Jake Paul easily defeating Mike Tyson by decision was a ho-hum result to such a spectacle. But there was also an epic knockout in the ring that night at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium. He name is Sydney Thomas.

As the world watched on, Thomas, a St. Louis native and University of Alabama student, stood out as a ring card model.

The Tyson vs. Paul heavyweight boxing match took place Nov. 15 in front of more than 70,000 fans in Arlington, Texas. Meanwhile on Netflix, it was watched live by over 108 million people worldwide.

Paul, a 27-year-old social media influencer/former child-actor turned boxer, was reportedly paid $40 million. Tyson, the 57-year-old boxing legend, $20 million.

But Thomas might end up the long-term winner from the night, which included undercards like Katie Taylor defeating Amanda Serrano in a brutal women’s title bout.

From her Paul/Tyson appearances, Thomas gained nearly a million followers across her TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat accounts. Her prior modeling work includes an ad campaign for clothing brand Buckle.

After meeting Thomas recently via video call, I’d bet the best remains ahead for her.

In conversation, she’s sharp, poised and positive. It’s easy to root for Thomas and be happy for the spotlight the Tyson/Paul fight bestowed her. During the interview when I mistakenly say her last name as Taylor, she takes it smiling and in stride. Cool gal.

Dressed down, the 20-year-old Thomas is as radiant as she was glammed up for Tyson/Paul, the night she became the internet’s new girlfriend. Her eyes are blue, her fingernails done in white tips, and she’s wearing a cozy long sleeve tee. Barefoot, she’s 5-foot-9.

Thomas beams in for our interview from a nice hotel in Las Vegas, in town for the Formula 1 grand prix. Edited excerpts below.

Sydney, what are some vivid memories from your experience at the Tyson/Paul fight?

Sydney Thomas: One major moment was not at the fight, but the night before [at weigh-in] when Tyson slapped Paul. And [the ring card models] we’re just standing back there, you know, having to hold a smile the whole time.

None of us were expecting that slap to happen, so it caught us all so off guard. I’m standing back there posed, smiling, and in my head like, “Oh my gosh, what is going on? This is so crazy!”

I wanted to react, but in the moment you’re like, “OK, I have to be a professional. I’m getting paid to stand up here and smile. I’m in the background of all these pictures and videos. I have to make sure I’m doing my thing.”

Another thing I can vividly remember was just the moment that both of the fighters came into the ring. I was up there next to the announcer as he was announcing Tyson and Paul both coming in.

And I wasn’t supposed to be looking at them [the boxers] or anything, because we have to be looking at the camera the entire time. But when I knew the camera wasn’t going to be focusing in on us, I would kind of side-eye over to see Mike Tyson coming into the ring.

It’s just so crazy that this guy who’s such a legend is in the ring right now, coming back to box again. And I’m in here with him and getting to be a part of it. That was a moment for me where I was like, “This is just such a cool, cool thing to be a part of.”

What’s something about being a ring girl at a huge fight like that people might not expect?

So one thing is that I had been working all week. I flew in on the Sunday before the fight, and we have events every single day leading up to it. I started with the photo shoot on Monday with the fighters, and then we had the conference and the weigh ins and open workouts, and then the fight night itself. So it’s not like we just show up and go to the fight and do that.

And then another thing that might shock people, we do really have to be up there smiling the entire time. It’s just what the promotional group wants from us, and it’s professional of us to do.

So if you’re up there for say 5, 6, 7 minutes, because sometimes it takes longer with the interviews and different stuff like that, you are smiling the entire time, and it does hurt your mouth very badly.

You’ll be smiling and you’ll start to lose sense in your mouth, and your cheeks will start to shiver. You can feel your muscles start to give out and that they can’t hold it any longer. I was freaking out a little bit. Like, “Can people tell that my mouth is literally shaking right now?” [Laughs]

On fight night for Tyson/Paul, even watching on Netflix the energy was electric. It felt like the whole world was watching. Inside the stadium the ring, could you feel that?

Yeah, it really did feel like that. And especially the co-main event with Amanda Serrano [versus Katie Taylor], that was a huge fight. And leading up, it had been talked about in the boxing world that fight even was going to be bigger than the Tyson/Paul fight, just because it’s two people that are coming head-to-head again in this long-awaited [rematch].

And so we were really looking forward to that fight. You could just tell in the entire stadium, everyone was so locked into it.

And Amanda is on MVP’s [Most Valuable Promotions] team, which is who I worked for as a ring card model. So we’re over there rooting her on the entire time, and then she got that big cut on her face, and you could just tell that the vibe changed in the whole entire arena.

Especially being up close, you could really see how deep that cut it went and the blood just dripping down her face. I was sitting there literally clenching my fist because I’m so invested in this. This is awful. First of all, that looks like it hurts really bad, and I want her to do well but that just looks painful.

But then for the main event, it was insane. You could just tell the energy was so high. But then you could start to feel to a vibe change as well as the fight went on, and people started to realize that Mike Tyson didn’t look how he used to look, and that he wasn’t going to last — how he came out and started — the entire fight.

We were sitting there, and I felt bad. Jake, obviously, they’re both great fighters, but it feels so wrong that he’s so much younger and then this guy who hasn’t been fighting in so long, and he’s just kind of going at him.

The energy was insane, but I don’t think people really got the outcome that they were hoping for in this super hyped-up fight. But I think it ended in the best way it could’ve.

Did you have any interactions with Jake Paul or Mike Tyson before, during or after the fight?

I didn’t personally get to talk to Mike at all. Leading up to the event, he was very much locked-in. I think he was taking things very seriously. I think he was just so focused on being prepared for the fight that he was like in his own world.

And then Jake, I did get to talk to. I ran into him before the weigh-ins, and he just said that [the ring card models] we’re killing it, and was very supportive. Super nice guy. Then I talked to him after the event as well.

I think he gets kind of the wrong rep sometimes. A lot of people don’t like him and just say he’s whatever, but he really is a good guy and has very good intentions and a good heart. Being able to see that side of someone … What everyone else has to say, they don’t really know who this person is, you know?

Did you do your own hair and makeup for the Tyson/Paul fight?

We had the option to get it done. I typically choose to do my own just because I know what I like, and I don’t feel like there’s a reason for someone else to come in and do something that isn’t me. So I do my own makeup.

The other girls all got their hair done. And I got my hair done on Monday, but by the day of the fight he [the hairstylist] was so busy with the other girls. And so I did my own hair. I know that someone else probably could have done better, but I like to do things on my own too. [Laughs]

What was your fitness regimen like leading up to Tyson/Paul?

I definitely was very, very locked into my training and that type of thing. I wasn’t really following a strict day to day schedule with a trainer or anything like that. I got advice and different things from a lot of different people about how I should be preparing, and stuck to my own routine of how I usually go about staying in shape.

I’ve always been very good about my diet and just the things that I eat on a day-to-day basis. But I definitely was more cautious of days where you just eat pizza or something like that. I tried to stay away from having days like that, especially getting closer to the event.

And then as far as working out, I would workout pretty much every day. I also got a membership with Cryotherapy [Tuscaloosa], just to help with recovery.

Leading up to the fight, it was pretty rigorous and intense. Just the days of working out, a lot of walking and cardio, and being in the gym for multiple hours, and then stretching and sauna and cryotherapy. So there’s a lot that goes into it.

But yeah, it did kind of take a toll on me getting close to the fight, just with how much energy I was putting towards keeping myself healthy and making sure I looked good. But I think it paid off in the end. I’m happy with how things worked out.

As a University of Alabama student, what’s been your experience with sports there in Tuscaloosa, as far as football gamedays, last year’s Final Four basketball season, things like that?

Yeah! I follow the football team. That’s the biggest thing for me, that I’m into as far as sports at Alabama.

You know, it’s Alabama, so of course you’re going to follow the football team. I don’t know much about football itself, but I’ve definitely become a big football fan being that I go to school at Alabama.

We do gamedays and everything. Me and my friends have tailgates, and we go to the quad, and do all that. That’s really the fun and big part about gameday is just everything that goes into it, and all the cool, fun stuff before and after.

Even if you’re not at the game, watching it at the bars, the entire environment around it is just amazing. I’m thankful that we go to a school that has a great football team, and we’re able to enjoy experiences like that.

I don’t really have much association with many of the other athletic programs at Alabama, although I’d love to. I have done some modeling for an event calendar for the hockey team, but outside of that I’ve never been to a basketball game [at Alabama]. I love basketball, and I’d love to go to a game.

My life is just so up and down with different things that I’m not a normal Alabama student. I’m all over the place, so sometimes it’s hard to fit things into my schedule. But if there’s a game coming up that I could fit into my schedule, I would definitely want to make it.

How has your life changed since the Jake Paul/Mike Tyson fight, besides all the new social media followers?

Yeah, obviously the followers. But then here comes everyone else that sees potential and wants to take that and turn it into something. Or want to use to their benefit.

So I’ve just had so many different agencies and managements and brands and opportunities come my way. It’s been very overwhelming in a sense. But at the same time, it’s all good.

Then it just comes down to having to know what’s really going to be best for me, that is really going to help me continue to grow and pursue what I want to do. And not just someone coming and trying to benefit from me and not have my best interest in mind.

So I’m still dealing with a lot of different things, and kind of figuring things out as they come. But I’ve been in contact with agencies and working on getting management, all of that kind of set in stone, because that’s important to me.

I didn’t really have that going into the [Tyson/Paul] event. I had been on social media before, but I never had an agent or full-time management or anything like that helping me with all that stuff.

So it’s been a lot, but there’s exciting things to come. And I think now that I have this platform, I’m going to be able to do a lot of good things with it, and cool things with it.

And that’s the goal, is to do good with what I’ve been blessed with, because I think so many people are given platforms and just kind of chase the wrong things or have the wrong goals. But I think that God sent me this opportunity to be able to turn it into something good, so that’s where my head’s out with it all.

Growing up in St. Louis. what first got you interested in sports?

I grew up all around sports. I played sports my entire life. I was a three-sport athlete in high school — I played basketball, field hockey and soccer — and I was a gymnast as a child. So I am a very athletic person, and I love sports.

My dad also worked for the St Louis Cardinals [baseball team] my entire life. So I grew up going to games and being behind the scenes at the games and just being a Cardinals fan since I’ve been so young.

That ended up turning into me getting a job with the St. Louis Cardinals for the past two years. Over the summer, I’ve worked as a Team Fredbird girl there. [Fredbird is the Cardinals mascot.]

It’s kind of like in-game entertainment, a cheerleader-esque type of thing. We shoot out T-shirts in between innings, and do little games on the big screen with people in the stands, and promotional stuff. And then I also do hosting with interviews and stuff like that pregame. It’s a cool job, and it’s a really fun environment to be a part of.

I love the environment of sports, so it’s definitely something that I would love to continue in incorporating my career moving forward. But yeah, I’ve always been a sports girl.

Why did you choose to go to Alabama for college, and what year are you in school there in Tuscaloosa?

I’m a junior, technically. But it’s going to be my final year at Alabama, just because I came in with a bunch of credits, and then I took a full class load every semester and also took summer classes. So I’m graduating a year early.

And then I chose Alabama because I wanted to go somewhere for the college experience. I didn’t know what I wanted to do going into college. But I did know that I wanted to go somewhere where I can really network with a wide range of people, and also have a good time and get that college experience.

Alabama is where I ended up, and I would not have traded that decision for anything, because I’m so happy with how things have gone. I think it’s opened a lot of doors for me. Alabama has people from all over come to school there.

It’s been cool to be able to meet so many different people from all over the United States, as opposed to just going to maybe Mizzou [University of Missouri], where everyone from my hometown goes to, and I would have just kept my roots within that small little area.

What are some of your favorite places in Tuscaloosa for food, nightlife, that kind of stuff?

My favorite restaurant is Chuck’s Fish. I love sushi, and I think that’s the best sushi in Tuscaloosa. I also love Evangeline’s. That’s a very, very amazing dinner spot. I was there the other night actually, getting dinner for celebrating my birthday, an early birthday celebration. But those are my two go-to dinner spots.

And then as far as bar scene, I really like Innisfree. It’s a classic. And then Moe’s. A lot of my friends go to Moe’s, a lot of my friends work at Moe’s. And I know it’s a barbecue joint, but it’s fun on like a Thursday night, so we’ll go there every now and then.

On social media, do you have a favorite platform to create content or interact with fans?

My favorite platform to interact with my fans on is through Snapchat. It’s becoming a bigger platform, in that it’s more of a casual format of a platform to post on.

So that’s where I’ve been doing a lot of Q & A kind of things. My fans can slide up on the stories I post, and then I can respond to them. And I can do like 30 posts a day on there.

Whereas Instagram and TikTok, you’re doing one post or two posts a day and they’re not necessarily responding to people’s questions or something like that. But those are more on the brand side, like work doing promotional kind of things, and then just monumental or little things you do, sharing there too. But definitely Snapchat is where my I like to get more personal.

What do you like to do when you’re not working, besides spend time with family, friends and loved ones?

I love to cook. I’ve cooked my entire life — I used to love baking, and now I love cooking.

I’m very into nutrition and health and wellness, so incorporating that into cooking has been very fun for me. And I’m a very creative person, so coming up with creative, different ways to make healthy recipes or something like that, that’s been really fun for me.

Every single day I’m doing something in the cooking realm, and that’s where I spend my free time.

My style of cooking is not necessarily a traditional, you know, cookbook kind of thing. It’s trying to incorporate the healthiest foods into something delicious. Things like different turkey burgers or some sort of salad with a steak. Trying to make things as healthy as I can for myself is a fun little challenge I put myself to.

What’s something that might surprise people about you?

One thing that a lot of people don’t know about me is that my mom passed away last year. It’s been a challenge and it’s been very hard, but at the same time I think it’s really helped shape me into who I am today.

I think having been through something like that, and having to mature at such a young age has been very crucial, and just being prepared for now what I have.

So I’m hoping with now having this platform I can be in some way a sense of inspiration or something like that, to people that maybe have gone through something similar. That don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel or are struggling, and can look at me and be like, ‘She’s been through it.’ I would love to advocate for and just help people dealing with loss, because that hits so close to home for me.