Sophie Cunningham’s UFC Ring Girl Style Reminded Us of Her SI Swimsuit Debut

Over the weekend, Sophie Cunningham added “UFC ring girl” to her already impressive résumé. The Indiana Fever guard stopped by the UFC 239 event on Saturday, July 11, where she surprised fans in attendance by announcing a round during the Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint Denis bout.

And as it turned out, the moment was just as much of a surprise for Cunningham as it was for the crowd in Las Vegas.

“[I found out] literally like five minutes before,” Cunningham said of the story behind the spur-of-the-moment decision, per Indy Star. She later went on, explaining, “Dana [White, President and CEO of UFC] came over to say what’s up, and I was like, ‘Hey, if you need a ring girl, let me know.’ And he’s like, ‘Alright, first round for the Patty fight, that’s you.’”

The moment quickly went viral online, showing the WNBA player, podcast host and analyst walking around the ring barefoot in an all-black ensemble comprising a classic scoop-neck tank and coordinating mini skirt. Overall, the night out look was effortlessly cool, chic and classic Cunningham, and it immediately reminded us of the star’s sultry SI Swimsuit debut earlier this year!

Sophie Cunningham was photographed by Katherine Goguen at South Seas Resort on Captiva Island, Fla. Swimsuit by Haus of Pinklemonaid. | Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

On the shores of the Sunshine State, the Fever player joined the magazine for the first time as a featured athlete alongside fellow WNBA player Napheesa Collier and record-breaking track star Melissa Jefferson-Wooden.

Photographed by Katherine Goguen at South Seas Resort on Captiva Island, just off the coast of Fort Myers, Fla., the SI Swimsuit style team strived to capture the sheer strength of these athletes as they strutted their stuff on the shoreline, describing the sleek wardrobe as “a celebration of the female form.”

Posing in swimwear from beloved brands like Haus of Pinklemonaid, Cin Cin and more, Cunningham styled the looks with the same go-to “accessory” she wore the night of the UFC event: confidence.

“When you grow up as an athlete, you always feel like you’re bigger than everyone else, and you know you’re beautiful on the inside, you know you’re beautiful on the outside, but you have to convince yourself of that sometimes,” Cunningham told the magazine on set in Florida, “But after [this] photo shoot, it’s like ‘Wow, I wish every little girl and every little boy could just feel what that felt like.’ I feel so confident, I feel so beautiful, I feel so amazing in my own skin and what my body has to offer [...].”

Check out more photos in Cunningham’s full 2026 SI Swimsuit gallery here!

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