UFC Walkouts: Setting the Stage for Epic Fights
There are few things in all of sports more tense than a UFC walkout. When a fighter makes that walk to the octagon you can almost get a feel of how a fight is going to go. Some fighters have a signature song or a signature move that they do.
For example, you have Conor McGregor who always comes out to the Foggy Dew followed by ‘Hypnotise’ by Biggie Smalls. You have Alex Pereira who shoots his arrow followed by his right-left combination.
Some walkouts are even more memorable than the fight itself. If a fighter can put on a show before the fight and then follow it up with a huge KO it can enhance how people look at a fighter.
I’m going to look at some of the most iconic UFC walkouts in history and why they were so impactful.
5. Chan Sung Jung vs Max Holloway (UFC Fight Night)
A walkout that may not stick out in the minds of fight fans but one that was certainly memorable. Chan Sung Jung (The Korean Zombie) is a legend in the UFC becoming the first Korean to compete for a UFC title. A household name in his country and an icon amongst all MMA fans. On 25 August 2023, The Korean Zombie took on Max Holloway in Singapore for a retirement fight.
For his walkout, there has only ever been one song that The Korean Zombie has used which is ‘Zombie’ by The Cranberries. A song that fits the Korean featherweight perfectly.
The song itself is a classic which was the most-played song on alternative radio in the history of America. It became The Koreans Zombie’s trademark. When he made his way to the octagon and fans heard that famous guitar strum they knew that the Zombie was on his way.
In Singapore, fans knew that it was the last time we were going to see The Korean Zombie perform. The fight became even more significant when you consider that Zombie was facing off against another legend in Max Holloway.
When Chan Sun Jung walked out in Singapore to the sound of ‘Zombie’ the whole arena joined in and serenaded the Koreans. For a moment, it seemed as if the fans paused to appreciate the legend that Chan Sung Jung was. It was a movement that will live long in the memory. Some fighters, even if they haven’t won a belt, will still be remembered for years to come. The Korean is an example of this and his walkout only confirmed this.
4. Adesanya vs Whittaker (UFC 243)
A walkout that seemed over the top at the time but turned out to be iconic. UFC 243 was the biggest PPV in Australian history. It saw two Aussie champions going head-to-head. It also turned out to be the coronation of a superstar in Israel Adesanya. In the build-up to the championship bout, Adesanya had come off a historic battle against Kelvin Gastelum. Against Gastelum, Adesanya demonstrated that he possessed the heart of a warrior by getting hurt in the fight and still emerging victorious.
Robert Whittaker had just come off two wars against Yoel Romero and Whittaker won both fights. This was regarded as the biggest fight of Adesanya’s career on the grandest stage. For most this would be daunting but not the Last Style bender.
Previous to his kickboxing and MMA career Adesanya took part in several dance competitions across New Zealand. Adesanya came out to the biggest fight of his career accompanied by three dancers. Two of the dancers Jay and Jessie taught the Nigerian how to dance.
Adesanya danced his way in unison with the three dancers before making his way octagon. The middleweight came out to the song ‘Hype 2 Hype’ by Big Rulez which was a perfect choice. Adesanya showed off his acrobatics as well as his dance skills in his walkout. Pulling off a cartwheel as well as a Naruto reference in his walkout doesn’t work for everyone but it did for Izzy.
The walkout coupled with Adesanya’s flawless performance which resulted in a second-round KO made the world take notice of The Last Style Bender.
3. Khabib vs McGregor ( UFC 229)
Very few fights in the UFC capture the world’s attention. MMA being a young sport means that there is rarely a time when it feels as if time slows down to watch two fighters compete. However, there was one fight that everybody watched.
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor.
The whole world stopped to watch these two titans square off. McGregor is the biggest star in the sport who was making his return fight after fighting Floyd Mayweather. For Khabib who was undefeated, it was his first fight against elite opposition on the biggest stage. The intense build-up to this fight included bringing family and religion into the equation.
The stage was set for the biggest fight in UFC history.
On the night it felt as if the whole arena was against Khabib. Traditionally Conor McGregor usually has an army of fans who come out to support him. While Khabib had supporters, the sheer number of fans present to support the Irishman drowned out their voices.
Khabib had stated that he was out for blood in the fight and this was clear by his demeanour when walking out. The Russian’s eyes bore a cold expression as he endured the boos from hundreds of McGregor’s fans.
Khabib always walks out to ‘Dagestan’ by SABINA to honour his home country. It can be viewed as a patriotic song, but against McGregor, it took on an almost trance-like quality. Watching The Eagle walk out while he is getting heckled and booed with the song honouring his home country playing in the background was chilling. The composure that the Russian showed in his walkout not only spoke to his character but to his killer instinct.
In the fight, we saw Khabib dominate the Irishman and then subsequently jump over the cage which ignited a brawl. However, the stone-cold look that Khabib had walking to the octagon was an early sign that the Russian was out for blood.
2. McGregor vs Mendes (UFC 189)
Sticking with Conor McGregor who has had his fair share of iconic walkouts throughout the years. The Irishman has more support than anyone who competes in the UFC. When fans see McGregors face pop up on screen there is an electric roar. The Notorious one had an army of support backing him when he was on the come-up in the UFC. Many McGregor walkouts were iconic but his walkout at UFC 189 against Chad Mendes is the one that stands out.
Coming into his bout against Mendes, McGregor was on a tear that no one had ever seen before. He was knocking out everyone and correctly predicting the round of the knockout. Combine this with his famous trash talk and you have someone that everyone wants to watch. There was one stylistic matchup McGregor had not faced, a wrestler.
Many claimed that McGregor had been protected from fighting the elite at featherweight. At the time, Jose Aldo was the champion, but the two other men who were seen as the best were Chad Mendes and Frankie Edgar. Before Mendes stepped in, McGregor was set to face off against the champion Aldo.
An injury forced Aldo to pull out of his title fight which saw Money Mendes square off against the Irishman for the interim belt. If the Notorious Conor McGregor was victorious it would have been the first time an Irishman would have held a UFC title.
In his walkout McGregor had the late Sinead O’Connor performing ‘ The Foggy Dew’ which became McGregor’s signature song. When Conor McGregor made the walk to the octagon it felt as for a moment the arena was in Dublin.
The Irish contingent present rallied behind McGregor in a manner unprecedented in MMA history. During the broadcast, it became evident that the sound levels reached 107 dB. Mike Goldberg, on commentary, remarked, “It’s like a rock concert in here.”
The fact that McGregor then went on to KO Mendes in the second round after suffering some adversity made this walkout even more memorable.
1. Jones vs OSP (UFC 197)
Jon Jones is the youngest champion in UFC history and is seen by most as the greatest of all time. However, Bones often finds himself in the headlines for the wrong reason. In April 2015 Jones was in a car crash which involved a pregnant lady.
Jones pleaded guilty to leaving the scene and received a sentence of conditional probation for up to 18 months. This incident marked not the first time Jones had encountered legal troubles, leading to his stripping of the light heavyweight title.
During this period the former champ lost his sponsors and lost the support of the MMA community.
When Jones returned to the octagon, he faced off against Ovince Saint Preux at UFC 197 for the interim light heavyweight title. Initially, a rematch with bitter Daniel Cormier was on the cards but DC sustained an injury. After a year and four months out of the octagon, Jon Jones was back. The anticipation around the consensus greatest of all time’s return was at an all-time high.
There was a narrative that coming into the OSP fight Jones was a changed man. We were not only set to see the return of the greatest talent in Mixed martial arts but also a talent who had turned his life around. The story of the athlete who has all the talent but wasted it was in full effect around Bones. However, this return felt like a triumphant return.
Jones’s walkouts are always accompanied by two songs ‘God gave me style’ by 50 Cent and ‘The Champ is here’ by Jadakiss. These two songs were Jones’s signature. However, against OSP the former champ opted for a different melody. Jones did use ‘God Gave Me Style’ as his intro but used ‘I’m Coming Home’ by P Diddy as his main walkout song.
After seeing the greatest of all time out of the octagon for more than a year never was a song more fitting. The crowd and the commentary all recognised how special the moment was. Mike Goldberg’s iconic line “It’s not what happens to the man it’s what the man does when it happens to him” only made the walkout that much more special. It only made it better that Daniel Cormier on commentary couldn’t help but praise the special talent that Jones is.
A truly special moment for a truly special athlete.
Image Credit: Deposit Photos
