Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee rocks white jacket fit during UFC 317 in Las Vegas

American gymnast Suni Lee made an appearance at UFC 317 held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, which featured the main event match between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight title. Lee has made several public appearances at events outside of gymnastics, including the 2025 NBA Draft, where she was seen interviewing players on the red carpet. She was also part of a panel discussion at Fanatics Fest 2025.

Lee is regarded as one of the best gymnasts in the world. She specializes in the uneven bars and has had a highly decorated career. Most recently, at the Paris 2024 Olympics, she played a pivotal part in helping the United States women's team win the gold medal. At the Tokyo Olympics, where she marked her Olympic debut, Lee claimed the gold medal in the Women's All-Around event. She started learning gymnastics at the age of six.

In stories shared on Instagram, Lee shared glimpses of her time at UFC 317, where she rocked a stylish white jacket. She captured the moment when Ilia Topuria managed to knock out Charles Oliveira to win the lightweight championship.

"omg"

Still taken from Lee's Instagram (Source: @sunisalee/Instagram)

This was Lee's second appearance at a major sporting event, showcasing her interest in sports beyond gymnastics.

Suni Lee was also featured on the 2025 issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Magazine, where she discussed her career and her move to New York City.

Suni Lee: "Gymnastics has definitely impacted my body image"

Suni Lee appeared as a model on the 2025 SI Swimsuit issue, with a photoshoot taking place at The Boca Raton in Florida. She discussed her career and also how gymnastics has impacted her body image. She said:

“Gymnastics has definitely impacted my body image,” she stated. “We have to wear skin-tight leotards. There are so many critics online, but I’m always going to be my biggest critic, so whenever you read things, it just kind of makes you overthink. But I just had to learn that my body is my temple and I wouldn’t be able to do what I have to do without it.”

Lee also shared that she got her hair braided before performing, which she believed played a part in how well she did.

“I have to get ready two hours before the meet,” Lee said. “Whenever I get my hair braided, the person that’s braiding my hair has one chance to braid it right. Perfect. Otherwise, I’m convinced that my meet day is going to be horrible. If it's a bad hair day, it's a bad day.”

Suni Lee featured on the 2025 SI Swimsuit issue alongside other athletic stars such as Gabby Thomas, Eileen Gu, and Jordan Chiles.

About the author

Harshvardhan is a journalist who covers U.S Olympic sports like gymnastics, wrestling, and track and field at Sportskeeda. He took an interest in soccer at a young age, and grew up supporting Premier League club Chelsea. With over a year of experience in the field, he hopes to grow even more within the sports industry.

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam