The UFC is not exactly a hotbed of walkout artistry. For the most part, UFC brass prefer (and have openly admitted to preferring) a more “businesslike” approach to the cage.
But I ask you: What’s better for business than entertainment? Why are people tuning in to consume your product? Why must we oppress freedom of expression? I thought we lived in the United States of America, after all. It seems I was mistaken. Pardon me very much.
Because of this unconscionable blindness, we have to look to the old days of Pride, Dream and, to a lesser extent, the modern days of Bellator—which is embracing a more theatrical approach to stagecraft—for the true pioneers and innovators in this critical area. This would include Genki Sudo, the unquestioned GOAT in this field.
With all that said, though, a few fighters still find a way to let their fun flag fly on the way to the Octagon. It never fails to draw laughs, a few chills and plenty of attention.
Tom Lawlor fights Gian Villante this Saturday at UFC on Fox 16 and in the undercard main event, no less. Will he have a few tricks up his sleeve? One can only hope.
In any case, Lawlor is not the only one with some flair. Here are the five active UFC fighters who do it best.
The actual song is important, but it’s not the only metric. There has to be showmanship, or showwomanship. There has to be a mood set. It has to get the crowd lit. Get it? Got it? Great. Here goes.