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Lil Wayne Will Walk Out With Legendary Fighter Dustin Poirier for UFC 318 Sendoff

Jul 16, 2025 5:47 PM EDT

Dustin Poirier’s final UFC walk is building up to be a legendary affair, as the Louisiana native confirmed hip hop icon and New Orleans native Lil Wayne will join him for his retirement fight at UFC 318 this Saturday in New Orleans.

Poirier, who has long been associated with James Brown’s “The Boss” as his walkout anthem, revealed during a pre-fight press conference that he’ll blend his classic tune with Lil Wayne’s presence for a truly unforgettable moment.

He confirmed, “It will be a little bit of James Brown, a little bit of Wayne. Yeah, Wayne’s walking out with me.”

The collaboration marks a full-circle moment for Poirier, who made his UFC debut in 2012, walking out to Lil Wayne’s “Drop the World.” Now, 13 years later, the two Louisiana icons will unite again as Poirier closes his storied UFC career.

Watch the full press conference here:

Porier did, however, confirm that he will stick with James Brown for the walkout song, saying, “I mean, I have to. 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.”

Back in April, Dustin revealed to Ariel Helwani that he extended a special invitation to the rapper to walk him out for his retirement bout.

Live musical performances during UFC walkouts are rare, and the promotion has historically avoided them except for special cases like Conor McGregor’s UFC 189 entrance, when the late Sinead O’Connor sang while McGregor made his walk to the Octagon.

It’s still unclear whether or not Lil Wayne will be performing at all, but fans will see come Saturday night how he is incorporated into Poirier’s walkout.

With Lil Wayne involved, visibility on Poirier’s retirement fight will likely increase, and the stakes will rise even higher. Despite this, Poirier remains focused on his opponent, Max Holloway, and leaving the sport on his terms, surrounded by the people and moments that defined his career.