After a surprising lull, the UFC returns to our screens this week with UFC 210 on pay-per-view. Emanating from the Keybank Center in Buffalo, NY, this event is loaded with young talent hoping to make a mark with fans. While some fighters, like Chris Weidman, have signature walk-out songs that fans will recognize, many do not. That’s where I come in. As MMASucka.com’s resident board-certified musicologist, I will help those wayward athletes find a song that will help them stand out. I will even do it publicly so that you, the fans, can enjoy it as well. So, without further ado, let’s get down to business.
Daniel Cormier
What he walked out to last: “Mama Said Knock You Out” – LL Cool J/”Right Above It”- Lil Wayne feat. Drake
What he should walk out to next: “Shut ‘Em Up” – Prodigy vs. Public Enemy vs. Manfred Mann
I think we can all agree that Daniel “DC” Cormier can be a brash, bombastic individual. While his use of LL Cool J‘s classic “Mama Said Knock you Out” leading into Lil Wayne’s energy-sapping “Right Above It” started off well, it didn’t have sustained vibe that really seems to fit Cormier’s personality. Thus, I bring a song I’ve been saving just for “DC” out. This mash-up of Prodigy’s “Stand Up” and Public Enemy’s “Shut ‘Em Down” has the power and the attitude of the one-time Olympian. Featuring bold horns, big beats, and the inimitable vocals of Chuck D, “Shut ‘Em Up” is, to me at least, the musical equivalent of Daniel Cormier. It is in your face, unafraid to speak truth to power, and will stop you in your tracks. Listen below.
Charles Rosa
What he walked out to last: “Shipping Out to Boston” – Dropkick Murphies
What he should walk out to next: “Destroyer of Senses” – Shadows Fall
There are some songs are already associated with a fighter, and should not be used by anybody else for as long as that fighter still lives. One of those combinations is Forrest Griffin and Dropkick Murphies’ “Shipping Out to Boston.” That song will forever be associated with the original Ultimate Fighter winner, and that should preclude “Boston Strong” Charles Rosa from using it too. I get it, dude’s proud to be from Boston, MA. It’s a good city, but there’s more to it than that one song. Boston has a rich musical history, including being the breeding ground for what would become the New Wave of American Heavy Metal. One of those bands was Shadows Fall, whose song “Destroyer of Senses,” could just as easily be describing Rosa’s chokes as it is excessive drinking. Plus, that intro is pretty awesome. Listen below.
Patrick Cummins
What he walked out to last: “Oblivion” – Grimes
What he should walk out to next: “Chain-Shot to Have Some Fun” – Melt-Banana
There are some artists that you just shouldn’t walk out to. I get trying to be quirky and unique, but no, you never, ever walk out to the muted pop of Grimes, Patrick Cummins. I feel like Brian Griffin hitting Peter on the nose with a newspaper here with this one. This isn’t like Yoshihiro Akiyama walking out to “Nessun Dorma.” That song has gravitas. Grimes has hipster affectation. So, if “The Durkin” wants to make his way out to something left-of-centre with a unique female vocalist, I present to you Melt-Banana. “Chain-Shot to Have Some Fun” is likely the most accessible track from an act best described as the result of a singer influenced by Bjork getting together with an experimental punk band. You just have to hear it, and you can do so below.
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“Shut em’ Up” sounds pretty bada*s! In any case, can’t wait for Rumble vs Jones. Wonder if DC still has the chin to take those heavy bombs.