Mark Estes Sparks Romance with Fitness Influencer Sommer Ray

Mark Estes is passionately in love with Sommer Ray. During an interview promoting the upcoming season of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, he shared how well their relationship is going.

“It’s going great,” Estes, 25, said when asked about his connection with Ray. The former Montana State football player, known for his previous seven-month romance with Kristin Cavallari, described Ray as someone who makes his heart race in a way no past relationship has.

He explained, “We’re really on the same wavelength. We get along effortlessly. She understands how I feel without us needing to say much. We click really well.”

Estes revealed their relationship began through social media, with him sliding into Ray’s DMs. Ray, 29, is a prominent fitness influencer with over 26 million followers on Instagram, her own workout empire, and an activewear line. Although she has been romantically linked to celebrities like Machine Gun Kelly, Estes emphasizes their bond is more substantial, admiring her strength both in and out of the gym.

When asked who he would most like to see endure the challenges of Special Forces, Estes didn’t hesitate: “Probably my girlfriend. I think she could handle it. She’s tough.”

This is Estes’ first publicly known relationship since ending things with Cavallari last year. Although they acknowledged being in different life stages, Cavallari wished him well on her podcast, noting there were no hard feelings.

Estes also mentioned that Ray would handle the intense conditions of filming Special Forces in Morocco with ease, highlighting her resilience.

The upcoming season features a star-studded cast, including reality TV personalities Teresa Giudice and Eva Marcille, podcaster Brianna LaPaglia, Kody Brown from Sister Wives, and actor Jussie Smollett. Under the guidance of former special forces operatives, these celebrities will face extreme physical and psychological tests in one of television’s toughest competitions.

Season 4 of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test airs starting Thursday, September 25, at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.