Written By Jake Harvey
Your walkout song is the first punch you throw in every fight. If you don’t want to be caught lacking, check out this guide to choosing your perfect anthem.
In 2024, it’s safe to say MMA is back, baby! Rising stars have toppled GOATs of the sport in stunning fashion. Fan favorites have rebounded from the brink of retirement to title contention. And UFC 300—akin to a once-a-decade Super Bowl for the sport—lived up to its monumental promise, offering one of the most thrilling nights of fighting in MMA history. Over the past four months, my passion for MMA has grown into a primary hobby, matched only by my ever-growing enthusiasm for music, the latter fueled by the release of fantastic new albums—special shout out to The Smile’s Wall of Eyes and Vampire Weekend’s Only God was Above Us—and the excitement surrounding high-profile diss tracks that have recently reinvigorated the hip hop scene. In this article, I will delve into the convergence of my two passions: the walkout song.
Some choose intense head-bangers, while others opt for chill bops. Regardless, the most effective walkout songs share a common trait: as soon as the first notes hit, MMA fans are instantly reminded of legendary clashes, and fighters instinctively start scanning their surroundings for the warrior the tune typically heralds. Your theme song is not just an opportunity to rally the crowd behind you—when chosen wisely, it can get your opponent off his game. Indeed, choosing the wrong walkout song is akin to missing the first punch of the fight. To prevent this, I’ve assembled a guide outlining the dos and don’ts for selecting an iconic anthem. This way, my readers—whom I’ll assume are secret ninjas ready to join the UFC roster at any moment—and any current fighters who come across this article will never be caught lacking.
DON’T: Walkout to Classic Rock or Old Rap Songs
Whether it’s the electrifying riffs of “Crazy Train” and “Thunderstruck,” or the hard-hitting beats and menacing lyrics of “Till I Collapse” and “Kick in the Door,” classic rock and ’90s and 2000s hip hop have a proven ability to energize listeners. However, their popularity is a double-edged sword. Everyone, from professional fighters to middle school basketball players, has these tracks on their walkout playlist. As iconic as the opening bars of “Lose Yourself” are, the thrill diminishes when yet another fighter strides out to its all-too-familiar strains. In fact, for a time, any song by Eminem was considered such terrible luck that one MMA fan took it upon himself to compile a list of every UFC fight through 2019 where the walkouts featured an Eminem song. And, funny enough, after gathering nearly 200 entries, he found that fighters who walked out to Em had only a 45.5% chance of winning (keep in mind that the average UFC fighter has a win percentage above 70% as fighters are routinely kicked out of the organization after a handful of losses).
Superstition aside, these classic hype-up songs are simply too widespread to become uniquely associated with any one fighter, a key ingredient for a truly iconic walkout song. Consider the Korean Zombie, who recently retired after a fierce showdown with Max Holloway. As he made his final walkout, an entire arena sang along to his anthem, “Zombie” by The Cranberries, and, as he walked back from the octagon after going out on his shield, the arena began to sing “Zombie” acapella. Similarly, Wanderlei “The Ax Murderer” Silva’s legacy of knockouts will forever be linked to the pulsing beats of “Sandstorm” by Darude. In addition to winning over the fans like Zombie’s anthem, “Sandstorm” embedded itself in the minds of Silva’s foes. Years after his last pro fight, Jason Brilz, a former fighter from Silva’s division, even confessed to The Athletic that “if someone were to put on ‘Sandstorm’ right now, a part of me would start looking around for Wanderlei.” While classic rock and ’90s or 2000s hip hop tracks are fine choices, their status as default pump-up tracks precludes them from ever joining the ranks of legendary fighter anthems like “Zombie” or “Sandstorm,” which are synonymous with a single fighter’s legacy.
DO: Walkout to 2010s and 2020s rap
The classic rock and old-school hip-hop tracks that dominate UFC walkouts are largely inherited from boxing, where legends like Mike Tyson alternated between 2Pac and DMX, and Manny Pacquiao famously entered to Survivor’s “Eye of The Tiger.” However, while boxing is in a state of decline with an aging fanbase, MMA is rapidly growing, attracting a younger audience. Indeed, the UFC—the MMA promoter that has become synonymous with the sport—is consistently breaking records and creating new legendary moments that deserve the accompaniment of modern entrance music. To find the next iconic walkout song, I suggest that fighters browse the multitude of hard-hitting but underutilized hip-hop tracks from the last ten years.
For example, how has no one ever walked out to Baby Keem’s “Vent”? At its core, a compelling walkout song should both scare your enemies and make you want to hit your opponent really f*cking hard. “Vent” is perfect in both respects. I can see it so clearly: a fighter like Nate Diaz, a beloved veteran of the game known for his blunt, could-give-a-f*ck attitude and brawler fighting style, breaches the walkout tunnel just as Kendrick Lamar opens “Vent” with a question for the unsuspecting opponent, “Have you ever been punched in your motherf*ckin’ face?/What you say? Oh, you haven’t?/Alright, wait, bitch.”
Another absurd omission from the UFC’s walkout song repertoire is Pusha T. With his gritty lyricism and punchy beats, almost any song from his catalog could set the stage for a fight night, but a standout recommendation is “I Pray For You.” Set to organ-heavy production, Labrinth chants with gospel-like vocals, “I pray for my enemies…I pray for you,” heralding both the fighter’s arrival and his opponent’s funeral all before the beat drops, and Pusha seals their fates with his menacing flow.
“I Pray For You” and “Vent” are only a couple examples from a virtually endless list of modern rap classics that would make banger walkout songs whether they’re sung by Pusha, Keem, or other virtuosos of hype like Metro Boomin (“Superhero,” “Runnin,” etc.), Future (“I Serve the Base,” “Rent Money,” etc.), and JID (“Dance Now,” “Stick,” etc. ), just to name a few.
Now more than ever, as high-profile rappers wage war on one another, the MMA world needs to harness the competitive spirit currently running through the rap genre. Jon Jones, I’m looking at you. Jones was the youngest champion in the sport’s history at just 23 and has since dominated three generations of fighters over two decades, maintaining an undefeated record to this day. He is the consensus GOAT of the sport and has one fight left on his contract scheduled for later this year. For his final walkout, there’s no more fitting song than “Like That.” Consider how he once told Daniel Cormier, an Olympic-level wrestler, that “maybe you will get me down once, but I believe in my whole heart that I’ll get you down too…The difference is, when I get you down, your face will open up…You will lose this fight Daniel Cormier. Every ounce of training you put in leading up to this fight will be a waste of your life.” And it was because Jones is “really like that.” He’ll talk smack, do co*ke the weekend before the fight (he actually did this multiple times), or even stop training entirely. Yet, every time he has stepped into the octagon, he has come out victorious. Compared to his legacy, all others are a “light pack.” Some argue that Khabib or Georges St-Pierre are superior. I say Jones should put a stop to all the “sneak dissin’” and cement his status as the baddest man to ever live by walking out to his final fight rapping along with Kendrick Lamar, “f*ck the big three... it’s just big me.”
DON’T: Be afraid to switch it up and walkout to a more wacky or light-hearted song
Some fighters are quintessential badasses for which a thrashing instrumental or a menacing hip-hop anthem makes perfect sense as their walkout music. Yet, there are many others who combine their tough persona with a flair for more lighthearted entrances. Consider Bryan “Bam Bam” Barberena, a wacky fighter known for his determination to do whatever he wants. Despite all that was at stake in his fight against Vicente Luque, in which he was a heavy underdog, Barberena chose the viral children’s tune “Baby Shark” for his walkout. This choice certainly surprised fans, but as it played out, we all started to sing along in acknowledgment that this silly tune got at the essence of what makes Barberena uniquely beloved. After all, what could be more fitting for his playful yet fierce nature than entering the arena to a nursery rhyme only to engage in one of the fiercest battles of 2019? Although Luque knocked out Barberena in the final moments of the bout, his distinctive walkout and relentless fighting spirit throughout the match secured him a moral victory that evening.
Even Jon Jones once opted for “Could You Be Loved” by Bob Marley, a choice that ultimately went down as one of his most famous––and frankly, terrifying––walkouts. As Marley’s soothing rhythms played and Jones danced toward the cage, grinning in anticipation, it had never been more apparent just how excited he gets to beat the sh*t out of his opponents.
DO: Match the song to your lore and aura as a fighter
At the end of the day, what really matters is that your walkout song reflects who you are as a fighter. Whether you choose to show the fans your true self or maintain a persona that’s more of a caricature, the MMA world––through UFC promotional content, fan-made YouTube documentaries, and memes––will inevitably assign you a character that you ought to lean into if you want to sell tickets. The common thread that runs through all great walkouts is the parity between the fighter’s persona and their song choice. For Bryan Barberena, this meant selecting a song that matched his unpredictability and lightheartedness. For Jon Jones, it involves balancing the many aspects of his legend, choosing tracks like Jadakiss’s “Champ Is Here” that radiate his confidence, alongside more upbeat tracks like “Could You Be Loved,” which underscore his almost psychotic happiness in the face of violence.
One of the most terrifying and beloved personas to arise in the last few years is Alex Pereira, a kickboxing phenom who has defeated five current or former champions and become a champion himself in two separate weight divisions in just over two years. Although Pereira’s history with MMA superstar and former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya certainly fast-tracked his ascent to title contention, it’s his persona as a stoic, heavy-handed warrior who turned his life around after getting in touch with his tribal ancestry that has captured the fandom’s imagination and positioned him as arguably the current face of the UFC.
The culmination of Pereira’s imposing presence is his walkout. Each time, the lights dim, and the sound of what seems like a small army chanting fills the air with words that are unintelligible to almost anyone not from the indigenous Brazilian Xavantes tribe. Yet, to those familiar with MMA, this sound is a stark warning: Alex “Poatan” Pereira is about to enter the arena and execute his opponent in short order. The intensity then escalates as drums start to beat, setting the rhythm for Pereira’s steady march to the end of the walkout tunnel, where he pauses, his hands mimicking the drawing of a bow, and releases an invisible arrow accompanied by a chilling battle cry that shatters his usual silence. While other fighters may be more technically complete, more dominant in their title defenses, or more adept at promoting their bouts, none can match Pereira’s blend of aura, spectacle, and skill. Namely, no one can rival his iconic walkout and anthem that harnesses his lore as a stone-faced killer to deliver a single blood-curdling scream—a single break in his stoicism—sure to electrify any audience and unnerve any opponent.
The power of the walkout song should not be underestimated. It’s more than just a tune–it’s a rallying cry for your fans and a psychological blow to your opponents. Whether it’s through hard-hitting modern rap or a more unexpected anthem, the right music can immortalize not just a fight but a legacy. So choose wisely, embrace your persona, and your entrance just might resonate with your fans and foes long after the final bell.
edited by Joyce Zhang.
cover art by Taylor Pate.
photos by Ashok Kumar, Mark Nolan, Christian Petersen, Zuffa, Esther Lin, USA Today, & UFC.com.
Jake Harvey
