Conor McGregor, Jake Gyllenhaal Reveal How Road House ‘Almost Lost’ UFC's Blessing

'The UFC didn't really want that', McGregor said of the promotion's involvement in his new movie.

The UFC nearly pulled the rug out from under Hollywood.

For Doug Liman's 'Road House,' it was essential that the premier MMA promotion would take part in the new movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal and their very own superstar, Conor McGregor.

Road House: Jake Gyllenhaal on Getting ‘Clocked’ by Conor McGregor, Training for ‘UFC Debut'

Gyllenhaal takes on the lead role of Elwood Dalton, an ex-UFC fighter who brings order to a rowdy Florida Keys roadhouse against the likes of antagonists such as McGregor's 'Knox.'

One of the star's scenes came in front of a live audience at UFC 285 where Gyllenhaal made the walk as a UFC fighter all the way to the Octagon for a choreographed fight with former fighter Jay Hieron.

Jake Gyllenhaal wins as he brutally knocks out the middleweight champion #UFC285 pic.twitter.com/lk1jRUg52Q

— Chisanga Malata (@Chisanga_Malata) March 5, 2023

"I was high for four days," Gyllenhaal told GQ Sports of the experience filming at UFC 285.

"That does happen," UFC veteran McGregor replied to his co-star. "I don't sleep for about 48 hours, at least I can believe it. Even probably more. You're just full of adrenaline.

The UFC's involvement in the 'Road House remake' sets it apart from the original 1989 flick starring Patrick Swayze, however there is one key element that remains the same about the film and the UFC was close to not having it.

"It was hit and miss at times, wasn't it? It was gonna be maybe XFC or something like that. But, 'cause obviously Dalton's history,

the story is he's killed somebody

and the UFC didn't really want that," McGregor explained.

"I was like, hold on, well maybe let's veer away from that. But, now that had to be the story. So, we got there in the end, but it was almost lost. The planned trip almost fell through in the end. But, thankfully we got there. Everyone knows the Octagon, that walk, It's iconic and it just livens, the movie just comes to life then."

McGregor saying 'locking down' the UFC for a collaboration of this magnitude 'was all so worth it.'

Road House: UFC Cuts Jake Gyllenhaal Epic Fight Promo Ahead of McGregor Faceoff

Gyllenhaal echoes that the promotion's involvement in 'Road House' was crucial to his character Dalton's backstory and introduction into the film.

"Well, it was important from the very beginning that we have the UFC involved because obviously my character was written as a character who was an ex UFC fighter and it was just essential to it."

"The energy was so incredible," Gyllenhaal recalled filming his UFC fight scene. "It was like everything worked in the right way and it takes a village to do something like that because essentially all we had was we were told by UFC, we had either anything between 45 seconds to seven and a half minutes, depending on how far the other fights went."

Jake Gyllenhaal dives into playing the cool-headed, yet deadly Dalton, and how his take on the fan-favorite character compares to that of the late Patrick Swayze in 1989.

"I think there's an essential part of Dalton that I loved, and it was definitely a characteristic, a personality trait that Patrick had in spades, which is this sort of quiet patience," Gyllenhaal told

Total Film.



"What I love about the original Dalton and also this one is that, the Dalton, that I play as I think a bit of more absurd humor to him, is sort of his observations are always a bit rye. But, I love that there's a real power in his stillness and I definitely brought that from, from Patrick's interpretation."

'Road House' is available to watch on Prime Video on Thursday, Mar. 21.

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