(Video courtesy of YouTube/MMAHeat)
Hopefully for Jon Jones’ sake the UFC fighter film curse doesn’t extend to him.
As we mentioned over the weekend, the UFC light heavyweight champion told Karyn Bryant last week that he was at Warner Bros. for a meeting to discuss the possibility of starring in one of the company’s upcoming films. Looking back at his fellow UFC fighters’ track records after starring in movies, “Bones” might want to think long and hard about whether or not he wants to become an actor at this point in his career.
Here’s the proof:
• When The Scorpion King 2 was released in 2008, Randy Couture lost back to back fights to Brock Lesnar and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Sure, he beat James Toney the same month that The Expendables was released, but since that one was more like a light sparring session we’ll look at the Machida fight as being the one that counts.
• Chuck Liddell dropped two straight to Quinton Jackson and Keith Jardine after The Life and Death of Bobby Z was released in 2007 and lost three in a row to Rashad Evans, Mauricio Rua and Rich Franklin after Drillbit Taylor hit theatres in 2008.
• After Cyborg Soldier was released, Rich Franklin lost to Dan Henderson.
• Quinton Jackson lost to Rashad Evans after Never Surrender was released. He won his first fight after the release of A-Team, but the split decision over Lyoto Machida was hotly contested and could have just as easily have gone to “The Dragon.”
• Tito Ortiz lost his next two fights and Chuck Liddell lost his UFC interim light heavyweight title bout to Randy Couture after Cradle 2 the Grave hit theatres in 2003.
• Ortiz hasn’t won a fight since appearing in Zombie Strippers in 2008.
• Keith Jardine lost four in a row and was dropped from the UFC roster after Crank: High Voltage came out in 2009.
*As an aside, Karyn likes CP and thinks we’re hilarious….