Look: When UFC Octagon Girls Honored the Day of the Dead – Dia de los Muertos
The UFC presented a distinctive cultural celebration at UFC 306 on September 14, 2024, as octagon girls wore elaborate Day of the Dead-themed costumes at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The event, titled Noche UFC, coincided with Mexican Independence Day weekend and served as what UFC President Dana White described as a “love letter to Mexico.
Dia de los Muertos
Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, is a Mexican holiday observed on November 1 and 2 that honors deceased loved ones. The tradition originated from Indigenous Mesoamerican peoples, particularly the Aztecs, who viewed death as a continuation of life rather than an ending. When Spanish colonizers arrived in the 16th century, they introduced Catholic observances like All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, which blended with indigenous rituals to create the modern Day of the Dead celebration.
The holiday centers on creating ofrendas, or altars, decorated with marigold flowers, photographs of the departed, their favorite foods, and candles. Families believe these offerings guide spirits back from the afterlife to visit the living. Sugar skulls, known as calaveras de azucar, serve as decorative elements on altars and represent the cycle of life and death.
The celebration focuses on joy rather than mourning, allowing families to reconnect with deceased relatives through colorful parades, traditional foods, and festive gatherings. Many participants wear elaborate skull face paint and costumes to commemorate the departed.
UFC Octagon Girls
Eight new octagon girls participated in the event, with six native-born Mexican women and two second-generation Mexican Americans. The roster included Hannah Esparza, Ayled Coreno, Ariadna Vidal, Karla Espiritu, Valeria Galvan, and Dany Lule, among others. Each woman wore custom wardrobe and makeup aligned with different thematic chapters presented throughout the event.
Seven-time Emmy Award-winning costume designer Marina Toybina created the intricate costumes for the octagon girls. Toybina, who has designed for major artists including Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and The Masked Singer, brought her expertise in blending storytelling with visual spectacle to the UFC event. The costumes featured several distinct styles honoring Mexican heritage. Some octagon girls wore traditional Mexican-inspired outfits, while others embodied the “Sacred Heart” theme with stunning black net gowns, elaborate face makeup, and headdresses.
The makeup designs incorporated Day of the Dead elements, including intricate face paint resembling sugar skull decorations. Makeup artists Lisette Santana and Mara Rouse created the detailed looks on several octagon girls. The designs featured colorful patterns, floral motifs, and skeletal imagery characteristic of Dia de los Muertos celebrations.
UFC 306’s production team created six 90-second film chapters showcasing different periods in Mexican history, with each segment accompanied by corresponding visual themes reflected in the octagon girls‘ attire. The event generated a record-breaking $22 million live gate, becoming the highest-grossing event in UFC history. The elaborate production, which cost approximately $20 million, featured custom fighter kits, original films directed by Carlos López Estrada, and unprecedented integration of Sphere’s cutting-edge technology.
