Raine Cruz is breaking barriers as a female ring announcer for Los Angeles-based MMA promotion, Up Next Fighting. She was the winner of the WWE Announcer Contest on TikTok and became the guest ring announcer for WWE SummerSlam in 2021. Raine Cruz made history as the first-ever Filipino to ring announce at a major pay-per-view event in the United States. When she is not inside the cage announcing fighters, she is interviewing them on The Raine Check. Outside of her life as a ring announcer, Raine Cruz is a dog mom of two rescue dogs. She loves helping animals in need and advocates for them through her platform.

Hi Raine! Tell us about who you are and where you are from.

I am Raine Cruz, ring announcer for Up Next Fighting, and the host of ‘The Raine Check’ on MILLIONS.co where I interview fighters to share their stories outside of the cage. I am originally from Valenzuela City, Philippines and moved to the United States when I was eighteen to pursue college. I now call Ontario, California home with my husband and two rescue dogs. Outside of my ring announcing career, I have been working in the TV production industry for more than fifteen years. My experience in live television includes working for the Lakers and Dodgers’ pregame and postgame shows, and ESPN’s SportsCenter.

How did you get your start as an announcer? How long have you been announcing for?

I started ring announcing in 2021 for pro-wrestling events. My intention was to become a wrestling manager, so I joined Santino Brothers Wrestling Academy to learn about character development and how to navigate into the pro-wrestling business. One of my classmates introduced me to my very first wrestling promoter who offered me to interview wrestlers ringside after their matches. After my first pro-wrestling show, another promoter reached out to me to interview wrestlers at his show. I remember driving for six hours to Yuma, AZ with my husband, and later on finding out that they cancelled my interviews! Knowing that I was not going to get paid, I knew that I needed to at least do something to make the trip worth it. I then asked the promoter if I could do anything else. He said that they did not have a ring announcer, so I volunteered, and the rest was history.

What led you to choose this career path? What makes your story unique?

I was at a crossroads in my career. I wanted to see what else I could do. I remember wanting to become a reporter, which is why I pursued Journalism in college, but ended up getting discouraged because of my accent. Unfortunately, I had classmates who laughed at the way I talked when I first moved here. I then focused on TV production and have been working behind the scenes for my whole professional career until I felt a calling in my heart – I was watching WWE and saw how Paul Heyman commanded the crowd as a wrestling manager for Brock Lesnar. It gave me the idea of becoming a female wrestling manager to speak for WWE Superstar, Asuka, who is from Japan. My goal was to be ‘the voice of the voiceless’ and represent Asian women in the wrestling industry. In my pursuit of becoming a wrestling manager, I was open to trying different characters like being a ringside reporter, and lo and behold, I found out that I can ring announce. The bonus is I LOVE IT! Looking back, I see how my goal of being ‘the voice of the voiceless’ manifested in my career as a ring announcer. I get to speak for the fighters inside the cage as I introduce them and tell everyone who they are. In addition, I get to represent women in the world of mixed martial arts as I continue to break barriers as a female cage announcer.

What was the audition process like for the WWE Announcer Contest?

It was not an audition. It was a contest on TikTok where anyone in the United States can upload a video of themselves announcing WWE Superstars like John Cena, The Undertaker, and Bianca Belair. To be honest, I did not think that I would win it. I remember creating a TikTok account to join the contest, so my followers were just my family and friends. My ring announcing videos were buried in the search results, and other videos had more likes/views than mine. I was definitely in shock when I found out that I won. My husband told me that I had one in a million shot of winning, and I’m so glad that I took that one shot!

What was it like announcing at SummerSlam?

It was unbelievable. The referee for the match that I announced told me to look around Allegiant Stadium and take it all in. I wasn’t sure at first because I knew there were a lot of people who went to SummerSlam, but I am glad that I did. It was my answered prayer, and I was thankful for that moment. It was a dream come true! I remember wanting to win because I wanted to see if I could handle the pressure of being inside the WWE ring and being in front of thousands of people watching live and around the world. It was a test of my faith and my skill.

Triple H told me to ‘enjoy the moment and have fun,’ and I did. I went inside that WWE ring, introduced Big E and Baron Corbin, and had fun! It felt as if I was meant to be there…it felt like home. I honestly was more excited and did not feel nervous until after I was done. The nerves came after because I knew that I couldn’t change anything that I did.

Being that you are the first-ever Filipina to ring announce at a major pay-per-view in the United States, how important is diversity in media and sports?

It is definitely important to have diversity in media and sports so the next generation will see that it is also possible for them to be in the spotlight. As someone who has always worked in a male-dominated industry (TV production and MMA), I am proud to show my talent and represent myself as a woman, minority, and an immigrant.

One of the most memorable experiences that I have as a ring announcer was when I met a young Asian girl who went to her first MMA event at Up Next Fighting. She was with my friend and apparently, she was really excited to see a female cage announcer and could not stop talking about me. She even told her mom about meeting me and how ‘cool’ I was! This experience made me realize that my goal to represent women and minorities is being noticed and is making an impact – that by being in the spotlight, kids who look like me, or even adults who are minorities, will see and believe that they, too, can reach their dreams.

You are currently a cage announcer for UpNext Fighting. Is announcing for mixed martial arts very different from announcing for professional wrestling?

For me, the biggest difference of announcing for MMA versus professional wrestling is that the outcome of the fights are not predetermined. I have to be prepared to announce the results of a fight that might end in less than ten seconds of the very first round or fights that may go the distance, but no one really knows if it’s a unanimous or a split decision. When I announced for pro-wrestling events, I usually knew who the winners would be or if there’s any disqualifications or if someone would randomly show up to hype up the crowd. It was definitely fun, but knowing who the winners were somewhat took the excitement away from me. In terms of preparation, I get to organize my notes more when I am announcing MMA events because I am able to categorize fighters by their weight class. In pro-wrestling, anything goes, so a promoter may have planned a card going into an event, but things may change at the very last minute depending on the show’s storyline and wrestlers may face anyone to help sell the show. Late changes happen in MMA, too, like losing a fight in our card on the day of our event, but that does not mean that the rest of the card will be mixed up, so that we can keep up with a ‘storyline.’

Can you tell us about your show, The Raine Check, on MILLIONS?

The Raine Check on MILLIONS is where I interview fighters and get to know them outside of the cage. It actually started years ago when I was more active in the professional wrestling scene. I would interview wrestlers virtually, so they can promote their shows while staying in character. Fast forward to 2024, I had the amazing opportunity to work with MILLIONS.co and relaunched The Raine Check to feature amateur and professional fighters, especially if they have any upcoming fights that they want to promote. I have interviewed fighters from UFC, Karate Combat, and of course my promotion, Up Next Fighting.

Do you have any role models or influences that have guided your journey?

I have two amazing mentors: UFC Octagon Announcer, Joe Martinez, and play-by-play commentator and ring announcer, Ray Flores. They are like my big brothers! Thanks to Joe and his advice, I found my path in MMA. I remember wanting to try something else outside of professional wrestling, so I reached out to a bunch of announcers on LinkedIn to ask them questions about branching out. Joe was one of the people who responded to me, and he gave me the best advice that helped me find my opportunity at Up Next Fighting. This is where I met Ray Flores, who was very kind to share his knowledge with me a few hours before I made my MMA debut as a cage announcer. Since then, we have stayed in contact, and he has seen my growth in the world of mixed martial arts.

What words of advice do you have for people with similar aspirations?

Do not be afraid to take the first step. Whatever dream you have in your heart, you will never get closer to it unless you try. It can be scary, but YOLO. 🙂

Any other roles or upcoming projects that we should currently be on the lookout for from you?

Catch me as I announce The Future of the Fight Game at UNF 26 live from the Burbank Marriott Event Center in Burbank, CA on July 26th!

Where can we follow you on social media?

Please follow me on Instagram @RingsideRaine, subscribe to my YouTube page at YouTube.com/RingsideRaine, and check out The Raine Check on MILLIONS.co, Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

Before you go, let’s ask you something random. What is your dream job?

My dream job is to be a ring announcer for the UFC. I really love my job as a ring announcer, and I can’t wait to step inside the octagon to share my passion with fight fans around the world. I found great purpose in ring announcing. I get to hype up fighters before their biggest moments and help them realize that what they worked hard for is right in front of them. I also want to continue to inspire others and help them believe that no matter what your dream is, with hard work and dedication, nothing is impossible.

Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!