Over the previous couple of years, Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has seen her fame rise as she embraces being teammates with the league’s greatest star, Caitlin Clark. Over the weekend, that rising fame allowed Cunningham a moderately distinctive alternative at a UFC occasion, however not everyone seems to be comfortable about it.
Throughout Saturday evening’s UFC 329 occasion, Cunningham served as a shock ring lady for the struggle, strolling by the ring with one of many playing cards and posing for the digicam. Nevertheless, given UFC’s plain tie with President Donald Trump and Cunningham’s rising assumptions about her political opinions, the looks sparked outrage.
Cunningham Served as Ring Woman
Throughout Saturday evening’s UFC 329 occasion in Las Vegas, Cunningham served as a last-minute ring lady for the occasion. UFC President Dana White stated that Cunningham took on the position solely about eight minutes earlier than the struggle.
“I really like Sophie Cunningham, man,” White stated, through Uncrowned Fight on X. “We now have created a relationship, and he or she was right here tonight. When she walked in she goes, ‘Oh I wish to stroll round that (Octagon). I stated, ‘Then, you’re going to stroll round it.’ She is enjoyable.”
Cunningham bought the chance to stroll by the octagon and pose with the cardboard earlier than the struggle.
UFC’s Ties With Donald Trump
Over time, UFC has had a fairly sturdy relationship with Trump that has solely grown. Trump has made a number of appearances at UFC fights over time, and White has by no means shied away from his relationship with Trump.
That relationship reached an entire new stage final month when Trump held a UFC occasion on the White Home garden on his eightieth birthday in celebration of the 250th anniversary of america. Although White insisted there was “no political agenda” for the occasion, the hyperlink between UFC and Trump has been plain.
“This occasion was for America’s 250th birthday. There was no different political agenda for the occasion, or something like that,” White stated of final month’s occasion. “I used to be simply honored to be the particular person [Trump] trusted to ship tonight. I hope that everyone, as an American, feels that we did.”
Cunningham’s Repute as ‘MAGA Barbie’
Whereas Cunningham has by no means made any definitive political declarations, there have been quite a lot of assumptions about her beliefs, with some going so far as to provide her the nickname “MAGA Barbie.”
Cunningham even addressed this nickname throughout an interview final 12 months.
“I’m clearly white and from Missouri, and so I believe there was quite a lot of assumption there,” Cunningham stated in an interview with The New York Instances final 12 months.
Whereas she understands the place the nickname got here and didn’t essentially even condemn it, she claims that she is “proper within the center” politically.
“All I’ve to say is I actually am proper within the center, and I believe quite a lot of America is like that,” Cunningham added. “In our tradition at the moment it’s a must to select and it’s a must to be an extremist, and that’s simply not me. So I agree with issues on either side; I disagree with issues on either side.”
The hyperlink between Cunningham and Trump turned even stronger when the White Home’s official X account used a clip from her podcast in a video.
🤫🫵 pic.twitter.com/REKi0zgdqt
— The White Home (@WhiteHouse) June 30, 2026
Followers Not Completely satisfied With Cunningham
Given this hyperlink between UFC and Trump in addition to the rising assumption about Cunningham’s political opinions, her look on the occasion on Saturday evening sparked outrage.
“Sure Sophie, proceed to devalue the game you play professionally,” one fan wrote in a put up on X.
“Oh she’s leaning into maga child,” one other fan added.
“I don’t see why the Fever don’t lower ties like she’s that huge of a contributor. She’s actually dwelling off the celebrity Caitlin tries to deflect,” another person wrote.
“I see why yall hater her,” one other fan wrote.
“She’s doing the whole lot to maintain herself related after hooping,” another person wrote.
“Can they please cease treating her like a related athlete,” one other fan commented.
Cunningham didn’t appear to be bothered by the criticism as she posted a photograph to her Instagram story.
