In the current times, the sports and entertainment sphere has come to a cross-section. Athletes are often cast in movies or TV shows, but the same can’t be said for actors. After Dwayne Johnson a.k.a The Rock made it big in Hollywood, and Mike Tyson, it has become an option for many athletes to try their hands in the film industry. Likewise, MMA fighter Conor McGregor is also set to make his big Hollywood debut alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in the remake of the 1989 action classic Road House, per Deadline.
While athletes from varied sports may choose to step into Hollywood, UFC fighters particularly are pretty consistent at it. Here are 5 famous UFC athletes who made their acting debuts before Conor McGregor:
Anderson Silva
Brazilian-American MMA fighter Anderson Silva had a very successful athletic career, especially in the UFC sphere. Trained in multiple disciplines like Muay Thai, Taekwondo and Capoeira since young, it was not difficult for him to shin in the fighting sphere. Born into a humble family in Sau Paulo, his MMA career earned him massive recognition.
Silva went against notable fighters like Rich Franklin, Daniel Cormier, and Israel Adesanya, which vaulted him to worldwide fame and recognition. On the other hand, he made Hollywood features in Tapped out, Inferno: The Making of The Expendables in 2010 and 2009’s Never Surrender.
Kimbo Slice
The late MMA icon, Kimbo Ferguson, popularly known by his alias, Kimbo Slice, worked as a bouncer, driver, and bodyguard before he got into MMA. The Bahaman-born fighter immigrated to the U.S. as a youngster and studied criminal justice at the University of Miami. After completing his graduation on an athletic scholarship, he launched his successful fighting career with UFC, XC, and Bellator MMA.
Later on, he turned towards acting and appeared in The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption and Blood and Bone. However, a tragic heart attack cost him his life and the MMA sphere lost a celebrated fighter.
Ronda Rousey
Trained in Judo, Ronda Rousey kickstarted her MMA fighting career professionally in 2010. She trained with her mother since the age of 12 and was keen on pursuing fighting professionally. Sadly, she had a brief run in the sphere until 2016, after getting defeated by Holly Holm. Rousey had a hard time accepting her loss and revealed having suicidal and negative thoughts.
Thus, stepping away from the MMA sphere for good. Yet, life had other plans in store for her. Rousey’s charm was welcomed by Hollywood, getting featured in some of the industry’s biggest blockbusters. The former UFC fighter appeared in movies like Charlie’s Angels, The Expendables, and Furious 7.
Randy Couture
Along the lines of The Rock, Randy Couture was the first one to do it. Passionate for wrestling, Randy Couture pursued the sport and emerged as a State Champion in high school. Before launching his significant acting career, Couture also served in the U.S. Army while wrestling for the Army wrestling team.
In 1997, the actor made his pro-MMA debut, beating sturdy opponents like Chuck Liddell and Maurice Smith. The fighter-turned-actor has worked in several films, from The Expendables franchise to Big Stan, and Inferno, among others.
Chuck Liddell
The former generation of fans preceding that of Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor would know that Chuck Liddell was the face of UFC in the 2000s. He made his UFC entry in 1998 when he and Tito Ortiz were the real deal. Lidell’s UFC reign was smooth and mighty. He battled UFC greats like Randy Couture, Wanderlei Silva, and others, and shot to stardom.
Eventually, he announced his initial retirement in 2010 followed by his final one in 2020. Lidell returned to UFC for a rematch with Ortiz in 2014 but went home defeated giving way to his final retirement. Alongside fighting, Liddell also made film appearances in popular movies like Cradle 2 the Grave, How High, and War Pigs in addition to Riot, D-Day and UFC-themed Cagefighter.
