How much do UFC Ring Girls get paid?

A few years ago, MMA legend Khabib Nurmogamedov once controversially stated that ring girls were ‘pointless’ which drew criticism from certain areas. And, whether you like them or hate them – it seems that UFC ring girls are here to stay.

On the one hand, some argue that this job is based on sexism where women are paid to parade themselves in front of male fans, whilst others argue it can be empowering to give these women a decent job and potential career.

Irrespective of your views, the reality is that being a ring girl is a serious career and in some cases – it can be very lucrative and pay well. Read on to find out how much money UFC ring girls get paid.

Ring girls get paid $1000-5000 per UFC event

According to this article, UFC ring girls earn $1000 per Fight Night event and $5000 per PPV event. Typically, the UFC will employ a roster of around 10-15 ring girls and your average event will have two ring girls on any given night.

On average, the UFC puts on roughly 45 events per year – with 12 being PPV events (once per month). As ring girls are in rotation and aren’t at every single UFC event, this means they earn around $20,000 per year from the UFC. This may not sound incredible, but when you break down the hourly wage then it’s quite a lot. This also leaves ring girls the ability to work outside of the UFC and earn from other sources.

Ring girls can earn more in sponsorship deals

Based on the same article posted above, the top UFC ring girl, Arianny Celeste has earned over $1 million in a single year due to her marketability. This means doing modelling work, selling products and doing public appearances. In other words, her work and income is incredibly similar to influencers who also rake in a fortune from their personalities. By appearing at UFC events, she has been able to craft a profitable fanbase.

Remember though, Celeste is considered the most known ring girl around – so comparing her to other ring girls isn’t accurate. This would be like comparing Conor McGregor’s income to an average UFC fighter who would obviously earn much less. For the most part, your average UFC ring girl would be fortunate to earn 10% of her income from endorsement deals. Still, earning $100,000 a year based on your physical appearance is not a bad gig.

Using MMA as a vehicle to earn more

As you may have figured by now, the UFC may not make a ring girl a millionaire – however, it gives ring girls the platform to succeed. This is pretty standard these days and basically shows how the media spotlight may not pay well in isolation, but leads to bigger opportunities when looking at the bigger picture. This is especially doable when living in the world of social media where millions of followers often mean millions of dollars in return.

For example, some reality shows pay their contestants well under $10,000 per show. However, these contestants use the fame and publicity to promote themselves and use it as a vehicle to do better in the future. This is why it’s a great gig to get involved with. Even if you still earn $25,000 per year as a UFC ring girl and make over $1 million in outside revenue, it’s best to stick around on the UFC due to the publicity it brings – instead of ditching it for a quick buck.

Ring girls outside of the UFC earn substantially less

It’s no secret that the UFC is the pinnacle of MMA. In short, other promotions may have some fans, but often lack the global pull involved in the UFC. Basically, even ring girls in Bellator and similarly, large promotions will lack the fanbase or exposure that the UFC brings. Even though some promotions may still pay their ring girls a solid wage, you still can’t compare their reach compared to the UFC. Therefore, it’s fair to say that nothing really compares to the role of being a ring girl when looking at other organizations.

What’s more, is that ring girls are often contracted to one MMA promotion at a time. So, you’ll never see a ring girl work for the UFC one day and then in another promotion the next.

What is the job of an MMA ring girl?

Typically, an MMA ring girl has two jobs. The first is to hold up the round number on a card – and the second is to stand near the victorious fighter after the bout has finished. This means that for the most part, a ring girl will get paid to sit around and watch the fight. Obviously, this isn’t bad work if you can get it. Even when working, this literally means holding up a card for a few seconds or posing for a photograph.

When comparing this work to an MMA fighter, you can see how the two differ massively. Whilst most UFC fighters will earn more per year than a ring girl would – they still have to take physical risks inside the cage and put in countless hours of gruelling training outside of their fights. Because of this, you could argue that the job of a ring girl is substantially easier than an MMA fighter – whilst still getting paid a decent amount.

How do you become a ring girl?

Most of the time, ring girls start out as models or influencers who get into the world of MMA through their agents. This often means passing an interview where they have to show a bit of personality – as well as looks. Aside from this, there are no obvious qualifications needed to become a ring girl.

At the same time, becoming a ring girl for the UFC is incredibly difficult. To begin with, there are limited spaces and some of these women stick around for years. This means that applying for the job is very competitive and your chances of becoming a ring girl are slim to none.

If all else fails, there’s always good old nepotism which could get you in contact with the right people. For the most part though, it’s a good job to have – but also a difficult job to get into.

Are ring girls ‘pointless’?

It’s no secret that Khabib isn’t a fan of ring girls. With this said, he’s also a devout Muslim and comes from a conservative part of Russia where women aren’t used to dressing in tight, revealing clothing like UFC ring girls. Of course, he’s also welcome to have his opinion which is his personal right.

Regarding his pointless comment, it really depends on your own viewpoint. On the one hand, they don’t really offer anything in terms of substance. However, they clearly serve a purpose if Dana White is willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on them annually. This purpose is to act as eye candy for male viewers. This is a tradition dating back to boxing – however, there’s probably a method to the madness.

In theory, this method is that they attract more men to the sport and add to the overall package. Another reason is that ring girls are effectively walking adverts, with companies such as Monster paying big money for these women to wear their logos. The counterargument is that they’re trashy, dated and tasteless. Ultimately, everyone has their own take on things.

Summary

As seen, becoming a UFC ring girl can prove massively profitable. The trick is, becoming one in the first place. From there, as long as you appear likeable and use the right marketing techniques – there’s no reason why you can’t become a millionaire.

So, even though the UFC salary for ring girls won’t exactly excite most people – it’s still a great platform to operate from and opens the door to lots of opportunities. Just remember to cash in your money and save it as well as being grateful, as it’s a gig that can be very fickle and short-lived as well.