- Oleksandr Usyk became the undisputed world heavyweight champion last week
- The Ukrainian is now set to appear in a new Hollywood movie this December
- Usyk, 37, is expected to play a major role alongside Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
Oleksandr Usyk has landed a role in Hollywood as he gets set to make his acting debut.
Usyk is currently recovering from his blockbuster clash against Tyson Fury last Saturday, with the 37-year-old winning via split decision after the judges scored the bout 115-112, 113-114, 114-113.
The Ukrainian’s victory meant that he became the first boxer since Lennox Lewis in 1999 to unify the heavyweight division after taking the WBC title off Fury, which was added to his WBA (Super), WBO, IBF and IBO titles.
However, Usyk’s fame will soon go to a new level when he makes his Hollywood debut alongside Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson in ‘The Smashing Machine’, which will be released in December.
The film, which Johnson will produce, is a biopic of former UFC fighter Mark Kerr, who was renowned for his brutal fighting style.
Oleksandr Usyk has landed a role in Hollywood as he gets set to make his acting debut
He will make his film debut alongside Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson in ‘The Smashing Machine’
The film is a biopic ex-UFC fighter Mark Kerr, who was renowned for his brutal fighting style
Kerr, who will be played by Johnson, was active in the cage between 1997 and 2009, winning 15 of his 27 career fights and his nickname has been used as the title of the movie.
Usyk is set to play former Ukrainian MMA star Igor Vovchanchyn, who had two iconic showdowns against Kerr.
The American, who hails from Ohio, won the 2000 rematch after their first clash was deemed a no-contest when Kerr was knocked out by illegal knee strikes from Vovchanchyn.
Although it will be his acting debut, Usyk has switched career before when he signed for Ukrainian Premier League side FC Polissya Zhytomyr in 2023.
Usyk will play former Ukrainian MMA star Igor Vovchanchyn, who had two fights against Kerr
Meanwhile, Usyk won’t be the only fighter in the film, with former UFC heavyweight contender Ryan Bader set to star as Mark Coleman, who was Kerr’s mentor.
Oscar-nominated actress Emily Blunt will also feature as Kerr’s former wife Dawn Staples, with the film to be directed by Benny Safdie.
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