Junior Dos Santos, Alistair Overeem and the UFC's 10 Best Walkouts of 2011

2011 was a compact year featuring tightly-knit, hard-nosed and entertaining UFC fights.

Maybe the best fights during a 12-month span in MMA history.

Whether or not it ranks No. 1 overall, 2011 was easily the most important campaign for the sport's emergence in mainstream America, making it more popular and readily available to the general fight fan.

With all of the knockouts, submissions, upsets and PPV throwdowns came unforgettable ring entrances.

From Tito Ortiz to Alistair Overeem, here are the 10 best walkouts of 2011.

10. TUF 14 Finale: Jason

The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale marked Jason "Mayhem" Miller's return to the Octagon.

The outspoken promotion machine encapsulates everything that a good fight entrance stands for.

And while he didn't come out with his infamous hockey mask, Mayhem's blonde hair, erratic clapping and ability to turn fans into rowdy onlookers puts him at No. 10.

9. UFC 129: Randy Couture

This was the last walkout in Randy Couture's heralded UFC career.

Couture is the epitome of a fan favorite, and has done everything right in his career to currently rank him as one of the best MMA fighters of all time.

This time around, fans got a little too thoughtful when Couture walked to the cage, throwing an extra hat on the wrestler's head.

All in all, his UFC 129 entrance was downright legendary.

8. UFC 132: Tito Ortiz

Bottom line, Tito Ortiz has had some of the best walkouts in UFC history, so it shouldn't be surprising that he makes this list, especially for a fight against Ryan Bader that he absolutely needed to win.

The usual Mexican American flag and beanie cap displayed Ortiz's readiness to give fans everything he had to offer.

Honestly, the ex-champion never looked more focused coming to the Octagon.

7. UFC 135: Rampage Jackson

Whenever Rampage Jackson comes to the ring howling and baring one of the biggest chains you could imagine, you have to throw him on a list like this.

Jackson has always done his best to portray a bad-ass mentality during his walkouts, as evidenced in this four-minute clip from UFC 135.

It's a true shame that 2012 could be Jackson's last year fighting in the UFC.

6. UFC 129: Georges St. Pierre

Sorry for the fan video, but it's the only one I could find.

It's like this UFC 129 walkout is a national treasure or something.  But hey, by the Canadian flags and boundless fans, it's starting to look like it is.

Georges St. Pierre is literally a national figure to our northern neighbors, and this UFC event displays the power, grace and awesomeness that the current welterweight champion possesses every time he runs ringside.

It may have been his only fight in 2011, but St. Pierre deserves to be at No. 6.

5. UFC 138: Brad Pickett

If you were to strictly gauge this list by the caliber of names and not the actual walkouts, you'd think I was certifiably insane for putting Brad Pickett at No. 5. 

That's like putting Tim Tebow on the all-time quarterbacks list.

Regardless, Pickett's entrance at UFC 138 was anything but boring. It was smart, entertaining, funny and unexpected—all things UFC fans should wholeheartedly welcome considering the usual Octagon walkout showcases fighters trying to look as tough as possible.

As far as I'm concerned, Pickett's witty entrance was well planned and deserving of a notable mention on Bleacher Report.

4. UFC 132: Wanderlei Silva

Simply put, Wanderlei Silva is a bad-ass.

His entrance music may be the best around and his unfazed strut to the Octagon may also be untouchable in the sport of MMA.

Whichever you hold accountable for his walkout excellence at UFC 132, you have to consider this one of the best ring entrances of the year.

Too bad the fight didn't end the way it started backstage.

3. UFC 141: Alistair Overeem

UFC 141 marked Alistair Overeem's arrival to the UFC.

Currently the No. 1 heavyweight contender and one of the most decorated heavyweight strikers in MMA history, Overeem's acceptance into the UFC community was quick and well-deserved.

His walkout at UFC 141 against Brock Lesnar showcased that same dominance and popularity that Overeem has commanded in the cage.

Besides the obnoxious techno music that has made the Dutchman even more lovable in Japan, this walkout is easily a top-three candidate.

2. UFC 134 RIO: Anderson Silva

Anderson Silva's entrance at UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, drew fans a clear picture as to exactly how popular the middleweight champion is outside of the United States.

Honestly, Silva looks a little nervous coming to the ring. Amid crazed fans, multiple security guards and the notion of defending his UFC title, though, can you blame him?

Unlike fans throwing their own hats on the head of Randy Couture at UFC 129, Silva endured quite the opposite when his backwards baseball cap got swiped off his cranium literally seconds into his entrance.

Sorry for the unfocused Spanish version, but I think you can still see how bad-ass this walkout was.

1. UFC on FOX: Junior Dos Santos

There's literally nothing to dislike about Junior dos Santos' walkout at UFC on FOX 1.

Along with the historic meaning of being the first UFC champion to ever fight on broadcast television, dos Santos' choice of music couldn't of been more on point.

Seriously, the Rocky theme song? 

That's unarguably epic. And so is his focused demeanor during a nationally showcased battle with Cain Velasquez.

By far the No. 1 walkout of 2011.  Thanks for the read.

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