The walkout. There are not many moments in sports that inspire pure emotion or direct the aura of a venue more prominently than the walkout from the dressing room to the cage/ring in combat sports. The moment has been described as intense, cerebral, terrifying, and as an experience that is like none other. There is something hopelessly poetic about making a walk to a venue where I person whom you may or may not know anything about wants to severely injure you for no apparent reasons… below we find five fighters who have embraced the walkout and made it an exciting and even enigmatic event in and of itself.
5) Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal
Muhammed King Mo Lawal takes his nickname seriously…very seriously; it is not only reflected in his speech, his body language, and the way he carries himself but most notably, in his walk out entrances. Never a shortage of scantily clad women to accompany him, his walkouts are fit for a king.
4) Tom Lawlor
Filthy Tom Lawlor is what some might call an old soul. A serious fan of pro wrestling as well as the early athletes of the UFC, Tom never fails to embrace his 15 minutes by paying homage to not only his childhood heroes but current international superstars as well which include but are not limited to: Dan Severn, the infamous Just Bleed guy, Usain Bolt, Hulk Hogan, Don Frye, and even Apollo Creed. Tom Lawlor took his role to an entirely different level as he used the weigh-ins, not just his walk-out, to further his cause.
3) Jason Miller
The public stories of Jason Mayhem Miller’s upbringing and early adulthood are as humorous as they are horrifying and give validation as well as insight into his nickname. Unfortunately Mayhem’s most recent antics, which will undoubtedly have legal repercussions, have been the topic of a not-so-friendly discussion when it comes to PR and have seemed to overshadow the beauty that his walk outs once were. As entertaining as his fights we must never forget the glory and excitement of a Mayhem entrance.
2) Kazushi Sakuraba
A product of Japanese pro wrestling, Saku places just as much emphasis on the entertainment aspect of the production as he does his athletic performance. A true legend of the sport of mixed martial arts he is a man who defines thinking outside of the box. Sakuraba viewed his part of a mma show as a role to be performed rather than simply a fight on the card. He engaged in a performance which happened to include a mixed martial arts bout and his entrances were nothing short of spectacular.
1) Genki Sudo
If there ever there were a true world’s most interesting man Genki Sudo would most definitely qualify. He is a singer, songwriter, choreographer, author, and actor who also happens to be one of the most entertaining fighters to ever compete. His ring entrances were elaborate, elegant, and had undertones of social issues that were just slight enough to give the audience a feeling of awe and inspiration, as well as the notion that they were witnessing an elaborately crafted entrance by a highly intelligent man.
