William Congreve wrote in The Mourning Bride that "Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast." Unfortunately Billy C. didn't live in an age of UFC fighters, who jam to their favorite tunes to get pumped up en route to a cage of combat.
From Kid Rock to The Clash, the UFC entrance songs are as diverse and eclectic as the fighters themselves. So often following a live event the MMA message boards will light up with questions about a particular song that accompanied a fighter's entrance.
When in doubt, Shazam! it.
A fighter's choice in music is more often than not a matter of personal taste - unless of course you're Rich Franklin or Dan Henderson. Neither "Ace" nor "Hollywood" had any say in their entrance music. UFC President Dana White was responsible for that.
So who has the best musical entrance? Again, it's purely subjective. But it's interesting to see how well fans know their favorite fighters. Below is a list of fighters as well as current or past entrance songs courtesy of The Canadian Press.
1. Rich Franklin - For Those About to Rock (AC/DC)
2. Dan Henderson - Lunatic Fringe (Red Rider)
3. Antonio Nogueira - Gimme Shelter (Rolling Stones)
4. Brock Lesnar - Shout at the Devil (Motley Crue)
5. Jason MacDonald - Turn the Page (Metallica)
6. Matt Hughes - Country Boy Can Survive (Hank Williams Jr.)
7. Houston Alexander - Bawitdaba (Kid Rock)
8. Gabriel Gonzaga - Mother (Danzig)
9. Forrest Griffin - I'm Shipping Up to Boston (Dropkick Murphys)
10. Stephan Bonner - Eminence Front (The Who)
11. Marcus Davis - Jump Around (House of Pain)
12. Randy Couture - Back in the Saddle (Aerosmith)
13. Georges St. Pierre - Sans Pression (Numero Uno)
14. Amir Sadollah - To Forgive But Not Forget (Outside)
15. Michael Bisping - Song 2 (Blur)
16. Tyson Griffin - Eye of the Tiger (Survivor)
17. Martin Kampmann - Ladies and Gentlemen (Saliva)
18. Chuck Liddell - Intro (DMX)
19. Thomas Egan - Patience (Damien Dempsey)
20. Dan Hardy - England Belongs to Me (Cock Sparrer)
Some interesting choices.
Sound off in the comments section on who gets the vote for best (or baddest) musical entrance. Or if you're feeling creative, give us a song you think a fighter should have. Example: Forrest Griffin - "Cry Me A River" by Justin Timberlake for his post-fight breakdown at UFC 66.
Have at it.