Over the past couple of years, Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has seen her fame rise as she embraces being teammates with the league’s biggest star, Caitlin Clark. Over the weekend, that growing fame allowed Cunningham a rather unique opportunity at a UFC event, but not everyone is happy about it.
During Saturday night’s UFC 329 event, Cunningham served as a surprise ring girl for the fight, walking through the ring with one of the cards and posing for the camera. However, given UFC’s undeniable tie with President Donald Trump and Cunningham’s growing assumptions about her political beliefs, the appearance sparked outrage.
Cunningham Served as Ring Girl
During Saturday night’s UFC 329 event in Las Vegas, Cunningham served as a last-minute ring girl for the event. UFC President Dana White said that Cunningham took on the role only about eight minutes before the fight.
“I love Sophie Cunningham, man,” White said, via Uncrowned Combat on X. “We have created a relationship, and she was here tonight. When she walked in she goes, ‘Oh I want to walk around that (Octagon). I said, ‘Then, you’re going to walk around it.’ She is fun.”
Cunningham got the opportunity to walk through the octagon and pose with the card before the fight.
UFC’s Ties With Donald Trump
Over the years, UFC has had a pretty strong relationship with Trump that has only grown. Trump has made several appearances at UFC fights over the years, and White has never shied away from his relationship with Trump.
That relationship reached a whole new level last month when Trump held a UFC event on the White House lawn on his 80th birthday in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. Though White insisted there was “no political agenda” for the event, the link between UFC and Trump has been undeniable.
“This event was for America’s 250th birthday. There was no other political agenda for the event, or anything like that,” White said of last month’s event. “I was just honored to be the person [Trump] trusted to deliver tonight. I hope that everybody, as an American, feels that we did.”
Cunningham’s Reputation as ‘MAGA Barbie’
While Cunningham has never made any definitive political declarations, there have been a lot of assumptions about her beliefs, with some going as far as to give her the nickname “MAGA Barbie.”
Cunningham even addressed this nickname during an interview last year.
“I’m clearly white and from Missouri, and so I think there was a lot of assumption there,” Cunningham said in an interview with The New York Times last year.
While she understands where the nickname came and didn’t necessarily even condemn it, she claims that she is “right in the middle” politically.
“All I have to say is I really am right in the middle, and I think a lot of America is like that,” Cunningham added. “In our culture today you have to choose and you have to be an extremist, and that’s just not me. So I agree with things on both sides; I disagree with things on both sides.”
The link between Cunningham and Trump became even stronger when the White House’s official X account used a clip from her podcast in a video.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 30, 2026
Fans Not Happy With Cunningham
Given this link between UFC and Trump as well as the growing assumption about Cunningham’s political beliefs, her appearance at the event on Saturday night sparked outrage.
“Yes Sophie, continue to devalue the sport you play professionally,” one fan wrote in a post on X.
“Oh she’s leaning into maga baby,” another fan added.
“I don’t see why the Fever don’t cut ties like she’s that big of a contributor. She’s literally living off the fame Caitlin tries to deflect,” someone else wrote.
“I see why yall hater her,” another fan wrote.
“She’s doing everything to keep herself relevant after hooping,” someone else wrote.
“Can they please stop treating her like a relevant athlete,” another fan commented.
Cunningham did not seem to be bothered by the criticism as she posted a photo to her Instagram story.
The post ‘She’s leaning into MAGA’: Sophie Cunningham sparks outrage with UFC move appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions.
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