Sherdog’s 2022 Walkout Song of the Year via jaypettry
had energized the audience to a degree in the fight that preceded it, but this was something entirely different. The crowd sang along, which is something that typically only happens in the case of the aforementioned “Zombie,” Neil Diamond’s dreaded “Sweet Caroline” or “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” by the Dropkick Murphys. Fans were on their feet, laughing and belting out the beloved 1980s tune.
The next six minutes and 40 seconds played out in exciting fashion, with momentum shifts and fun heavyweight striking action. Tuivasa appeared as game as they come, challenging the UFC’s all-time knockout leader to throw down in the pocket and trade the heaviest of leather. Although plenty expected that “Bam Bam” would oblige Lewis in power-for-power exchanges, few thought that Tuivasa would be the one left standing when the dust settled.
It is impossible to know how the crowd would have reacted to Tuivasa had he selected a different, more generic track. Much of his appeal stems from his likeability, which comes out in part thanks to his walkout music selection. As was the case for his choice of Lauper’s famous tune, most of his past entrances have come as songs never before heard ahead of a UFC fight. Tuivasa had defied the odds and knocked Lewis out at home, beating him at his game and even putting the crowd in his pocket.
claimed the interim heavyweight throne against Lewis by stopping him in Houston in 2021, Gane was the enemy from start to finish. Tuivasa, on the other hand, wasOne masterful evening from Tuivasa, orchestrated from the very start with his unique music selection and concluding by chugging beer out of multiple shoes, had made pushed him from a fan-favorite to a star.