What was Israel Adesanya's walkout song at UFC 263?
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya's win over Marvin Vettori ensured he remained undefeated in the division. However, it was his walkout song that generated a lot of interest.
The Last Stylebender' walked out to Somewhere I Belong by Linkin Park.
The song was released on the band's second studio album, Meteora. It entered the top ten on several music charts, including the New Zealand Singles Chart, where it peaked at No. 1 in April 2003.
Israel Adesanya surprised everyone when he walked in wearing a Ghost of Tsushima mask, coupled with the iconic alt-rock track.
He wasn't the first fighter to walk out to a Linkin Park song as Demian Maia walked out to Numb. The Brazilian lost his fight against Belal Muhammad via unanimous decision. On the other hand, Adesanya finished Marvin Vettori's hopes of becoming the first Italian UFC champion.
Also read: UFC 263: Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori 2 full fight card results and video highlights
Israel Adesanya dominated Marvin Vettori in their UFC 263 title fight
'The Last Stylebender' started the fight in magnificent fashion after he stuffed a takedown attempt from Vettori. After that, he dominated the entire round with leg kicks and punches. It was a masterclass in counter striking.
The second and third rounds went the same way, as Adesanya never looked like he was in any trouble. He stepped away from all of Vettori's jabs, and the Italian-American never damaged 'The Last Stylebender' during his brief moments of control.
The only time Adesanya looked like he was in any trouble was when Vettori almost locked a rear-naked choke, but 'The Last Stylebender' slipped away. In the final round, Israel Adesanya started displaying all of his crowd-pleasing antics and asked the Arizona crowd to make some noise. He won the fight via decision, and all three judges scored the fight 50-45 in favor of Adesanya.
He will now face former champion Robert Whittaker after the Australian fighter dominated Kelvin Gastelum. Their first fight was not a close affair; Adesanya knocked Whittaker out in the second round. Fans would love to see a closer fight this time around.