Rap star Eminem transformed himself into a UFC fighter this weekend, sort of.
Em debuted his new music video for “Higher” on ABC during the countdown to UFC’s 257 featuring a rematch between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor.
The video features a montage of UFC footage, centering around Eminem, comparing the rapper to a world-class athlete.
The video shows the similarities between a musician preparing for a big performance, and how an athlete trains and gets ready for a competition.
UFC honcho Dana White makes a cameo in the video for higher, as does ESPN commentator Michael Eaves.
“It’s always been amazing to be able to work with Eminem for promotional and programming content on various ESPN properties over the years,” said Kevin Wilson, ESPN music director. “To be able to work on this video together with his team – not only featuring our team’s great UFC coverage but also debuting it exclusively on ABC is just invaluable.”
“Higher” is a song on the Detroit rapper’s latest release Music to be Murdered By – Side B.
Eminem’s decision to debut “Higher” during UFC comes on the heels of his promotional spots during UFC 246 and UFC 248.