"It felt big, felt WrestleMania, felt Super Bowl" - Israel Adesanya talks about the inspiration behind his iconic Undertaker-themed walkout
Israel Adesanya has recently revealed what inspired him to use WWE legend The Undertaker’s entrance song and walkout style at UFC 276 on July 2.
The UFC middleweight champion defeated Jared Cannonier via unanimous decision in a fairly uneventful fight that headlined UFC 276. Intriguingly, the WWE’s Money in the Bank event was taking place nearby on the same night as UFC 276.
Additionally, prominent WWE personalities such as the WWE’s interim CEO Stephanie McMahon, her father Vince McMahon, WWE legend Triple H, and Pat McAfee were in attendance for the event.
BAH GAWD THAT'S THE UNDERTAKER'S MUSIC! 💀
@stylebender with another EPIC walkout! 🤌
#UFC276 https://t.co/aXXUp4v4lg
In a video posted to his FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel, Israel Adesanya was asked about what inspired his UFC 276 entrance. ‘The Last Stylebender’ responded by comparing UFC 276 to WrestleMania (WWE’s biggest annual event) and the Super Bowl (NFL’s biggest annual event). ‘Izzy’ stated:
“Like I said – It felt big, felt WrestleMania, felt Super Bowl. And I wanted to show out. I wanted to create a show like, this is not just about fighting. It’s about entertainment as well. And yeah, I felt like I did just that. That was fun.”
He also added:
“It was fun to just even channel The Undertaker, a character that I’ve watched for years in wrestling. And then, the way everything just played out, having, Money in the Bank, I think, was that same night. And then people from WWE were at the fight. Yeah, it was cool.”
Watch Adesanya discuss the topic at 7:50 in the video below:
Chael Sonnen addresses the impact of Undertaker-themed walkout on Israel Adesanya’s performance
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will most likely defend his 185-pound belt against archnemesis Alex Pereira next. The Brazilian has already beaten Adesanya twice in the sport of kickboxing. Regardless, ‘Izzy’ has vowed to defeat the 'Poatan' in their much-awaited MMA bout inside the octagon.
In a recent edition of Beyond the Fight, Chael Sonnen opined that Israel Adesanya’s Undertaker-style walkout might have adversely affected his performance in the fight. Sonnen credited an unnamed friend for presenting this hypothesis to him.
Sonnen indicated that Adesanya’s slow, Undertaker-themed walkout left him cold. In contrast, ‘Izzy’ performed an energetic dance, walking out to his first fight against Robert Whittaker in 2019. The fight witnessed Adesanya dominantly beat Whittaker via second-round KO. Sonnen said:
"My friend's take was 'Wait a minute Chael, here's what you're missing: It was slow. No, no, the whole walkout and approach was slow.' On purpose. Izzy knew and had to program himself that it's going to be slow. It's going to be methodical. That carried over to the [UFC 276] fight.”
Watch Sonnen’s assessment below: