25-year-old Jose Ochoa opened the early prelims of UFC 328 in New Jersey against Clayton Carpenter. After earning a decision victory, Ochoa reached for a microphone from commentator Joe Rogan.
He then quietly reached into his gear and produced a ring.
“I want to do something special for my soon-to-be wife, the mother of my child,” Ochoa said through a translator. “Do you wanna marry me?”
His girlfriend was not in the building. She was thousands of miles away in Brazil, watching the entire moment unfold through a broadcast screen.
Rogan, clearly caught off guard, turned to Ochoa and asked the obvious question: “Is she here?”
Ochoa smiled and replied simply, “She’s in Brazil right now.”
The arena laughed and cheered as Ochoa stood in the Octagon, ring in hand.
As for the answer, Ochoa did not have to wonder for long. At his post-bout press conference, he revealed what his girlfriend said when she responded to the very public question.
“She said yes because she was waiting for that moment,” Ochoa told reporters.
The win brought Ochoa’s UFC record to 2-2 across four appearances in the promotion. He made his debut in November 2024 against Lone’er Kavanagh, a contest he dropped. He then bounced back with a victory over Cody Durden before a decision loss to Asu Almabayev last July. Saturday’s result gave him forward momentum both professionally and personally.
In-cage proposals have happened before in UFC history. Back in May 2017, Alexander Gustafsson delivered one of the most memorable post-bout moments the promotion had ever seen.
After a grueling five-round performance against Glover Teixeira in Stockholm, Sweden, the Swedish star invited his girlfriend, Moa Antonia Johansson, directly into the Octagon.
Still wearing his gloves from the contest, Gustafsson leaned close and asked her: “I love you, and thanks for having our kid, our baby. I love you with all my heart, now do you want to marry me?”
Johansson said yes immediately. Gustafsson also walked away that evening with a $50,000 bonus.
