Former WWE Superstar and MMA fighter Alberto El Patron weighs in on Israel Adesanya's epic UFC 276 walkout
Former WWE superstar Alberto El Patron, then-known as Alberto Del Rio, has praised Israel Adesanya for his UFC 276 octagon walk.
At this past weekend's pay-per-view, 'The Last Stylebender' stunned fans when he made the walk to the octagon dressed as WWE's The Undertaker. The Nigerian-New Zealander donned the iconic black hat of 'The Deadman', accompanied by his WWE entrance theme. To add yet more fuel to the fire, Adesanya carried an urn that had opponent Jared Cannonier's name engraved on the side.
El Patron, who has also had a career in MMA, dubbed the middleweight champion's entrance as one of the best in UFC history in an exclusive comment to Sportskeeda:
"It was the greatest in-cage entrance in MMA history. The Undertaker’s music took the experience to whole different level," said El Patron.
Watch Israel Adesanya's iconic walkout here:
Here. He. Comes. ☠️
[ @Stylebender | #UFC276 ] https://t.co/Bv54ObOkyr
Fans of Adesanya hoped the 185lb champ would follow up his entrance with a performance in honor of WWE's The Undertaker.
The 32-year-old, however, was unable to find the flash finish that his entrance demanded and instead was forced into a controlled but calculated display against the American. Although the victory was certainly not Adesanya's best performance in the octagon, it is guaranteed that his UFC 276 walk will go down as one of the greatest in the organization's history.
Israel Adesanya remains undefeated at middleweight. With a 12-fight win streak and a run of five consecutive defenses, Adesanya is likely to face long-time rival Alex Pereira next.
WWE's The Undertaker loved Israel Adesanya's UFC 276 entrance
Although MMA fans around the world lost their minds at Adesanya's entrance, there could be no higher praise than that of Mark Calaway, aka The Undertaker.
An iconic figure in WWE for over 20 years, The Undertaker's recent retirement from the wrestling world has left a gap in many fans' hearts.
It's great news, then, that the former WWE superstar has given his seal of approval for the entrance. MMA analyst Ariel Helwani shared that he'd spoken to Calaway, who had nothing but praise for Israel Adesanya.
"I asked @undertaker what he thought of @stylebender's walkout: 'I thought it was great! He's not only a great fighter, he's an awesome entertainer as well! Tyson Fury gets knocked down & sits up like the UT [Undertaker] and Adesanya uses my walkout! Pretty damn cool!'"
I asked @undertaker what he thought of @stylebender’s walkout:
“I thought it was great! He’s not only a great fighter, he’s an awesome entertainer as well! Tyson Fury gets knocked down & sits up like the UT and Adesanya uses my walkout! Pretty damn cool!”
https://t.co/a0tGCZ0DyK
Fans will be hoping that Adesanya can better his walk the next time he steps into the octagon. With rival Pereira seemingly booking his place as the next in line with a victory on the same card, Adesanya could once again look to the WWE for another iconic entrance ahead of a third combat sports date with the Brazilian.