Strangest Walkout Songs in UFC History: What Were They Thinking?

In combat sports, a fighter’s entrance is one of the most theatrical moments before the actual fight starts. When the lights are off and the audience is chanting, the type of music that a fighter chooses to do his or her entrance can help to determine the mood of the fight, distract the opponent, and spur the fans. Some choose to listen to really heavy tracks that describe the severity of the sport, such as metal, rap, and the like. Others take a different path, selecting songs that leave fans scratching their heads, wondering: Some of the questions that people tend to ask include;

Many UFC fighters have had their walkout music as strange as it can get, ranging from pop songs to children’s songs. Check out 5 of the strangest, most unexpected, and flat-out bizarre walkout songs in UFC history.

Tom Lawlor, “Who Let the Dogs Out” by Baha Men

Tom Lawlor, the fighter who is famous for his eccentric behavior and loud mouth, is not new to such walkouts. Perhaps one of his most memorable entrances was selecting the “Who Let the Dogs Out” song, which is an extremely catchy, although somewhat notoriously grating, tune from the year 2000.

The song was the hit song by the Baha Men, and it was a very odd choice for the MMA, which was a highly competitive sport. This was amusing, fun music that sounded like it belonged on a beach rather than in a cage where two fighters would go head to head. However, Lawlor, being the showman that he is, decided to use the song as a part of his persona and to bring some humor before his bouts. Although it did not make him scary to his rivals, it made him the favorite of the audience for his readiness to embody the absurdity of life.

Cro cop Mirko Filipović, Wild Boys by Duran Duran

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipović is probably one of the most popular and dangerous strikers in the history of mixed martial arts. Therefore, when he appeared to the ring with the entrance music of ‘Wild Boys’ by Duran Duran, fans were left wondering what was going on.

It was a strange contrast to have the cold-blooded knockout artist in Cro Cop and have a happy-go-lucky synth-pop song playing in the background. “Wild Boys” may have been the song of freedom for post-adolescent delinquents in the 1980s, but it was not a song that was on the mind of a fighter who systematically took his opponents apart. However, the fact that Cro Cop decided to go with the number 9 made it mysterious and somewhat unexpected, which was part of his character.

Clay Guida, “Jump Around” by House of Pain

Clay Guida, known for his endless cardio, unrelenting pace, and wild hair, perfectly matched his walkout song: One of the best songs that relates to this book is “Jump Around” by House of Pain. However, while the song is upbeat and the song has a party-like feel, which is quite similar to Guida’s fighting style, it is quite unusual for an MMA walkout.

“Jump Around” is just an obvious song to play at a house party or even a college football game, not a cage fight. This, with Guida’s infectious energy, made the walk out more of a party than a warm-up to a fight. Still, the odd couple suited Guida, as the latter was unpredictable and fans who saw him fight knew they were in for an entertaining bout.

Diego Sanchez, “You’re the Best,” by Joe Esposito in the film The Karate Kid.

Diego Sanchez is one of the UFC’s characters, and the choice of his walkout songs has been a testimony to that for some time. This was perhaps one of the strangest yet quite memorable decisions: “You’re the Best” by Joe Esposito, the karate movie anthem from The Karate Kid.

The song is a classic and is easily identified with cheesy 1980s training montages rather than today’s cage fighting. Still, Sanchez’s strongest qualities are determination and courage, which is why this song, although quite atypical, was entirely appropriate. Looking at Sanchez entering the Octagon, it was impossible not to cheer for him despite the fact that he uses music from the early 2000s.

Ronda Rousey, “Bad Reputation” by Joan Jett

Joan Jet’s “Bad Reputation” is a classic rock anthem, and Ronda Rousey’s entrance song is quite fitting given the nature of the song’s lyrics but has a bit of an odd vibe to it. The song with its rebellious lyrics and punk rock feel was perfect for Rousey, who was seen as a fighter who was going to change the face of women’s MMA.

But the lyrics of “Bad Reputation” also had a rather peculiar undertone for someone like Rousey, who at the time was at the pinnacle of her career and was regarded as a national pride in the sport. Rousey was adored by the fans, sponsors, and media—quite the opposite of having a ‘bad reputation.’ The irony of the song choice only grew as Rousey’s career progressed, but for her, the song represented her rejection of the constraints and repression of women in combat sports.

Andrei Arlovski, “Pitbull” by Ne-Yo feat. Nayer and Afrojack

The former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, who goes by the nickname “The Pitbull,” took the nickname quite literally in choosing his entrance music. In several of his fights, Arlovski came out to the Octagon to “Pitbull” by Ne-Yo, Nayer & Afrojack, a song more appropriate for a South Beach club than for a heavyweight battle.

The song was fast-paced and had Latin influences, which was an odd choice for a fighter who was notorious for his vicious knockouts and pressure fighting style. However, Arlovski, who is always known to be jovial, embraced the pop anthem much to the dismay of people who expected him to be more aggressive or patriotic. Albeit it may not have been an intimidating statement, it generated a lot of discussion among people.

Nick Denis, “The Final Countdown” by Europe

Canadian fighter Nick Denis only fought in the UFC for a short time, but he will be remembered for his ring entrance to ‘The Final Countdown’ by Europe. The song is actually a cheesy 1980s rock song and is probably more well known for being in parodies and comedic movies than it is for being a theme song to a fight.

Still, Denis kept on using the song as a motivation to pump himself up so that fans could have a good laugh out of it. “The Final Countdown” could have been quite peculiar as an episode; however, it was quite entertaining, and I appreciated Denis’s meta-awareness. It is still one of the weirdest, but equally as iconic walkout songs in UFC history.

Mark Hunt, “Over the Rainbow,” performed by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole

Mark Hunt, the “Super Samoan,” is a fighter with the granite chin and very dangerous knockout punch. Therefore, when he went for the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole for his UFC walkout, it was quite confusing to fans.

The song was a slow and melodic version of the Wizard of Oz song, which was rather unexpected for Hunt, who appeared to be a rough fighter. As the soft ukulele chords rang through the air, it became difficult to understand why there was no sense of serenity when soon violence would ensue in the Octagon. However, with Hunt’s nonchalance and relaxed personality, the choice of the song was quite peculiar. To a certain extent, it looked like he was being nonchalant about the battle, which was fitting as Hunt was famous for his ability to stroll through blows as if they were mere trifles.

UFC 200: Daniel Cormier Walks Out to “Right Above It” by Lil Wayne with WWE Twist

While Lil Wayne’s “Right Above It” isn’t necessarily a strange walkout song on its own, Daniel Cormier’s walkout at UFC 200 stands out for the unexpected twist he threw in: It has the same name as one of the WWE legends, Ric Flair. Flair being a legendary wrestler, Cormier, a lifelong fan of pro wrestling, started his walkout with Also Sprach Zarathustra, the music associated with Flair’s character.

When traditional WWE entrance music was accompanied by a modern rap tune, it was quite awkward but highly memorable. Cormier, who is always funny and a huge fan of pro wrestling, could not help but become a fanboy. The walkout was a funny move by Cormier, and it showed that all fighters, even the most stern ones, have a funny bone in them.

Genki Sudo Various Pop and Theatrical Songs

Genki Sudo, a former UFC fighter and Japanese MMA legend, has been famous for his spectacular walkouts that were not only more in the line of performance art than anything else. Sudo would use singing and dancing and sometimes would come out to the ring to music that could be traditional Japanese music to modern music.

One of those walkouts was “We are all one”—a t theatrical and very positive song that reflects Sudo’s message of the world without war. All the fighters preferred songs that depicted some extent of violence or intensity in them, but Sudo preferred songs that were relaxing or triumphant at best, which only fueled his persona as one of the most mysterious fighters of the MMA.

Conclusion

The songs played before the fight and during the walkout are an important part of the fighter’s persona, and though some fighters pick songs that convey their ‘tough guy’ image, some fighters use the entrance to show their personality or humor, or just to throw everyone off. From pop hits to cheesy anthems or even some musical choices that can be considered completely random, the strangest walkout songs in UFC history have become part of the sport’s folklore.

These strange choices make us recall that beneath the fighting, the UFC athletes are people who have their own preferences and character for the most part, who are not averse to having a bit of a giggle when in the public eye. In this list, some of these fighters were looking to send a message, some to entertain and others just to showcase their theme song of choice. One thing that remained clear was that the theme song can be as memorable as any fight.