Shoeys, backflips and dances: Best signature celebrations in UFC history

Along the road to making the shoey his signature celebration, Tuivasa has endured some bumpy twists -- and not just the losses in his three most recent fights. Among his UFC victories, all but one have been knockouts, which have propelled Tuivasa up onto the cage to toast his fans with a brewski served in a tankard made of leather and laces. But following his one decision win, against Andrei Arlovski in 2018, a more subdued Tuivasa used his postfight interview in the Octagon to politely ask commentator Joe Rogan for his shoe. Rogan smiled knowingly and shut down the fun, saying, "I'm not lending you my shoe. I've got to walk around in that thing."

Then there was the night in 2021 when, fighting on the undercard of the third Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor bout, Tuivasa got the crowd extra energized for the main event by knocking out controversial NFL castoff Greg Hardy. Tuivasa jumped up on the cage to celebrate with a shoey, then did three more while walking back to the dressing room. In the last shoe he was handed by a fan in the stands, there was not just beer -- but hot sauce. "Disgraceful. Disgusting," Tuivasa said later that night at the post-fight press conference. "I think it was Poirier's, too. Blech!"

Clearly, the gentleman is a craft beer connoisseur.

Not all victory celebrations in MMA are as just-do-it attainable as the shoey. Some require as much athleticism as is called upon in a fight, maybe even more. Some take much practice, while others appear spontaneous. Some are disrespectful, others exhibit the height of respect. Here are some of the most notable postfight revelries, past and present.

Present-day celebrations

Greatest in the whirl: Valentina Shevchenko's dance

When Shevchenko wins -- which has happened a lot for the former longtime UFC women's flyweight champion -- she celebrates in the center of the Octagon with a spinning dance that pays tribute to the culture of her upbringing. Shevchenko is from the Central Asia republic of Kyrgyzstan, and the traditional dance is known as the Lezginka, which derives from the adjacent Caucasus region. It's typically a couples dance in which the woman moves gracefully, like a swan. If you enjoy watching Shevchenko twirl, credit her mother, who made Valentina and her sister, fellow UFC fighter Antonina, take up dance at a young age because "she didn't want us to lose our femininity," Shevchenko told Sports Illustrated several years ago. "So we have to do both things: martial arts and dance."

Sticking the landing: Justin Gaethje's backflip

Gaethje's UFC debut in 2017 was exhilarating and exhausting. The fans were roaring throughout his fight with Michael Johnson, and when Gaethje got the finish late in Round 2, it was evident from his posture that he had used up all of his energy. He took a deep breath and tried to climb onto the cage, but fell before reaching the top. He tried again and fell again. Finally, on his third climb, Gaethje reached the top and went into a glorious backflip, sticking the landing. This became Gaethje's ritual after a knockout -- although he now reserves enough energy to make it on the first try. However, the celebration is a no-go in Las Vegas, as the Nevada State Athletic Commission deems it too dangerous. Gaethje's response to that in an interview with Fox Sports: "They let us get punched and kicked and kneed in the face, and then we can't jump off the damn cage."

The early bird catches it: Johnny Walker's worm

If you think a backflip off the top of the cage is dangerous, watch out for the worm. When Walker made quick work of Misha Cirkunov in 2019, finishing him in 38 seconds with a flying knee followed by punches, the Brazilian celebrated by flopping down onto the canvas to go into the rippling dance known as the worm. It's a move that has been around for a century and, after being popular during the punk rock era of the 1970s, became a staple of breakdancing. But when Walker hit the mat after the Cirkunov win, he separated his left shoulder. Ever since he healed, though, Walker has continued to pull out the worm for his celebrations -- just more gently. Before one bout, he assured ESPN, "I have practiced it very safely, very slowly." A worm at a snail's pace?

Spontaneous combustion: Israel Adesanya's animation

Like in a fight, you never know what's coming next with Adesanya. His choreographed walkouts are different every time, and so are his celebrations. When he knocked out Robert Whittaker in 2019 to win the UFC middleweight championship, Adesanya pantomimed WWE wrestler Batista's machine gun entrance. He shot an imaginary bow and arrow, breakdanced, and mimicked his favorite characters from anime cartoons. Adesanya outdid himself with his most recent celebration, after knocking out Alex Pereira a year ago. After "shooting" not one, not two, but three arrows toward Pereira, Adesanya pointed into the crowd and dropped to the canvas, stiffened. He later revealed that he was pointing at Pereira's young son, who, back in 2017, had entered a kickboxing ring after his dad knocked out Adesanya and similarly flopped to the canvas. It was time for payback against the kid. "I'm petty," Adesanya said with a smile.

Old-school celebrations

Respect vs. disrespect: Lyoto outclasses Tito

Around the turn of the century, Tito Ortiz became known for celebrating his UFC finishes by pantomiming the digging of a grave, dragging his fallen opponent into the hole, then covering him with dirt. This attention grabber was highly disrespectful, but that's Ortiz for you.