It was supposed to be another fight night at the UFC Apex. The UFC Vegas 109 card, headlined by Anthony Hernandez vs. Roman Dolidze, was already promising fireworks. But before Cody Brundage and Eric McConico even touched gloves for the first fight of the night, something else stole the spotlight, and it had nothing to do with punches or submissions.
Just 13 minutes into the broadcast, internet personality Nina-Marie Daniele, better known as “Nina Drama,” appeared on-screen in full denim. Her mission? To promote free ticket giveaways for Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford, the inaugural main event for Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing promotion. But this wasn’t a standard fight promo. Instead, it was a shot-for-shot parody of the now-infamous Sydney Sweeney American Eagle jeans ad, a campaign that’s been stirring debate across the internet for weeks.
Nina-Marie Daniele’s version? A cheeky twist. Instead of Sweeney’s “great jeans” tagline, she looked into the camera and told viewers, “I’m not here to tell you to follow Zuffa Boxing for your chance to win free tickets to Canelo vs. Crawford. I’m definitely not here to tell you to buy your tickets to Canelo vs Crawford or tell you that it’s going to be the greatest boxing event of the year. Now, why would I do that?”
Want FREE tickets to Canelo vs Crawford? Follow @Zuffa_Boxing for details on how to WIN free tickets & sit with @danawhite at this ONCE IN A LIFETIME event!#RiyadhSeasonCard | @RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/WVKLCZhfpT
— Nina-Marie Daniele (@ninamdrama) August 9, 2025
She kept the seemingly seductive tone, coy expressions, and tongue-in-cheek delivery, even working in a line about how sitting next to Dana White would make anyone look good. It was absurd, on-brand for ‘Nina Drama’ and clearly designed to spark chatter. It definitely did ignite discussions, but also the backlash.
By the time the segment hit social media, the ad had clearly gone viral. “Why is everyone blowing up my phone? What did I miss? #UFCVegas109,” Nina- Marie Daniele posted on X.
The answer? Her ad had just run live on ESPN. And in the middle stood Dana White himself, who even jumped into fan comments, playfully offering to seat people next to her for the big fight. However, while some saw it as harmless fun, others thought it was cringe-worthy as we take a look at what the netizens had to say!
Nina-Marie Daniele’s UFC Vegas 109 cameo with a Sydney Sweeney-parody ad doesn’t land with the fans
One fan wrote, “Your ad was featured on ESPN”, in response to Nina-Marie Daniele’s query about her phone being bombarded during the event. For casual viewers tuning in for the fights, this wasn’t just an internet clip; it aired during a major sports broadcast. That gave the ad a much bigger platform and ensured that even non-UFC fans would see the parody, for better or worse.
Another added their response to the same query with, “It’s the jeans ad.” They didn’t even need to name Sydney Sweeney. The reference was so spot-on that viewers immediately recognized the parody.
A critic commented, “This is the opposite of seductive.” While ‘Nina Drama’ was clearly leaning into the playful, over-the-top delivery, not everyone was buying it. To some, the parody stripped away the allure of the original and replaced it with awkward humor that didn’t land. For them, the charm was lost in translation. What do you think?
Another chimed in with, “Bruh, this was so unnecessary.” For fight purists, the ad was an unwelcome distraction. They were here for UFC Vegas 109 not a denim-clad skit. This reaction shed some light on what appears to be a disconnect between UFC’s push for entertainment value and the fan base that just wants straight combat sports.
One fan explained, “The reason I don’t like most influencers is they made a career copying trends. Where’s the uniqueness or creativity now. 100 ppl doing the same thing gets old.” This was perhaps the most pointed critique. It wasn’t about whether Nina-Marie Daniele did the parody well; it was about originality. In an age of recycled trends and viral remakes, some fans feel that the line between creativity and mimicry is getting thinner by the day.
So, ‘Nina Drama’s denim-clad cameo may have been just another lighthearted promo to some, but to others, it was a symbol of everything they dislike about influencer culture seeping into combat sports. Yet, the UFC clearly succeeded in getting people talking; the ad was recognized instantly, debated endlessly, and shared far beyond the Apex walls!
The post UFC Vegas 109 Livestream Faces Backlash as Nina-Marie Daniele’s Sydney Sweeney-Style Ad Splits Fans appeared first on EssentiallySports.
