MMA Firghters who made it onto the Big Screen

For years WWE wrestlers have been having a go at acting roles; from Hogan to Cena, from Kane to The Rock. Some have been more successful than others; not everyone can reinvigorate the Fast and Furious franchise (yes, we're looking at you Mr Johnson). But the jump from wrestling entertainer to actor isn't so ridiculous. There is no doubt that professional wrestlers must be in shape (well mostly, *cough* Big Show *cough*) but we all know it's fake. Everything is scripted and performed according to some verbal agreement. So, it shouldn't be too much of a surprise when those athletes decide to take their acting skills from the squared circle to the big screen.


Now you're probably wondering what that has to do with the title of this article. Well, let me tell you. Lately, there has been a small, but significant, charge of MMA fighters towards the profession of acting. The warriors of the cage (I hate that term but only the UFC has an octagon) now want their chance to get in on the movie act. And, as with the WWE, some are more successful than others (who remembers Roger Huerta in Tekken... exactly!).

So, here is a mini list of MMA veterans who have made the leap (or maybe Superman punch) to the silver screen.

1) Ronda Rousey

There is no doubt that, at this precise moment in time, Ronda Rousey is hot property. She is the UFC Bantamweight Women's Champion, recently defeating Cat Zingano in just 14 seconds. Rousey also made an appearance at Wrestlemania XXXI to a massive pop. But it's her film career that is of greatest interest here.

She has already starred in Expendables 3, which although not the best film, was a great starting point for her. She has a few more pictures coming up including Entourage and, even more exciting, Fast and Furious 7. By the look of the trailer, she will get to utilise her skills in at least one big fight with Letty (Michelle Rodriguez). However, I'm just looking forward to seeing her on screen as I think she looks great and does the mean and moody thing to perfection!

2) Randy Couture

Couture came to MMA late, making his UFC debut at 33 and winning his first title at 34 years old. He has had a stormy relationship with UFC president Dana White but there can be no denying that Randy is an important part of UFC history.

Now, Couture has moved from fighting in the octagon to fighting in films, with Expendables 1, 2 and 3, plus Scorpion King 2, to name but a few of his movie ventures. Most recently he could be seen on the telly box in an episode of Hawaii Five-O as a sadistic pyromaniac. He has experience playing good guy and villain, of big film franchises and straight to DVD fare.

Here is Mr Couture and myself in 2010 - post Expendables and pre (another) falling out with Dana White. As you can see, he was extremely excited to meet me.

3) Gina Carano

Miss Carano was the original poster woman for MMA. Beautiful and deadly, Gina proved that female fighters did not have to look manly to be successful.

She is the only fighter on this list that has not fought in the UFC.

Her fighting career pretty much ended with her defeat to Cristiane 'Cyborg' Justino, but she swiftly  made the switch to acting.

She paved the way for Rousey's turn in Furious 7 by appearing in Fast and Furious 6, including a brutal fight with Michelle Rodriguez's Letty.

Unlike most other fighter-turn-actors, she has made it to leading lady status, taking major roles in films such as Steven Soderbergh's Haywire.  She is now also taking a step into comic book territory with Deadpool. Plus at one point she was Superman's girlfriend (OK, Henry Cavill, but close enough).

4) Cung Le

He may not the biggest name on the list, but Cung Le has certainly starred with some big names; Jean-Claude Van Damme, Channing Tatum and Russell Crowe to name but a few.
Trading on his martial arts prowess, Le hasn't stretched his acting chops too far but he has done well for himself. His next film (due for release next year) finds Cung Le moving into the sci-fi.

As for his MMA career, he retired in January of this year, 5 months after a huge loss to Michael Bisping (another fighter slowly transitioning to acting). However, just in case the roles start drying up, you should never say never.

5) Georges St-Pierre

Whilst not the most prolific actor on this list, he is certainly the best champion, defending his belt 9 successive times (2008-2013) before retiring. According to reports, he is thinking about a UFC return and the prospect is very exciting.

As for films, he has most recently starred in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, as Batroc, a villain who has a showdown with Cap early on in the movie. He may not have been on screen for long, but he looked good whilst on there.
Coming next is a role in the Kickboxer remake (also starring Gina Carano).


So there you have it, a small snippet of the MMA fighters trying their hand at movie acting. There have been far more than I could list here (Tito Ortiz, Keith Jardine, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, etc, etc, etc...).
 The MMA influence also extends to the films themselves, ranging from the serious (Warrior and Red Belt, to biographical (The Hammer) and even comedy (Here Comes The Boom).


I will be watching Fast and Furious 7 on Tuesday so expect a review here on Tuesday evening (UK time).