(Photo courtesy of Maxim. Lots more after the jump.)

Thanks to BabesofMMA.com for introducing us to Shannon Ihrke, a 23-year-old model who made her MMA ring girl debut at ProElite: Big Guns earlier this month, and will be appearing at the King of the Cage “Winter Warriors” event in her hometown of Walker, Minnesota, on December 10th. Much more importantly, she’s been enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps for the last four years, and currently holds the rank of Sergeant E-5, which means you should salute every time you see her. (Ed. note: Don’t actually do that.)

Shannon is currently drawing attention as a finalist for Maxim’s 2011 Hometown Hotties competition; you can vote for her and watch some fantastic behind-the-scenes videos right here. Get to know her better on Facebook and Twitter, and check out a bunch of our favorite Shannon Ihrke photos in the gallery after the jump.