Finding success as an MMA fighter took commitment, determination, and skill, so it only made sense that many acclaimed fighters later transferred these talents to the world of acting. With acclaimed roles in action, comedy, dramas, and sci-fi, several high-profile fighters have carved out second careers for themselves in Hollywood after already making sports history with impressive runs in MMA organizations like the UFC. While MMA fighters who transitioned into acting have had their fair share of controversies, that did not stop them from breaking into the world of film and television.
The best MMA fighters-turned-actors have held multiple championship titles and were regarded as some of the greatest fighters who ever lived. With the acting debut of the notorious UFC champion Conor McGregor opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in Road House, it made sense to look back on the other fighters who have had a similar career trajectory. The best MMA fighters-turned-actors were athletes who took the unstoppable determination they showcased in the ring and applied it to their new careers on the screen.
The Russian MMA fighter Oleg Taktarov relocated to the USA in the early 1990s to become an actor, but his lack of English fluency meant that he instead initially pursued a fighting career in America (via BJJ Tribes.) Billed as “The Russian Bear”, Taktarov quickly fought his way through the Ultimate Fighting Championship and was even the victor of the UFC 6 tournament in 1995. In 2003, with an impressive fighting career behind him, Taktarov temporarily retired from MMA fighting and began to pursue his original plan and worked as an actor in many movies.
Taktarov has worked with many acclaimed actors, such as opposite Harrison Ford in Air Force One, played a part in Righteous Kill with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, and even turned up in Bad Boys II with Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. An accomplished star in his own right, Taktrarov was the lead in Absolute Force and starred in the Russian TV series Ex-Wife. A legend in the ring, Taktarov can confidently state that he achieved his goal of making it as an actor in the United States.
The mixed martial arts heavy-weight champion Chuck Liddel was a major contributor to bringing MMA into the mainstream and was a significant figure in the world of fighting. Dubbed “The Iceman”, Liddell had an impressive career that saw him inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame with an overall record of 21–9, 13 of which came by way of knockout. While Liddell had some acting roles during his fighting career, after his retirement in 2010 he shifted his focus to working in film and television.
While Liddell’s earliest roles focused on his brash persona, such as being a tough guy in How High, or a cage fighter in Cradle 2 the Grave, in later roles he stretched himself further as Gung-Ho in The Ballad of G.I. Joe or Sergeant McGreevy in War Pigs. Liddell was perhaps best known for playing himself on screen, such as in Kick-Ass 2 where he helped train Chris D’Amico in his mission to become a superhero. With a wealth of roles behind him, Liddell was one of the most interesting MMA fighters turned actors out there.
The UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson and was a former mixed martial artist and professional wrestler known for his aggressive fighting style. With an outgoing and charismatic personality, Jackson was always a likable fighter whose adaptability and communication skills were highly transferrable to the world of film and television. With an impressive fight record that saw 34 wins against 14 losses, Jackson had the nickname “Rampage” as he tore through so many opponents throughout his impressive career as an MMA fighter.
While maintaining his fighting career, Quinton always kept one foot in the world of acting with appearances including Jackass, King of Queens, and The Cleveland Show. Quinton also pursued larger roles, like B.A. Baracus in the 2010 remake of The A-Team and appeared in several direct-to-video releases, like Fire with Fire starring Bruce Willis and the fighting film Never Back Down: No Surrender. With an impressive ability to juggle both a fighting and an acting career, Quinton found success across the board.
Gino Carano was one of the most recognizable MMA fighters to successfully transition from the world of fighting into major acting roles with parts in Fast & Furious 6, Deadpool, and The Mandalorian. Often referred to as the face of women’s MMA, along with Cris Cyborg, Carano was the first woman to headline a major MMA event during the 2009 Strikeforce bout. Following her defeat by Cryborg, Carano retired from the ring and shifted her focus entirely to the screen.
Having landed several major roles in acclaimed franchises, Carano’s acting career looked set to equal that of her time in the ring. However, following controversial social media posts, Carano was fired from The Mandalorian, and she later filed a lawsuit against Disney for what she perceived as an unfair dismissal (via The Guardian.) It’s difficult to know how this will affect Carano’s career moving forward, but she has not appeared in any film or television projects since 2022.
Having fought in both the UFC and WWE, Ronda Rousey was one of the most recognizable female fighters in the world and for a long time held the record for most UFC title defenses, until her record of six was surpassed by Valentina Shevchenko in 2022. As the only woman to be a champion in both the UFC and WWE, it’s even more impressive that Rousey carved out a third career for herself as an actress. Dubbed the best female athlete of all time by an ESPN poll, Rousey has managed to juggle her acting and fighting careers simultaneously.
Rousey’s first major acting appearance was alongside action movie legends Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, and Jet Li, in the star-studded sequel The Expendables 3, where she played a nightclub bouncer recruited by Bonaparte. Rousey followed this up with roles in Furious 7, Entourage, Mile 22, and Charlie’s Angels. With serious screen potential and a clear steely determinism, there’s no telling where Rousey could go next, given her already impressive career and success streaks.
The notorious UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor was known for his brooding controversial presence inside and outside of the ring. An abrasive, trash-talking, and over-the-top fighter, McGregor hailed from Ireland and was a major contributor to the popularization of MMA fighting around the world. Having already made his mark on popular culture through high-profile fights, and even a foray into boxing with a highly anticipated match against Floyd Mayweather, McGregor recently made his acting debut in a major Hollywood production.
As of 2024, McGregor has had one film role as the highly memorable villain in the Jake Gyllenhaal remake Road House. McGregor leaned into his tough guy persona to play Knox, an unstoppable fighting machine intent on taking down Gyllenhaal’s character Dalton at all costs. As the standout performance in RoadHouse, McGregor showed real acting potential and was perfectly cast as a mean-spirited, trash-talking, and quick-to-violence antagonist. The reception to McGregor’s role in Road House was good and could signal the dawning of a new era for the fighter’s career.
Georges St-Pierre was widely regarded as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time and was a three-time former UFC Welterweight Champion who ranked number one in the world in his weight category for many years. St-Pierre’s initially retired in 2013 while holding the record for most wins in title bouts after defending his title nine consecutive times over 2,024 days. Having already made fighting history, St-Pierre’s shifted his focus to acting and has even joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
St-Pierre’s most significant role came in 2014 with the release of Captain America: The Winter Solider where he played the Algerian mercenary and pirate Georges Batroc. St-Pierre’s has reprised his role on Disney+ in The Falcon and the Winter Solider, as well as the alternative history animated series What If…? St Pierre’s showed great acting potential through his appearances in the MCU as well as other roles like in Kickboxer: Vengeance and Cartels.
The most impressive MMA fighter turned actor has to be Randy Couture who managed to follow up one of the most impressive fighting careers of all time with an equally varied and interesting filmography. A three-time Heavyweight Champion, two-time Lightweight Champion, and interim Light Heavyweight Champion, Couture had a stunning career in the UFC and continued his association with the world of fighting as a commentator and analyst for the Professional Fighters League. Not only this, but Couture has also appeared in several acclaimed film and television roles.
Couture has worked with the biggest action stars the world has ever seen through his appearances as the demolition expert Toll Road in every Expendables movie. Couture showcased that he had the skills to be a leading man with his starring role in Hijacked, opposite Dominic Purcell. With appearances in action movies, comedies, dramas, and even Westerns, since moving on from his fighting career, Couture jumped headfirst into the world of acting to great success.
Sources: BJJ Tribes, The Guardian, ESPN