UFC Athletes Mackenzie Dern and Brian Ortega’s Golden Globes Second Backfires On-line. UFC strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern and featherweight contender Brian Ortega made an sudden look on the 83rd Golden Globe Awards on January 11, 2026, however their transient stage presence sparked confusion and backlash from viewers who questioned the relevance of blended martial arts fighters at Hollywood’s prestigious awards ceremony.
Followers Rip ‘Random’ UFC Cameo at Golden Globes: ‘That Was Weird’
The cameo occurred halfway via the published when announcer Marc Malkin launched the section with a scripted line about needing “additional safety from the UFC” for the subsequent presenters. Dern and Ortega then walked onto the stage to hard-rock guitar music and flashing spotlights, posed briefly at middle stage, and exited with out talking. Your complete look lasted roughly 30 seconds.
The second instantly drew criticism on social media, with many viewers expressing bewilderment on the random insertion. One viewer wrote on X, “Mackenzie Dern and Brian Ortega simply walked out on the Golden Globes for no purpose by any means. That was weird.” One other posted, “Very random pressured #ufc cameo. Company synergy,” whereas another person commented, “the ufc folks regarded simply as confused about why they had been there as i used to be.”
Frustration mounted amongst viewers who felt the section wasted invaluable broadcast time throughout a ceremony that rushed via different shows. “The Globes took the time to televise two UFC fighters wordlessly strolling to the top of the stage and again like a fifth grade woman modeling her new again to highschool garments however Finest Rating was introduced throughout a industrial break??!?” one viewer wrote. Others famous that substantive awards had been shunted to industrial breaks to accommodate promotional segments just like the UFC look.
The cameo served as promotion for Paramount’s lately introduced seven-year, $7.7 billion cope with UFC that started January 1, 2026. The settlement makes Paramount the unique house for all UFC occasions in the USA, with all 13 numbered occasions and 30 Struggle Nights accessible on Paramount+ at no extra price, eliminating the standard pay-per-view mannequin. CBS, owned by Paramount, broadcast the Golden Globes ceremony.
Dern, who gained the UFC strawweight championship in October 2025 by defeating Virna Jandiroba at UFC 321, appeared on the crimson carpet in a silver and blue sequined robe. Ortega, at the moment ranked ninth within the featherweight division, wore a tailor-made swimsuit. The 2 fighters additionally appeared in a number of Paramount+ commercials in the course of the broadcast.
The section adopted the acceptance speech for Finest Movement Image – Non-English Language, which went to “The Secret Agent,” and preceded the presentation by “Heated Rivalry” stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie for Finest Efficiency by a Feminine Actor in a Supporting Position on Tv. The “Heated Rivalry” actors, who play rival hockey gamers within the HBO Max sequence, had been ostensibly the rationale for the UFC fighters’ “safety” presence, although no interplay between the teams occurred.
Paramount launched a complete advertising and marketing marketing campaign forward of UFC 324, its first occasion below the brand new deal, scheduled for January 24, 2026, in Las Vegas. The Golden Globes look represented one part of that promotional push, although critics described it as tone-deaf company synergy that disrupted the move of the awards ceremony.
Regardless of the web criticism, the UFC’s official social media account highlighted the looks with enthusiasm, posting, “The Octagon Hollywood @MackenzieDern and @BrianTCity represented the UFC on the Golden Globes tonight!” Dern had advised MTV earlier than the ceremony that she was “tremendous completely happy to be a champion and be representing the Golden Globes with Brian,” including that the partnership would assist the UFC “attain so many alternative folks.”
