After a nice lull, the UFC is back on pay-per-view with UFC 211. While the card itself is stacked, that does not mean that every walkout will be good. That’s why I’m here to help. Acting as MMASucka.com‘s resident, board-certified musicologist, I’m going to be offering up suggestions for three musically-challenged fighters. This week, though, I’m not alone. I’ll be joined by by author, cartoonist, and publisher DX Ferris to help guide the chosen athletes towards better walkouts. Mr. Ferris runs 6623 Press, and has authored or co-authored books on Slayer, The Beastie Boys, and parenting young martial artists. He may not be an MMA hardcore, but he definitely has a legit martial arts background and knows his music. So, without further ado, here we go!
The Walkout Consultant: UFC 211
Chas Skelly
What he walked out to last: “How to be the Man” – Riff Raff feat. Slim Thug (Paul Wall Houston Remix)
What Justin thinks he should walk out to next: “Dig, Gravedigger, Dig” – Corb Lund
What Ferris thinks he should walk out to next: “Explode” – Damageplan
Justin: The last thing anybody should be doing is taking lessons in masculinity from Riff Raff. “How to be the Man” is also just whack, to use old hip-hop parlance. It just doesn’t work for Chas “The Scrapper” Skelly, a Texas-born finishing machine. He needs something a little more in-tune with his roots, with some stomp. Enter Corb Lund, with “Dig, Gravedigger, Dig.” It’s got the stomp, and could just as easily be about a man digging holes for all the fighters Skelly has stopped in the past. Listen below.
Ferris: Keeping it Texas, “Explode” by Damageplan is perfect for Skelly’s aerial attacks. Listen below.
Sergio Pettis
What he last walked out to: “Married to the Game” – DJ Esco feat. Future
What Justin thinks he should walk out to next: “Walk This Way” Run DMC and Aerosmith
What Ferris thinks he should walk out to next: “A Lesson in Vengeance” – Obituary
Justin: Sergio Pettis makes the list again, it seems. While it was still better than his previous Drake walkouts, DJ Esco and Future’s “Married to the Game” is more of that faceless, low-energy modern hip-hop. If he wants to stick with the hip-hop, then why not go old-school? Pettis looks like a playboy, so he may as well walk out to a song that dropped its share of panties back in its day. That song is Run DMC’s collaboration with Aerosmith on the re-recording of “Walk This Way.” Listen below.
Ferris: The title isn’t important, nor are the words aren’t important. This song drops you into a lesson in violence with a great, big, arena-sized groove. It would give Pettis’ walkout a palpable tension that feels set to explode. Listen below.
James Vick
What he last walked out to: “Bring ’em Out” – T.I.
What Justin thinks he should walk out to next: “Couldn’t Stand the Weather” – Stevie Ray Vaughn
What Ferris thinks he should walk out to next: “Bloodlust” – Body Count
Justin: Seriously, how does a guy like James Vick, with a nickname like “The Texecutionar,” walk out to T.I.? It just doesn’t seem right. Vick needs to embrace that Texan spirit even more, and walk himself out to the slinky, stinging sounds of Tejas’ own Stevie Ray Vaughn. The distinctive intro to “Couldn’t Stand the Weather,” with its signature pause, would give Vick just the right build-up to make his way to the cage. Listen below.
Ferris: Vick holds it down, no doubt, but he’s not the most exciting fighter. An evil track like “Bloodlust,” especially starting at around the 0:29 mark, can give him more of a WWE edge. Listen below.
Keep it locked to MMASucka.com for more on UFC 211 and other MMA news! And don’t forget to check out DX Ferris’ publishing house, 6623 Press.
