When the UFC visits a new city, it isn’t just the combatants who provide the spectacle. The Octagon girls, who are elegant, lively, and fan-favorite personalities in their own right, elevate the walkouts, weigh-ins, and fight nights. The biggest MMA promotion in the world is bringing back famous faces to add spice to the Kansas City event. But who exactly will walk across the Octagon this time?

Brookliyn Wren and Red Dela Cruz will take center stage this time. Brookliyn, a Las Vegas-based model, joined the UFC in 2017 after working in the hospitality business, and she has since become a regular at fight nights across the country. Her large Instagram following of over 124,000 fans receives exclusive content from every event she attends. Red Dela Cruz, on the other hand, holds the distinction of being the first-ever Filipina Octagon girl, having made her debut in 2015. Her entry marked a watershed event for Asian representation in the sport.

Both women have leveraged their platform beyond the Octagon to carve out unique careers. Brookliyn Wren is well-known for her glamorous modeling, travel updates, and as one of the most active UFC celebrities on social media. Red Dela Cruz, meanwhile, has made waves in the entertainment business back home in the Philippines and is still a fan favorite for her trailblazing role in the UFC. Together, their presence in Kansas City is expected to keep the enthusiasm high both inside the arena and on social media.

While some may regard the position as solely decorative, there is no denying that it can lead to professional success. Arianny Celeste, for example, used her time as an Octagon girl to build a multimillion-dollar enterprise that now includes business, real estate, and even adult content. Though she is no longer active in the UFC, her legacy lives on in the next generation of ring ladies, including Brookliyn and Red, who are forging their own paths in and out of the Octagon spotlight. However, it is worth noting that being in the action-packed UFC can also lead them to have feuds of their own.

Arianny Celeste’s infamous feud with Ronda Rousey

Not every spotlight is without its share of heat. As Wren and Dela Cruz continue to rise, it’s impossible to forget the storm that once engulfed Arianny Celeste—a storm stirred up by none other than Ronda Rousey. At the height of Celeste’s fame and Rousey’s domination in the cage, what should have been a peaceful coexistence in the UFC universe turned into a bitter and unexpected conflict. Even if the Octagon is Dana White’s kingdom, tempers flare outside of it.

It all began with Rousey’s strong remarks regarding fighter pay in 2015, which she addressed using ring girls as a comparison. Her statement—“I think they should get paid more than the ring girls”—was as much a shot at UFC economics as it was against Celeste. But the tension went back even further. In 2012, Rousey had already taken a jab by joking about Celeste being higher on Maxim’s “Hot 100” list, stating, “It’s your job to show your t—, and I do that better than you.” Celeste didn’t keep silent. She labeled Rousey a bully, sparking a type of cold war between two public figures with vastly different roles and views, clashing in front of thousands of fans.

Years later, Celeste reflected on the feud with some surprising calm. She admitted that she never spoke directly to ‘Rowdy,’ preferring to stay out of the spotlight. Behind the scenes, however, she was rattled enough to seek assistance from Dana White. In retrospect, she saw it as a territorial struggle, with Rousey moving into a place where Arianny Celeste had long been the UFC’s female face.

While she still thinks Rousey’s tone was excessively harsh, she now knows where it came from. “She didn’t make me sweat at all,” Celeste stated. “But it did bother me.” It’s the kind of tension that quietly shapes UFC culture, indicating that rivalries extend beyond the Octagon. But what do you think? Who was in the wrong? Let us know in the comments.