3. Peter Queally vs. Patricky Freire | Bellator 270 (Nov. 5, 2021)
We've mentioned under the eighth-place entry that “Zombie” by The Cranberries, an iconic song by an Irish band about a tragic period in Irish history, had been used by an Irish fighter at an Irish MMA event before. However, none was more effective than Queally walking out to it for the Bellator 270 main event against “Patricky Pitbull.” While the crowd might have cheered Aisling Daly's use of it for a UFC card, its reaction for Queally was of a different magnitude, as thousands of fans enthusiastically sang their lungs out to the lyrics the whole way through, and continued to sing the refrain a capella even after the fight started. It's a crowd reaction unlike any other on this list, and gave it a unique feel, as it felt like all those Irish fans were accompanying Queally to the cage. Also, circumstances matter. Daly used it on the prelims of one of the weakest UFC Fight Night cards ever. Queally used the track as the headliner of a Bellator card, with the vacant lightweight world championship on the line. It was the last, most important battle of the event, and added an extra gravity to what was already an outstanding, memorable walk-out.
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