Fans got a glimpse of Conor McGregor‘s silver screen acting debut when the trailer for ‘Road House’, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, was released on Thursday – with the UFC fighter headbutting his Hollywood co-star in a dramatic scene.
The remake of the 1989 classic starring Patrick Swayze casted The Notorious to antagonize Gyllenhaal’s character, Elwood Dalton.
McGregor makes a strong impression in his role as Dalton’s nemesis – he squares up to him and delivers a brutal headbutt to open their first fight scene.
‘I got a tip for ya, don’t let no one get this close,’ McGregor says before driving his head into Gyllenhaal’s face as the trailer moves into a fight montage.
The fight is foreshadowed by McGregor walking up to the Roadhouse in the Florida Keys while holding a hammer. The sequence cuts to a close up shot of McGregor’s villainous smile as he walks into the establishment with ill intentions.
Conor McGregor is in the new Road House trailer, where he stars opposite Jake Gyllenhaal
The UFC star headbutts Gyllenhaal when they square up at one point in the new trailer
Fighting, acting, there’s nothing this Mac can’t do! Here’s the trailer featuring my brother, Jake Gyllenhaal, and me going toe-to-toe in the wildest action movie ever – Road House! My acting debut is gonna leave a mark! Long live Knox!” Road House is open for business March 21… pic.twitter.com/0DaNup9MWj
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) January 25, 2024
Gyllenhaal and McGregor promoted the film while they filmed through UFC 285 in March
‘I got a tip for ya, don’t let no one get this close,’ McGregor says before delivering a headbutt as the trailer moves into a fight montage. ‘Hey fellas, looks like you’re having a smashing night,’ he says while going on a rampage and smashing tables to get the protagonist’s attention.
Details on McGregor’s character are not fully revealed. However, the script indicates that the villain’s name is ‘Knox’.
‘Once Knox is on the job, it’s over baby,’ he says in one of the scenes.
The UFC was also involved in the movie’s production as Gyllenhaal’s character appears to be an ex UFC fighter. The film shot fight and weigh-in scenes through UFC 285 in March with McGregor heavily involved in the marketing efforts.
The movie was shot in the middle of McGregor’s hiatus after breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. The former two-division champion is yet to see the Octagon since.
McGregor has not fought in the UFC since losing his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier in 2021
McGregor has been away from the Octagon ever since he broke his lower leg against Poirier
The UFC pinned McGregor against Michael Chandler in the last season of The Ultimate Fighter
McGregor, however, recently teased his return bout for International Fight Week on June 29th.
In a video posted on New Year’s Eve, McGregor announced that he will be fighting Michael Chandler at 185 lbs in Las Vegas.
UFC chief Dana White has since denied McGregor’s claims. However, the UFC made promising efforts to promote the fight despite seemingly struggling to cement an agreement.
McGregor and Chandler opposed each other as coaches on the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show. The series has long been used to promote bouts by pinning fighters against each other as coaches before they square off in the cage.
While uncertainty remains about his UFC return, McGregor’s acting debut premiers on Amazon Prime on March 21.