During the continuation of its historic 50th season Saturday, NBC sketch comedy show “Saturday Night Live” took aim at the UFC.
Harnessing the absurd vocal talent of guest host Ariana Grande, a master impressionist, a pre-taped commercial spoof had the singer playing another legendary musician, Canadian singer Celine Dion – of whom Grande does a spot-on impression.
In the bit, Grande plays Dion doing a promo for UFC 308, which takes place Oct. 26 in Abu Dhabi. She sings parts from Dion’s 1996 cover of “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” but changes the words to make them appropriate for the octagon.
While swapping out original verse for things like “There was breaking of bones, and there were knees to the balls,” Grande sings over vintage UFC highlights. “A woman with the tightest French braids – and the flattest face” is former women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the highlights. “An angry man with a cauliflower ear and a sideways nose” is Mike Perry. The hush of the crowd as a 300-pound Bosnian vomits up his own teeth. This is the UFC.”
The spoof even gives a playful nudge at the UFC’s revoloving-door broadcast booth and its “dozens of commentators, all bald and in the shiniest of shirts.”
Check out the video from Season 50 of “Saturday Night Live” above with host Grande. The episode also featured musical guest Stevie Nicks.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
