UFC 284 is the promotion’s first event in Australia since 2019. A familiar face is octagon side for the event which is currently underway in Perth with Red Dela Cruz returning to ring girl duties.
The popular Filipina is based full time in Australia these days. She was a regular at the UFC events in Abu Dhabi during the pandemic and spent several months there as the promotion adopted the country as a temporary base.
But she has not worked an event since UFC 268 when she was octagon side in New York to see Kamaru Usman beat Colby Covington.
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Feeding ground
Red Dela Cruz hails from the Philippines and made her name with the now defunct PXC. She was such a hit during the promotion’s shows in Manila that the UFC decided to recruit her.
It is a route to the UFC that numerous fighters have taken including Alex Volkanovski who fights for the lightweight title today. He was the PXC featherweight champion and really made his name with the Guam headquartered organization.
Another fighter who got her break on the feeding ground that was PXC is Brogan Walker. She will be taking on Liang Na in a strawweight fight at San Antonio later this year.
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Fan following
But while Volkanovski with his 1 million Instagram followers, UFC featherweight title and #1 spot on the pound for pound list is clearly the most famous PXC veteran Red Dela Cruz cruises comfortably into second place. She has 412,000 Instagram followers, more than most of the fighters on the roster.
When she isn’t working for the UFC the 30 year old seems to enjoy living the high life in Australia. She is regularly pictured on yachts and beaches and has posed at most of Sydney’s major landmarks.
But fight fans will be delighted to see that she has taken a break from her busy social schedule to work at a UFC event. There might be some big fights in Perth today but you can sure that all eyes will be on Red Dela Cruz when she is on ring girl duty.
