“Feels like WrestleMania”- Israel Adesanya reveals motivation for his iconic Undertaker walkout at UFC 276


“Feels like WrestleMania”- Israel Adesanya reveals motivation for his iconic Undertaker walkout at UFC 276

Israel Adesanya walking out on Undertaker's theme

Undertaker was the stuff of nightmares as children for many who didn’t understand the concept of kayfabe and Israel Adesanya was one of those children. For his 5th title defense at UFC 276 against Jared Cannonier, the kiwi would walk out the iconic gong and the graveyard symphony that accompanies it. This was while Vince McMahon and other members of the WWE’s top family were in attendance for the first time.

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Israel Adesanya has been known to put considerable effort into his walkouts, something that helped boost his brand in the early days of his career. He’s performed dances, dressed up as anime villains, and even bought out a crew of dancers for his first undisputed title shot. This was the first time he used a pro-wrestling theme for his walkout.

As soon as the gong hit, there was a large pop from the crowd. When Izzy appeared on the big screen as the symphony started, UFC Hall of Famer and broadcaster Daniel Cormier could do nothing but chuckle in amazement, exclaiming, “He’s walking out as the Undertaker.” Carrying the urn and everything, Style bender stayed in character all the way up to the final inspection before entering the cage.

Related – Superstar Khamzat Chimaev eyes Israel Adesanya after “Stylebender” makes title defense at UFC 276

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“I had an off night but still 5-0”- Israel Adesanya reflects upon his Jared Cannonier at UFC 276

Israel Adesanya def Jared Cannonier at UFC 276
Israel Adesanya def Jared Cannonier at UFC 276

Adesanya realized that he created another highlight for the reels, and he talked about how the idea originated during the post-fight interview, he said, “Towards the end of the rounds, 12 rounds, towards the end, the last three or four rounds, I’ll chock on my playlist from YouTube, WWE Attitude from the Attitude Era. I have like 20 different tracks from superstars I admire and that would get me in that zone, and the Undertaker’s theme was one of them.”

He added, “So as I was sitting down feeling it on Tuesday, it just made sense, and also big shout-out to the UFC production team because they were really accommodating and helpful to make it a show. This is the UFC. You want to give them a show. I said all week this feels like WrestleMania. Who’s undefeated at WrestleMania? The Undertaker, and I’ve been feeling dark all week.”

“It wasn’t a thing I planned. Like I said, the universe just provides and it’s a weird synergy, a weird crossover, but I like it because I grew up on that s*it. I hoped they enjoyed the show. I had an off night but still 5-0. It’s crazy, isn’t it?” Adesanya concluded.

Also read – “The Walk many Fear” The Undertaker applauds Israel Adesanya for pulling off an incredible entrance at UFC 276

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Also read – “Definitely gonna jump into WWE”- Israel Adesanya promises a move to pro-wrestling