Jake Gyllenhaal, Conor McGregor and ‘Road House’ remake: How UFC 285 served as filming backdrop
The following contains spoilers for the upcoming Road House remake
After UFC 285, everyone near the water fountains is talking about the return of Jon Jones and Alexa Grasso, who is ruining parlays everywhere by beating Valentina Shevchenko in a top contender for the Upset of the Year title. However, movie star Jake Gyllenhaal stole some of the headlines on fight night.
During UFC 285 fight week, Gyllenhaal appeared at various times for the company and filmed scenes for his “Road House” remake. Directed by Doug Liman.
Gyllenhaal plays the role of Elwood Dalton, a former UFC fighter-turned-bouncer in the Florida Keys.
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After the UFC 285 weigh-ins, Gyllenhaal weighs in himself against former UFC fighter Jay Hieron (27-3). Heiron plays the role of Jack Harris. They will fight for the middleweight title. Gyllenhaal beat Hieron before the fight, in front of real fans preparing for UFC 285.
UFC President Dana White is trying to calm things down between the two.
Filming resumed at UFC 285. Between the early FIGHT PASS prelims and the regular prelims, Gyllenhaal and Hieron competed in a match that was recorded for film. It seems to be the first minutes of the film. Gyllenhaal’s character is in trouble early in the fight, but later lands combos and a flying knee. However, the former continues to punch his opponent despite the referee’s warning, causing concern for everyone involved, especially his opponent who has gone down.
There are multiple angles of the film’s fight scenes. (Warning: Spoilers)
This isn’t the first time Gyllenhaal has appeared in a martial arts role. In 2015 he played Billy Hope in the boxing film Southpaw.
UFC fighter Conor McGregor also stars in the film. The former lightweight and featherweight champion, who is recovering from an injury sustained while fighting Dustin Poirier at UFC 286 in 2021, trains The Ultimate Fighter alongside Michael Chandler. Later that year, a fight ensues between the two. However, McGregor has not yet entered the USADA Testing pool to compete in the octagon.
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Ronda Rousey initially starred in the film in 2015 before being shelved by MGM. Amazon Studios, which bought MGM, greenlit the film in 2022, starring McGregor and Gyllenhaal.
When is the Road House remake release date?
Dubbed a “reimagining” of the original, no release date has been confirmed for “Road House.”
It is expected to be released early next year. The Sporting News will provide more information when a release date is announced.