MMA: Watch and Listen to the 15 Worst Fighter Entrance Songs

Have you ever been at a party where the conversation had really started flowing, people were laughing and then suddenly someone tells a really bad joke—or, even worse, makes a really unfortunate noise—and stops the momentum cold? 

In the world of MMA, that’s a bad entrance song.

It doesn’t make you a better or worse fighter, of course, but it can drain the energy from the room or even make you a laughing stock. Laughing WITH a fighter is a good sign and can mean more fans. But laughing AT you? Probably the opposite. 

Here are 15 of my submissions for worst entrance songs. Some of the entries are dull, some are hackneyed and some just plain old stink. For the record, these are just opinions about songs and a little teasing of the fighters, and I hope it’s all taken in the spirit of fun in which it’s offered.

That said, if you feel I missed one, or if I have grievously insulted the honor of your favorite musician or fighter, feel free to let loose in the comments.

(And if you’re so inclined, you can check out a list of MMA’s 50 best entrance songs, as well.)

Honorable Mention: Dave Kaplan, “Tenderness” by General Public

This gets honorable mention because if Junie Browning hadn’t submitted Kaplan in this, his first UFC fight (out of two), this might have made the best-of list instead of the worst.

15. Brock Lesnar, “Enter Sandman” by Metallica

Lesnar was so blown away by this song during Inflatable Bat Night that he simply had to have it as his entrance music.

14. Donald Cerrone, “Cowboy” by Kid Rock

What does it tell you when arguably the best Kid Rock song still makes the list of worst entrance musics?  Something’s amiss somewhere.

In all fairness, though, if you like Kid Rock, this is probably a pretty good entrance. Because the song is the Cowboy. And Cerrone IS the Cowboy.  It’s like the stars ordained it.

13. Joe Stevenson, “I Gotta Feelin” by Black-Eyed Peas

I really like Joe Stevenson, and I have a hard time bashing him.

So…that concludes this slide.

12. Tyson Griffin, Matt Serra, Junior Dos Santos, Songs from “Rocky” Franchise

Serra and dos Santos come out to “Gonna Fly Now,” while Griffin comes out to “Eye of the Tiger.”

Either way, these songs became complete caricatures of themselves, what, nine years ago? Ten?

11. Houston Alexander, “Bawitaba” by Kid Rock

It’s got kind of a pump-you-up vibe about it, which is cool. But you know what’s even cooler? When that vibe gets captured in a song performed by, what’s the phrase I want here, actual musicians.

Hey, Kid Rock: I'm just kidding. I love your music. Remember when you re-recorded "Sweet Home Alabama" and added different words? That was great. Please don't buy me and sell me to a Cambodian reptile merchant. I wouldn't last two minutes in Cambodia.

10. Dave Herman, “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?” by Boy George

This isn’t funny. It never was. But something tells me Dave Herman doesn’t worry much about what’s funny to other people.  That’s fine, I guess. It’s his theme song.  But I’m still allowed to think it’s silly.

If you can tell me it's not silly with a straight face, you win.

9. Forrest Griffin, “Tubthumping” by Chumbawumba

Give it up for the only man to appear on both my best and worst entrance songs lists.

I know the refrain—“I get knocked down, but I get up again”—had special significance in Griffin's first fight after Anderson Silva steamrolled him at UFC 101. But that doesn’t make this any less of a god-awful song. Which it truly, truly is.

8. Marcus Davis, “Jump Around” by House of Pain

If you weren’t sure whether “The Irish Hand Grenade”’s Irish persona was authentic, any uncertainty died when he chose this song.

But that's OK, because after the fight tonight, I heard Marcus Davis is taking us all out to Bennigan’s! I want the Sean Killarney Pizza Burrito. I hear they make them at Bennigan's just like they do in Quincy.

7. Dennis Siver, “Last Resort" by Papa Roach

Shorts sponsored by Hot Topic.

I love all the (mostly male) spectators in the video who shout along to the song. Dude, it's like we're back at the Anger Management Tour!  Remember that? 

They can put a man on the moon, but they can't figure out how to keep the Anger Management Tour going.  Some world.

6. Kendall Grove, “Californication” by Red Hot Chili Peppers

One of the banner songs released during the Peppers’ Old Man Period neatly melds the three subjects nearest to the band’s collective heart:  sexual intercourse, the state of California and sexual intercourse IN the state of California.

That’s all well and good. But you know what might get me a little more pumped up to watch a fight?  Anything.

5. Carlos Newton, “Bootylicious” by Destiny’s Child

Carlos Newton wants all his opponents to know: he doesn’t think you’re ready for this jelly.

4. Gilbert Yvel, “YMCA” by the Village People

I’m going to co-opt a line from Bill Simmons here, and say that I wish Vegas took odds on things like “Gilbert Yvel does not recognize the irony in walking out to ‘YMCA.’”

So why would he walk out to such a song?  Psssst…I think he’s a little "off." Like mentally.

3. Kevin Casey, “No Surrender, No Retreat” by Kevin Casey

What I’m about to do is issue a warning. A warning to allllll you readers out there.

Click the play button at your own risk.

Casey recorded his own hip-hop anthem and then walked out to it last May at ShoMMA 8.  The fact that Matt Lindland pounded Casey out in that fight doesn’t exactly bolster his cred.

And that’s unfortunate, because it needs all the bolstering it can get after being the first—and, Gosh willing, the only—rapper to feature Spencer Pratt in his video.

2. Josh Koscheck, ???, Walkout from UFC 74

For his first fight against Georges St-Pierre, Koscheck walked out to an anthem recorded specially for him. And boy, is it ever special.

“Fresno, California, stand up for the kid.  A lot of people say he didn’t. But some say he did.”  Poetry.

On the bright side, whenever Koscheck is ready to move forward with that sitcom project, he already has a theme song in the can.

1. Mariusz Pudzianowski, “Pro Prostu Soba Badz” ("Give Me the Ring")

Anything I say here would just get in the way of you clicking on this magical, magical video.

It’s all in Polish, but sometimes you don’t need words, you know? In fact, sometimes there are no words.