Best Walkouts of 2012

Before two mixed martial artists exchange leather in the center of the cage, they have to make the walk down the aisle. When the music hits, it can raise the goosebumps on your body and set the tone for the action.

It can be a point of interest for fans. What music will they choose?

Pundits try to analyze the fighters. Does he or she look focused?

It is a small part of the evening, but it adds to the spectacle of the show. The lights, the sounds, and the anticipation is ramped up when the fighters come from behind the curtain.

These are the 10 best walkouts of 2012.

No. 10: Frankie Edgar, UFC 150

Frankie Edgar was set to challenge Benson Henderson in a rematch of their UFC 144 battle for the UFC lightweight championship.

After making many walks as the champion, this time Edgar was first out. Edgar has been one of the most consistent fighters in selecting quality walkout music. UFC 150 was no different.

"Kick in the Door" by The Notorious B.I.G. hit and the lightweight made his way to the cage.

The bid to recapture his title would fall short due to two of the three judges scoring it for Henderson, but the entrance was top-notch from Edgar.

No. 9: Cain Velasquez, UFC 146

If there is another man who can make "Los Mandados" by Vicente Fernandez sound terrifying, I do not know who it would be.

Cain Velasquez's entrance music does not match his demeanor on fight night, but it works. It works well.

With the Mexican flag wrapped around his fist and an intense look on his face, Velasquez is one scary man making his way to the Octagon.

The only thing scarier is his performances. At UFC 146, he destroyed Antonio Silva. It was a bloodbath. "Los Mandados" will be associated with Velasquez's violence for UFC fans after witnessing what he did to Silva.

No. 8: Tom Lawlor, UFC 154 Weigh-Ins

Tom Lawlor has always made for some memorable walkouts, but they usually happen on fight night. At UFC 154, he blew everyone away with a special weigh-in entrance.

The Shockmaster returned in Montreal.

For those who are not pro wrestling fans, or old enough to remember, I encourage you to find and watch the original footage. It is a legendary piece of film.

Lawlor would have an interesting entrance on fight night, and go on to lose a contentious decision to Francis Carmont at UFC 154. However, it was his trip up the stairs at the weigh-ins that overshadowed it all.

No. 7: Jon Jones, UFC 145

Jon Jones was sporting the UFC as his primary sponsor and entering the biggest fight in his career. UFC 145 featured the long awaited fight versus his former teammate, Rashad Evans.

The familiar "God Gave Me Style" by 50 Cent kicked in as Jones started to make his walk toward the cage. When the song shifted into "The Champ Is Here" by Jadakiss, it was a memorable moment. The track was a perfect fit for the budding face of the organization.

With all of the trash talk and lead-up to the event, the champ had arrived for the main event.

UFC 145 was just another dominant performance by Jones. He retained his UFC light heavyweight championship with a decision victory.

No. 6: Tito Ortiz, UFC 148

Tito Ortiz was making his final walk to the cage at UFC 148. In spite of wearing the gladiator helmet, it was still a fantastic entrance.

Ortiz was one of the men behind the UFC's rise, and the UFC Hall of Famer has given us many great performances.

The former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion went back to using Eminem's "Mosh" for the fight. Perhaps the infamous Eminem curse was the cause for his loss at UFC 148, but it still made for a very good entrance.

Ortiz dropped another decision to Griffin and left on a sour note, but Ortiz gave us one more memorable night.

No. 5: Rampage Jackson, UFC 144

Rampage Jackson's long-awaited return to Japan was finally among us. He returned to the country where he had most of his exciting encounters and where he made his name.

The PRIDE theme hit and Rampage made his walk.

It was a perfect fit.

Jackson did not get the win in Japan, but his entrance was the best of the night by far. It was exciting to hear the drums bellowing throughout the arena as one of the PRIDE legends made his way down the aisle.

No. 4: Anderson Silva, UFC 153

Anderson Silva stepped up on short notice to save the UFC 153 event. He would not be defending his UFC middleweight championship, but it was still another opportunity to watch the greatest fighter on the planet.

The familiar "No Sunshine" by DMX hit. Silva started to make his way to the Octagon as he always does when a special moment occurred.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, coming back from his submission victory over Dave Herman, met his long-time friend and student before he passed through the curtains. The two Brazilians embraced in a touching moment.

That moment made the entrance one of the best of the year. Rarely do we see a moment like that, and it was refreshing to see. Silva then flipped the switch and embarrassed Stephan Bonnar in their fight.

No. 3: Georges St. Pierre, UFC 154

GSP had not made a walk to the Octagon since April 2011. Over 18 months of waiting and his hometown crowd had the privilege of experiencing it first hand.

Fababy's “Represailles” blared on the speakers and the crowd went bonkers.

The long-time welterweight champion started his way down the hall and through the curtain. It was a welcome sight to have one of the pound-for-pound best making his return.

The electricity in the air made this entrance excellent. Few fighters elicit that kind of reaction from the crowd, and the anticipation of his return made it that much more special. GSP had a bounce in his step and it showed in the cage with a unanimous-decision win.

No. 2: Ronda Rousey, Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey

2012 may go down as the most important year for women's mixed martial arts. Ronda Rousey is the biggest reason why.

In March, Rousey challenged champion Miesha Tate in the main event in Columbus, Ohio. The pre-fight talk by Rousey made this fight highly anticipated. She single-handedly reinvigorated interest in women's MMA.

Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation" was the perfect choice for Rousey.

The look in Rousey's eyes as she walked down the Strikeforce ramp was terrifying. A new era was about to ushered in. At 4:27 of the first round, Rousey got the finish with another armbar.

Only after the referee pulled her off did she flash the winning smile that has her becoming one of the sport's biggest stars.

No. 1: Anderson Silva, UFC 148

The pound-for-pound king also tops this list.

His entrance for UFC 148 was fantastic. DMX's "No Sunshine" is the perfect choice for the champion.

Silva was bouncing all the way down the aisle. It was clear the champion was loose and prepared to end the rivalry with Chael Sonnen. The crowd was on the edge of their seat. Silva hit the checkpoint and hugged his team, which included Steven Seagal, and eventually made his way to his children and Jon Jones.

There was something about the look Jones gave Silva that added to what we were about to experience. This was the fight we had been waiting for since August 2010.

As the sport continues to grow, we will experience more and more of the big-fight feel, but this rematch is nearly unparalleled in the UFC for that feeling. It added to his walkout.

That walkout meant the fight was just around the corner. The totality of the music, the champion, and the looming fight added to the experience that was UFC 148, making it the best walkout of 2012.