MMA fans witnessed history at UFC Vegas 91. The event had some amazing bouts and fighters such as Alex Perez and Bogdan Guskov made the most of the opportunity given to them. However, other than the fighters, Charly Arnolt also grabbed the opportunity and created history. For those who are wondering who she is, Arnolt is a ring announcer who made her UFC debut on the night.
She stepped inside the Octagon as an announcer for the first time after the culmination of Karine Silva and Ariane Lipski. Silva won the contest via a unanimous decision and it was Charly Arnolt who announced the result. She did not stop there as Arnolt also had the privilege of announcing the co-main event bout between Ryan Spann and Bogdan Guskov as well. It is important to mention that she is the very first female ring announcer in UFC history.
This is a new one. Joe Martinez is under the weather so Charly Arnolt has stepped in mid-event as the octagon announcer at #UFCVegas91.
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohn) April 28, 2024
She’s now the first female ring announcer in UFC history. pic.twitter.com/UlSjBgZTtG
So the question is, why did she take on the announcement duties while Joe Martinez was present for the event? As per reports online, Martinez fell sick while the event was going on. Hence, Charly Arnolt took over the announcement duties and did an amazing job. However, Arnolt did not announce the main event as Martinez was back for it. Regardless, it is a monumental achievement that will etch Arnolt’s name in history.
Who is Charly Arnolt?
A lot of fans are wondering about who Charly Arnolt is after her UFC debut. While a lot of fans are noticing her for the first time following her appearance this Saturday, it is important to mention that she is not new to fighting. Arnolt was an ESPN employee and conducted several backstage interviews with fighters. Notably, she interviewed Magomed Ankalaev after his KO win against Johnny Walker at UFC Vegas 84.
Charly graduated from American University with Bachelor’s degrees in arts and journalism. Other than that, she also holds minors in criminal justice and Spanish. In December 2013, she joined WXIN TV as a weekend sports reporter. After leaving the job in November 2015, she worked in WWE as a host and a backstage interviewer from 2016 to April 2021.
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Meanwhile, she also joined ESPN as a host, anchor, and reporter in September 2018, during her employment with WWE. However, she left ESPN in April 2023 due to differences in views. She is currently working as a host for OutKick podcast and a freelance reporter for UFC. She joined the Dana White-led company in July 2022 and it looks like she is set for a bigger role going forward.
Fans react to Charly Arnolt making her debut at UFC Vegas 91
Laura Sanko, the former MMA fighter and analyst, used to do announcements for the Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) shows. However, since it is not a part of the UFC main roster, Charly Arnolt will go down as the first female ring announcer in UFC history. And, judging by the fan reactions, most of them absolutely loved the way she went about her business.
Here are some fan reactions on the matter
Charly Arnolt is a real one! I’ve known, and many have, for years! Making history, absolute baller 💪
— Mick Conlon (@ViolinMick) April 28, 2024
Congrats, @CharlyOnTV #UFCFightNight
Charly Arnolt, stunning. https://t.co/teDMpmeY40
— Chris Hanover (@CHanover) April 28, 2024
Respect Charly Arnolt 🏆🙌 https://t.co/ncIkHvy43E
— georgios.kapa (@gogokapo) April 28, 2024
Honestly I kind of liked Charly Arnolt on announcing duties #UFC
— CW🥋 (@CodyWestFilms) April 28, 2024
I didn’t mind. She’s okay for Apex cards 🤷🏽♂️
— ConspiracyMMA (@conspiracy_mma) April 28, 2024
I prefer Charly Arnolt over Joe Martinez. Make this permanent. #UFCVegas91
— Mike Long (@Phroztee) April 28, 2024
Just like the fans, it looks like Arnolt herself was extremely excited about the opportunity. She took to her social media account to add, “YA’LL. I AM SHAKING!! What an experience that was!!” In another post, she wrote, “This just happened!! What a cool night.”
So what did you make of Charly Arnolt stepping in on short notice to save the card? Let us know in the comments below.