Sky forward Angel Reese reveals mixed emotions on MMA after attending UFC 319 in promotion’s return to Chicago

Angel Reese has mixed feelings about MMA after witnessing UFC 319 cage-side. While admittedly impressed by the action unfolding in the cage, the Chicago Sky star could not help but feel a sense of fear while attending her first UFC event.

The UFC returned to Chicago for the first time in nearly a decade on Saturday night. Reese was one of many Chicago-based celebrity athletes attending the event and documented her experience on social media while on a “date night” with an unnamed man. Just as the event concluded, Reese admitted that she remains undecided on the sport.

“UFC is so cool but SCARY [crying emoji],” Reese tweeted.

UFC 319 was particularly violent, with seven of the 12 fights ending with a finish. The pay-per-view main card was particularly action-packed, featuring back-to-back spinning back elbow knockouts from Carlos Prates and Lerone Murphy.

The highly anticipated main event was not as thrilling, instead featuring a dominant display of elite martial arts. Undefeated star Khamzat Chimaev remained undefeated by completely shutting down defending champion Dricus du Plessis to become the new UFC middleweight king.

Reese’s comments served as a reminder to sports fans about the constant danger present in MMA. As exciting as knockouts are to watch from a distance, it can be a much different experience to watch an unconscious athlete get tended to on the canvas from just 10 feet away.

Fans enticed by Angel Reese’s mystery date amid hiatus from Sky

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Reese attended UFC 319 while still dealing with a lingering back injury. The two-time All-Star forward has not played since July 29, when the Sky dropped a 103-86 contest to the Washington Mystics.

While fans await her return, many were intrigued by Reese’s UFC social media post. Her posts centered around the action in the cage, but she made a point to note that she was on a “date night.” Reese, who is notoriously private about her dating life, did not share a single glimpse of the person or people she attended the United Center with.

While Reese enjoys her life off the court, the Sky continue to struggle without her. Chicago is just 1-6 in its seven games since she last played, dropping it to 8-25 on the year.

With the regular season coming to a close, the Sky are one of the few teams excluded from the 2025 playoff race. Eight of the 13 teams will make the postseason field, but Chicago has long been out of the equation.