same year.

Nel-Peters is only the second woman from South Africa to have won the Miss Universe title after Margaret Gardiner, who won the coveted title in 1978. Nel-Peters tied the knot with Tebow in 2020 and they both live in Jacksonville, Florida.