Sherdog’s Top 10: Greatest Walkouts

6. Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker | UFC 243 (Oct. 5, 2019)

A frequent guest on Sherdog Top 10 lists, Adesanya has made no secret of his love of dancing, and his best walkout featured plenty of it. For his big pay-per-view main event in Melbourne where he won the UFC middleweight crown from Whittaker, his entrance was almost as great as his performance in the cage. Before the music really even begins in earnest, three men adorned in camo shirts, vests, and hats line up and suddenly, two of them do backflips. What follows is a breakdancing routine until the trio lines up and are beset by a screaming fit, desperately grabbing one another while their eyes bulge out of their sockets. This, for the uninitiated, is inspired by the haka, a ceremonial dance of the Maori, an indigenous people of Adesanya’s adoptive home, New Zealand. It's frequently seen before New Zealand rugby matches, but this is the first time I can recall it in MMA. Did I mention that this is only the first part and Adesanya hasn't even walked out yet?

Suddenly, the music changes to a more classical tune, with a prominent violin. As the three dancers start walking and jumping around, the star of the show makes his way out of the tunnel. All four men huddle for a few moments before Adesanya and the dancers each take their places and begin the choreography. Unsurprisingly, Adesanya is an excellent dancer, hitting an amazing side-flip for a man who is 6-foot-4 and likely 200 pounds by fight time. Adesanya also gets into a karate stance, with the famous “come hither” hand wave from the first Matrix film, which he has made a personal trademark, and ends by reaching for the sky with the dancers mimicking his movement, the violin still prominent. Fans loved it too, with the version of the video I posted above, one of several, sitting at 5.3 million views, more than any other on this list. Fighters looking to entertain the crowd could learn a lot from Adesanya's walkout.

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