'Vanity Fair' Just Explained That Out-Of-Place UFC Moment At The Golden Globes—And Yeesh

At the Golden Globes, there are a few things we all can reliably expect: couture gowns, a headline-making host, unexpected versus disappointing wins, the emotional speeches, and at least one bit that lands… oddly.

This year’s most baffling attempt arrived courtesy of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which briefly hijacked the ceremony with a moment so out of place it felt like the broadcast had accidentally cut to a different network.

The confusion began when Heated Rivalry breakout stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams were introduced as presenters. Variety awards editor Marc Malkin set the stage with a wink:

Marc Malkin joked to the room:

“Our next presenters are so hot right now they get mobbed everywhere they go, so we had to bring in some extra security.”

That “security” turned out to be UFC fighters Mackenzie Dern and Brian Ortega, who emerged in full UFC tracksuits and gloves, silently stalking the stage inside The Beverly Hilton. They flanked Storrie, 25, and Williams, 24, as the actors presented the award for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role on Television, which went to Adolescence’s Erin Doherty.

Dern and Ortega didn’t speak. They didn’t interact. They appeared, stared down the audience, lingered just long enough to make it uncomfortable, and then disappeared—leaving viewers in the room and at home equally baffled.

You can watch the cringe-worthy moment posted by the UFC below:

Unlike the fighters’ silent cameo, Storrie and Williams gamely tried to salvage the moment, leaning into self-aware humor about their nerves and newfound visibility.

Storrie opened the exchange:

“Hi. I’m sorry, it’s a little nerve-wracking here being at our very first Golden Globes.”

Williams suggested taking a deep breath and imagining everyone naked, trailing off mid-thought before adding with a shrug: “You know.”

With an intro to Chappell Roan's Pink Pony Club, you can watch the rest of the Heated awards moment below:

- YouTubeGolden Globes

Offstage, the UFC stars were treated like standard red carpet guests rather than ceremony crashers. Dern arrived in a strapless purple gown, while Ortega opted for an all-black tuxedo with a bow tie—a far cry from the intimidating walk-on that preceded their brief stage cameo.

Afterward, Ortega appeared unfazed by the confusion.

Ortega wrote on Instagram:

“What a night. Thank you @ufc for having us here at the Golden Globes.”

He also shared a photo of himself on the carpet, dressed in a black tuxedo and blue sunglasses.

His post celebrating the night can be viewed here:

In reality, the decision behind the cameo was much more corporate based. The Golden Globes aired on CBS and Paramount+, and in October 2025, the UFC signed a seven-year, $7.7 billion deal with Paramount to become the exclusive home of its marquee events in the United States. The first event under that agreement, UFC 324, streams January 24 on Paramount+.

And Vanity Fair confirmed this detail in a tweet:

But that didn’t stop social media from reacting in unison: confusion first, secondhand embarrassment next, and one lingering question: who thought this was a good idea?

You can view the reactions below:

On the red carpet, Ortega defended the crossover.

Ortega explained:

“We are entertainment when you think about it. We’re live entertainment, and we get to showcase our art through fighting. For us to do it with the Paramount deal now, it’s such a great achievement to now be here and being recognized for what we do.”

He added, “We’re humans, not just fighters, you know?”

In the end, the logic holds true in an era marked by streaming wars and subscription consolidation. But that execution, less so. What looked like savvy cross-promotion on paper instead landed like a production note that should’ve stayed in rehearsal.