- Conor McGregor, 34, has revealed he is focused on “getting back into the fight” despite starring in his first feature film alongside Jake Gyllenhaal.
- In a video interview obtained by DailyMail.com, the UFC fighter sang Gyllenhaal’s praises, saying: “Wonderful man. Great guy. He is very patient with me, helpful”
- McGregor, who is set to return in a fight against Michael Chandler later this year, also revealed that Nick Diaz was his most impressive opponent to date.
Conor McGregor has spoken about his film debut alongside heavyweight actor Jake Gyllenhaal – but the MMA star has admitted he has no plans to return to acting any time soon.
The 34-year-old UFC fighter is set to appear in Amazon’s remake of the 1989 action film Road House, starring Gyllenhaal, Daniela Melchior and Billy Magnussen.
Not much is known about his role so far, but he will be playing an original character rather than himself in the film, according to Deadline.
In a video interview obtained by DailyMail.com, McGregor opened up about working with the Oscar-nominated star, 42, who he described as very “helpful” while filming his first feature film.
“Wonderful man. Great guy. He’s very patient with me, helpful,” she told reporter Adam Glyn in New York this week.
“We shot some good stuff for the movie and we can’t wait to see it come to fruition.”
The film’s premise is a “reimagined” take on the original and follows Gyllenhaal’s character (Elwood Dalton) who takes a job as a bouncer at a roadhouse located in the Florida Keys, only to soon discover that all is not as it should be. it looks.
But when asked if there were more acting projects for him in the works, McGregor replied: “Fight. I really want to get back into the game now.’
He added: “Everything is moving very, very well. I had a great experience with the Ultimate Fighter reality show. Some big fights on the show, they had some great training with the young hungry guys. And yes, [the] facing me [Michael] Chandler, I’m excited to get started.”
However, McGregor has been out of action since July 2021 after breaking his leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier.
He is currently a coach on the ESPN+ reality series The Ultimate Fighter and is set to have his comeback fight against Michael Chandler later this year.
He has also revealed he wants a shot at the welterweight title – if he beats Chandler in his long-awaited return to the octagon.
Speaking on The MMA Hour on Thursday, McGregor revealed he had agreed to a third fight with Nate Diaz, but Chandler stepped in at the end to set up a fight with the Irishman.
“Originally it was to be against Nate. It was Nate, me against Nate,” he stated during the interview.
“So I didn’t mind who he was up against, to be honest, and I don’t mind who I’m going to fight, that’s widely known. So I had agreed to it, it was Nate, it was like a day or two ago, now it’s Michael Chandler.
“I’m not sure what went into that ending, but it was me versus Chandler, and that’s it. No problem, I’m happy with it.
But speaking to Glyn, the Dublin-born winger admitted that it is Diaz he considers his most impressive and skilled opponent.
“Diaz was a tough guy and I’m looking forward to finishing that trilogy against Nate at some point in the game, for sure,” he said.
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