UFC’s star attraction: ring girl of the year Red Dela Cruz on the responsibilities of her fame

UFC octagon girl Red Dela Cruz has more than 2.5 million followers on social media since being plucked from obscurity to front the globe’s leading MMA promotion.

“I have so much support,” said the 25-year-old. “When you get out there and wave and the crowd yells your name, it is a wonderful feeling. I feel lucky that there is so much love for me.”

Dela Cruz believes her rise to international fame has brought with it a responsibility to those millions of followers.

“My mum is the one who has always really supported me and encouraged me to chase my dreams,” Dela Cruz said. “I think of that all the time and I encourage my fans in the same way.”

After a childhood spent in Iba, the capital of the Philippines’ Zambales province, Dela Cruz headed to Manila to study for a degree in tourism management. Some part-time modelling work followed, and Dela Cruz became an annual nominee in FHM magazine’s list of the world’s sexiest women.

But the move to the UFC came on the urging of her personal trainer at a local gym.

“I was pretty unsure of what to expect,” she said. “I had always been a huge fan of the UFC but I didn’t really expect to win. After each round of judging my name came up and I guess that’s life. You never know what to expect but you have to keep trying.”