Road House: UFC’s Conor McGregor Left Hollywood ‘High and Dry’ Before Acting Debut

McGregor says he turned down a few roles for 'top-end' films.

Conor McGregor's acting career could have taken off way before 'Road House'. 

On Mar. 21, the world will be watching as the former two-division UFC Champion stars as 'Knox' and goes head-to-head with famous actor and protagonist Jake Gyllenhaal. The two tango in the remake of the 1989 movie starring the late Patrick Swayze. 

Video: UFC Star Conor McGregor Goes Wild in New 'Road House' Trailer

Before getting the call for 'Road House', McGregor reveals he was hit by several movie offers throughout his UFC career. 

Unfortunately for all those flicks, they weren't able to get their hands on 'The Notorious'. 

"I had turned down a good few roles in my time on the climb," McGregor told

Total Film

. "I’ve had directors show up at fight camp, really beautiful directors doing really top-end movies.

"And over and over, they’d come to me, and I always turned them down. I’d leave people a little high and dry. I probably have a few enemies out there that I don’t really know of because I had said, 'I might do it.'"

With several opportunities thrown at McGregor here and there to expand his horizons, the UFC superstar finally said yes whenever pitched a role in 'Road House'. It sounds like fighting an A-list actor such as Gyllenhaal (who plays an ex-UFC fighter) was enough to bring the Irishman onto the set.

Road House: New Look at Conor McGregor, Jake Gyllenhaal In UFC Hollywood "Chaos"

From going to real fights in the Octagon to choreographed scenes in Hollywood, McGregor is loving the experience so far.

"I was just in awe of it all, to be honest with you, the whole process," McGregor said of his acting debut. "I didn’t know how I was going to take to it. I didn’t know whether I was going to like it, to be honest.

"I’m a fighting man – that’s my bread and butter. It’s where I come from. I’m not an actor, but I’m show business. That was my vibe to it. I felt that. I enjoyed every second of it."

The Doug Liman-directed movie officially premieres on Mar. 8 at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, later to be streamed on Amazon Prime Video, much to the director's disapproval.

Conor McGregor's been on the sidelines since breaking his leg in a TKO defeat to Dustin Poirier in 2021. In his layoff, he honed his acting skills for 'Road House' and now prepares for a clash with Michael Chandler. 

No special effects will be needed for this super-fight, only a date and location, which we've been waiting on for far too long to be announced.

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