Dustin Poirier won’t be the only New Orleans icon walking to the cage for the UFC 318 main event on Saturday at the Smoothie King Center.
After teasing it in recent weeks, Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) confirmed Wednesday that rap legend Lil Wayne will walk out with him for his final UFC appearance. However, Poirier said he’s not straying from his traditional walkout track.
ter“It will be a little bit of James Brown, a little bit of Wayne,” Poirier told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference. “Yeah, Wayne’s walking out with me. … I have to [stick with the James Brown song]. I’ve paid the cost to be the boss. On my last one, I can’t go that far away from it. I need to hear that. I need to feel that vibe before I fight someone.”
Lil Wayne has long been a vocal UFC supporter and an avid Poirier fan, often posting about fights on social media. His appearance marks a rare celebrity walkout moment, though it’s unclear if he’ll perform during the entrance.
Historically, the UFC has discouraged live walkout performances, with a few exceptions — most notably at UFC 189, when Conor McGregor walked out to Sinead O’Connor singing “Foggy Dew.” More recently, celebrities like Jack Black, Kyle Gass (UFC 296), and Mark Zuckerberg (UFC 298) have accompanied fighters.
Poirier, 36, will face Max Holloway for the BMF title in Saturday’s main event, airing on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
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