Before the fight at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on 13/9, Dela Cruz excitedly shared on Instagram, "Grateful for the opportunity to be a ring girl at Allegiant for Canelo vs. Crawford! Live on Netflix this Saturday,". Her post quickly garnered thousands of likes and complimentary comments, with many calling her "perfect".
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Red Dela Cruz has been a familiar face in the UFC for nearly a decade. Photo: Instagram / Red_delacruz |
After her ring girl duties, Dela Cruz continued to post on Instagram, saying, "Still can't believe I was there. The Canelo-Crawford fight was insane,". The post received over 7,000 likes and nearly 200 comments within half a day.
The 35-year-old Dela Cruz worked an eight-hour day at a data company before entering the world of sports entertainment.
She rose to prominence in 2015 after winning the Asian regional UFC Octagon Girl Search competition and quickly became a familiar face in the UFC for almost a decade.
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Red Dela Cruz posts a casual photo on Instagram. Photo: Instagram / Red_delacruz |
Red Dela Cruz has been a familiar face in the UFC for nearly a decade. Photo: Instagram / Red_delacruz
The UFC Octagon Girl Search is a program organized by the UFC to find new ring girls, who carry round cards, participate in promotional events, and accompany fighters during matches. After winning, Dela Cruz became the first Filipina ring girl to officially sign with the UFC.
Dela Cruz leads a double life. "At the office, I'm quiet, no makeup, just focused on work," she told Australian media. "But with the UFC, it's bright lights and extreme excitement. I'm lucky to experience both".
Born in the Philippines, Dela Cruz pursued modeling and being a ring girl partly to fulfill her mother's unfulfilled dream of becoming a beauty queen. She said, "Now when young girls ask me for advice, I tell them: Dream the seemingly impossible, because you never know, it might come true".
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Red Dela Cruz posts a casual photo on Instagram. Photo: Instagram / Red_delacruz
In the super middleweight championship bout at Allegiant Stadium, Crawford dominated the fight. He landed 165 of 442 punches thrown, compared to Canelo's 132 of 347. Crawford's power punch accuracy was 56%, surpassing Canelo's 49%.
After 12 rounds without a knockout, Crawford won by judges' decision (116-112, 115-113, and 115-113). The 37-year-old claimed all of Canelo's titles – WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring – becoming the undisputed super middleweight (73-76 kg) champion.
Crawford's professional record now stands at 42 wins, including 31 knockouts. He also became the first male boxer in the four-belt era to hold undisputed titles in three weight classes. He previously dominated the junior welterweight division (63.5 kg) in 2017 and the welterweight division (66.7 kg) in 2023. Turning 38 in two weeks, Crawford surprised experts by jumping two weight classes and immediately defeating Canelo to conquer the super middleweight division.
Hong Duy
