Top Five Movies Starring UFC Fighters
The UFC has grown in popularity over the years and many UFC stars have become household names. Due to this popularity, Hollywood has taken notice and several UFC fighters have taken on the challenge of acting in blockbuster movies. The following is our top five favorite UFC fighter appearances on the big screen.
Ronda Rousey is one of the best-known female fighters on the planet, and her popularity and toughness landed her a role in the seventh installment of the "Fast and the Furious" franchise. Playing the role of Kara, Rousey displayed her fighting skills in an epic fight with Letty Ortiz, played by Michelle Rodriguez throughout the franchise. In this notable fight scene, Rodriguez asked Rousey not to pull her punches but actually hit her in order to make the fight look as realistic as possible. Rodriguez was left bruised and battered, but the two pulled off one of the most viewed scenes of the film.
Rousey also made an appearance in the "Entourage" movie playing herself. Her fighting skills were on display in this movie as well, as she defeats Turtle in an incredibly short bout.
"The Expendables" grouped together some of the best action stars of the 80's and 90's. The cast was led by Sylvester Stallone, but also featured Jason Stratham, Jet Li and Dolph Lundgren. UFC legend Randy Couture also joins the action in "The Expendables" and the rest of the trilogy as Toll Road. Toll Road is part of the main squad and serves as Stallone's demolition expert, and in a movie where everything blows up at one point or another, Couture sees quite a bit of screen time considering the more experienced cast of headliners.
Couture has also made TV appearances on "The King of Queens" and "Hawaii Five-0" and has played roles in several other movies on the big screen.
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson played a major role in the 2010 blockbuster adaptation of the 1980's classic TV show "The A-Team". Jackson played B.A. Baracus, famously portrayed by Mr. T on the original show. Jackson joins a stellar cast in this reboot that features Liam Neeson as Hannibal, Bradley Cooper as Face and Sharlto Copley as Murdock.
Rampage has a few other credits to his name including "Fire with Fire" starring Bruce Willis and Josh Duhamel.
While not the "big bad" of the superhero film, George St. Pierre plays villain Georges Batroc early in "Winter Soldier" as Captain America infiltrates a hijacked military ship to rescue S.H.I.E.L.D. hostages. While Pierre only appears early in the film, he does get a chance to show off his fighting skills as Batroc squares off against Captain America played by Chris Evans.
Georges Batroc, or Batroc the Leaper, has recurring appearances as a mid-level villain in Marvel Comics, so it's plausible that we could once again see George St. Pierre take on the role in a later Marvel project.
Up until now, all of the UFC fighters turned actors we've mentioned have gravitated towards action films, but Bas Rutten took to the big screen in a couple of comedies starring Kevin James.
In "Paul Blart: Mall Cop", Rutten plays a drill instructor as Kevin James' Paul Blart character attempts to pass the physical to become a member of the New Jersey police force. Ruttens doesn't have a very large role in the movie, but he'll be brought back to reprise his character in "Paul Blart 2".
"Here Comes the Boom" is another Kevin James comedy, but this film does center on the MMA fighting scene. In this comedy, Bas Rutten plays Niko, a trainer and supporter of James' character. Kevin James' character, Scott Voss, is a biology teacher on a mission to raise money for his high-school by competing in MMA fights.
Besides these two comedies, Bas Rutten has appeared in several other TV shows and movies. Rutten also appeared in "The Zookeeper" and "Kevin Can Wait", both also featuring Kevin James.
Chuck Liddell has also taken the time to try his hand in Hollywood. One of his earliest appearances occurs in the Method Man and Red Man comedy "How High". Liddell is simply listed as "tough guy" in the credits and sees very little screen time, but he is very recognizable in the movie.
Liddell went on to play himself in "Kick Ass 2". In this movie, average citizens become masked crusaders to take out a supervillain plaguing the city.
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