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Top 10 Best UFC Walkouts of 2024: From Hulk Hogan to The Sphere

MMA Knockout ranks 2024's greatest UFC walkouts featuring Alex Pereira, Jose Aldo, Colby Covington, and more.

Christopher De Santiago

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

There's a certain art to the UFC walkout.

From the locker rooms to the gates of the Octagon, several fighters made their mark in 2024, win or lose. Living legends like Jose Aldo and Jon Jones were welcomed back with open arms to the tune of their iconic anthems, with Ilia Topuria and the next generation of stars also receiving quite the pop.

Top 10 Best UFC Walkouts of 2024: From Hulk Hogan to The Sphere
Former UFC Champion Sean O'Malley. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

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The UFC, the world's premier MMA promotion, held 42 events in 2024 with 517 fighter walkouts. A decent amount of stars made the walk more than once, their songs still resonating with the fans the second or third time around - arguably none more iconic than "Itsari" by Sepultura, Alex Pereira's walkout song.

2024's Best UFC Walkouts Ranked

With the final Fight Night of the year now concluded, we break down the Top 10 best walkouts made to the Octagon in 2024, with a number of honorable mentions to go along with it.

#10: Colby Covington - UFC Tampa

Starting our list was the final walkout of the year made by one Colby Covington at UFC Tampa, where he was accompanied by WWE superstar Hulk Hogan on his right and his left was the man who inspired him to pursue an MMA career, three-time UFC title challenger Chael P. Sonnen.

Hogan raised the red, white, and blue of the American flag high, with Covington choosing the pro wrestler's iconic theme song "Real American" by Rick Derringer.

Covington tore through his (already partially cut) UFC fight kit before getting into the Octagon with Joaquin Buckley, losing by doctor's stoppage in Round 4 due to a bloody cut over his eye.

#9: Robert Whittaker - UFC Saudi Arabia / UFC 308

Robert Whittaker couldn't be touched, and he wouldn't be stopped when he faced Ikram Aliskerov on short notice at UFC Saudi Arabia.

Whittaker picked up his first finish in seven years with an uppercut from hell that put the Russian down, but before the result the Aussie had one of the most memorable walkouts of the year, walking out to "Can't Be Touched" by Roy Jones Jr. in Riyadh.

Whittaker would make a similar walk at UFC 308, and while he didn't last long against middleweight wrecking machine Khamzat Chimaev, there was no doubt "The Reaper" was ready for war, beating his chest like always and yelling at the top of his lungs.

#8: Max Holloway - UFC 300 / UFC 308

2024 was a bittersweet year for Max Holloway, the third BMF Champion who was on the giving and receiving end of two of the year's best knockouts; a buzzer-beater over Justin Gaethje at UFC 300, and his first KO loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 308 months later.

Top 10 Best UFC Walkouts of 2024: From Hulk Hogan to The Sphere
Max Holloway's Walk-Out At UFC 300. / (Christopher De Santiago)

As the Octagon canvas lit up crystal blue like an ocean, Wainaee's Holloway walked out to "Hawaiian Kickboxer" at UFC 300 and UFC 308, also to "Pain's Theme" from Naruto in his intro in Abu Dhabi. The leis were a nice touch, too.

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#7: Paddy Pimblett - UFC 304

Paddy Pimblett's walkout at UFC 304 served as a wake-up call for the UK fans in attendance, with "Heads Will Roll" by Yeah Yeah Yeah's playing at 4 a.m. in the morning local time.

In tune with the song, Pimblett's walk was ecstatic, flailing his arms up and down, electrifying the crowd with his energy before putting King Green to sleep with a triangle choke.

A star was born that night, a legitimate Top 15 contender in Liverpool's "Paddy The Baddy", finally donning his classic orange shorts.

#6: Ilia Topuria - UFC 298 / UFC 308

UFC Spain has yet to be brought into reality, though it's only a matter of time with Ilia Topuria leading the charge.

The bells sounded for "El Matador" at UFC 298 as a challenger to Alexander Volkanovski, and then as Spain's first defending champion, against Max Holloway at UFC 308 in October. From Los Angeles to Abu Dhabi, Topuria reigned surpreme, entering the cage as confident as ever with "El Cancion del Mariachi" by Antonio Banderas both times.

UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuri
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

"El Cancion" is quickly becoming an anthem for Spanish MMA, with "El Fenomeno" Joel Alvarez the latest fighter to pick the song at UFC Tampa.

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#5: Jon Jones - UFC 309

Forever in the red corner is Jon "Bones" Jones.

The two-division UFC Champion made his first heavyweight title defense against the division's consensus GOAT Stipe Miocic, flushing out the firefighter in the third round with a dominating performance bell-to-bell.

Jones walked out to a blend of three different songs, synonymous with his legacy inside the cage, the first of which was "Many Men (Wish Death)" by 50 Cent, the second "Hot in Herre" by Nelly, and the last, "The Champ is Here" by Jadakiss - signifying the long-awaited return of Jones after almost two years away from the sport due to injury.

#4: Jose Aldo - UFC 301

The formerly retired UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo had a homecoming like no other at UFC 301 in his native country of Brazil.

Former UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo
Jason Silva-Imagn Images

"The King of Rio" wore a crown for the first time heading into his dominant win over up-and-comer Jonathan Martinez. The song? "Run This Town" by Jay-Z. Aldo showed he's still one of the best fighters at 37 years old, beloved by the fans at home and across the world with a cult-like following.

#3: Sean O'Malley - UFC 299 / UFC 306

"If you are what you say you are, a superstar, then have no fear, the camera's here..."

Sorry to say, "The Mecca" Madison Square Garden has nothing on The Sphere. The UFC put down a $20M investment, hosting a special one-off event at The Sphere in Las Vegas, ultilizing their lighting displays for a revolutionary experience in sports from fights and films, to never-to-be-forgotten walkouts.

Then-champion Sean O'Malley was the last fighter to walk out to the Octagon against Merab Dvalishvili, listening to "Superstar" en route to his second (unsuccessful) title defense, shocking "Suga" himself with a a futuristic hologram with drones floating all around a reimagined Mexico.

O'Malley's first walk as a champion came earlier in the year in Miami at UFC 299, where the same song echoed throughout the Kaseya Center, which was lit up pink like the American's bright pink shorts.

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#2: Alex Pereira - UFC 300 / UFC 303 / UFC 307

The walk to the Octagon for Alex Pereira is something of legend, or at least that's what it feels like watching the UFC's most active champion march down, shooting an invisible arrow at his opponent from far out.

Pereira's yell and left hook is there for all to see in whatever arena, from two short-notice title defenses in Las Vegas to one of the best title fights of the year against Khalil Rountree Jr. in Salt Lake City.

There's a certain aura to Pereira even without his Pataxo tribe facepaint and attire, staring down his opponents before they're even locked in the Octagon together.

Walk-out song: "Itsari" by Sepultura

Honorable Mentions

Israel Adesanya - UFC 305, Ronaldo Rodriguez - UFC 306, Diego Lopes - UFC 306, Khalil Rountree Jr. - UFC 307, Khamzat Chimaev - UFC 308, Charles Oliveira - UFC 309, Bryce Mitchell - UFC 310

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#1: Dustin Poirier - UFC 302

Shine bright like a diamond.

What was initially thought to be Dustin Poirier's last dance turned out to be not only the best walkout of the year, but up there with the greatest of all time. Yes, the former interim champion ultimately lost in his third undisputed title challenge against Islam Makhachev, but nothing strikes a chord like the ultimate underdog walking out to the the late Willie Spence's viral cover of "Diamonds" by Rihanna, soon followed by Poirier's classic intro "The Boss" by James Brown.

The Prudential Center in New Jersey shined bright blue, paving the way for "The Diamond" in his final title fight, a pivotal moment for his career even in loss, beloved by the fans who hoped to see him take the belt back home to Lafayette, Louisiana after a long, gritty career.

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Christopher De Santiago
CHRISTOPHER DE SANTIAGO

Christopher De Santiago is a 22 year-old journalist from Gainesville, Texas with years of experience covering MMA.

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