5 UFC Fighters in movies you may have missed
From fighting for peanuts to making millions per fight; mixed martial artists have denounced claims of MMA being an exercise of human cockfighting. It's now viewed as the fastest growing sport in the world.
Becoming a fighter in itself is a ballsy decision, and succeeding as one is an honor reserved for elite athletes only. Some make it big by becoming icons of the sport while others diverge towards other outlets in order to make a living.
Show business has always been one of the most welcoming employment areas for MMA fighters. And we're not just talking about the ones that failed inside the cage of course, as many UFC legends have made a big splash in Hollywood. It's a no-brainer when you think from a casting director's perspective; MMA fighters make darn good action heroes!
This slider won't be taking an in-depth look at the stars who had a relatively well-known transition from the Octagon to the big screen, and, would rather be focussing on the little-known movie appearances that often go unnoticed. We have, however, listed down a few names and some of their notable movies too as honorable mentions for your convenience.
Honorable Mentions:
Georges St Pierre: Death Warrior, Kickboxer: Vengeance, Never Surrender, Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Randy Couture: The Expendables series, Cradle 2 The Grave, 3 Geezers, Hijacked, The Scorpion King 2
Ronda Rousey: The Expendables 3, Fast and Furious 7, Mile 22, Entourage
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson: The A-Team, The Midnight Meat Train, Vigilante Diaries and more
Oleg Taktarov: Air Force One, Bad Boys II, National Treasure, Miami Vice, Den of Thieves, The Death and Life of Bobby Z
Forrest Griffin: 13, Unrivaled, I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, Locked Down
Chuck Liddell: How High, Kick-Ass 2, War Pigs
Tito Ortiz: Zombie Strippers, Valley of the Wolves: Iraq, Vince Underground, The Dog Problem
Bas Rutten: Paul Blart: Mall Cop, The River Thief, Here Comes the Boom
Frank Mir: Force of Execution, Sharknado: The 4th Awakens, Redemption, Gutshot Straight
Don Frye: Godzilla: Final Wars, Big Stan, Miami Vice, Public Enemies, 13
Michael Bisping: xXx: Return of Xander Cage, My Name is Lenny, Den of Thieves
Let's jump straight into the list then...
#5 Urijah Faber
The California Kid may have never won the big one in the UFC but he is deservedly considered a pioneer amongst the Bantamweights. Faber announced his retirement from MMA after his win against Brad Pickett in December 2016, signing off with a solid record of 34 wins and 10 losses.
The UFC Hall of Famer manages to keep himself busy at his Team Alpha Male gym but has apparently, also set his sights on an acting career.
Faber appeared in the Dwayne Johnson-starrer Rampage as a mercenary named Garrick who gets hired to take down a 30-foot gorilla. The blink-and-you-miss scene sees Faber deliver one dialogue before being gobbled up by the giant monster in the movie.
This wasn't his first excursion into movies, however, as Faber has previously appeared in the movie Reach Me. His next movie, Deep Bay of Bengal, is currently in the pre-production phase and will be releasing in October 2019.
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