Conor McGregor: ‘We Made Magic’ in Road House Movie, but UFC Run ‘Far From Over'
Lights, camera, action. Conor McGregor has shown he can do it all.
From two world championships to box-office fights with the best in the business, the UFC superstar hasn't been one to shy away from a challenge. Just ask Floyd Mayweather, who welcomed McGregor to the boxing ring in 2017.
The latest endeavor for 'The Notorious' doesn't come inside the Octagon, nor the squared circle, however. McGregor instead takes the movie industry by storm, landing the role of 'Knox' in the 'Road House' remake starring Jake Gyllenhaal.
"Only the location, the backstory and the names have changed. Everything else is the same old bloody-knuckled joy ride," Rolling Stone film critic David Fear wrote of the movie.
The film premiered at the SXSW Festival on Friday as the rest of the world waits to watch it on Mar. 21 on Amazon Prime Video.
McGregor (22-6) actually battles co-star Gyllenhaal in 'Road House' and has high praise for how the choreographed fights came out in the finished product.
"For real, I've never seen fight scenes like that in any movie," McGregor told Extra, when asked about the movie's fight scenes. "The connection on the target and the sound and the speed and the place. I've never seen it anything like that in a movie.
"That's a hat tip to Garrett Warren and his stunt team who were very helpful for us too, all of us on set and we made magic on that movie."
Working alongside Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler, Donnie Darko) in his acting debut, McGregor says he couldn't have gotten along better with the A-list movie star:
"He has 75 movies under his belt. I have 75 bar fights under my belt. We were a perfect combination together. and the whole cast were very patient with me and, very helpful to me. I was very blessed, very lucky to, to land where I landed in this business."
Regarding his arrival in Hollywood, McGregor thought his role as 'Knox' was much smaller than he anticipated. But, as the UFC got more involved in the movie, the script apparently changed for the former champion.
"Originally I was to come in, kind of like the similar setup to Post Malone," McGregor revealed. "It would've been in and out in a short bit and then they kind of kept adding more and more."
With the film wrapped up, McGregor leaves the door open for both acting as well as fighting in the UFC– where he is 'eager to get back.'
"Without spoiling it, there potentially is an opportunity maybe for something down the line, I dunno. Right now I've got the promotional work here. I've got St. Patrick's Week, St. Patrick's Month, [as] we like to celebrate it in Ireland. I'm gonna enjoy myself. And after that, then hopefully I get a fight date booked and I'm looking to compete a couple of times by the end of the year, I'd love two fights in by the end of the year and then after that, who knows?"
I'll tell you what was one hell of experience, you know, such I met so many great friends and I'm enjoying the whole process and the public haven't seen it yet... I'll wait until I see how the reaction is and what way I feel about it. And then I'll make a decision [if I want to act again]. 'm in a blessed spot. I'm so thankful for it. But for me, my game inside that octagon is far from over and I'm eager to get back."
You can watch Conor McGregor in 'Road House' on Mar. 21 on Prime Video.
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