Sylvester Stallone announced on Twitter on Tuesday that UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey champion will join the cast of “Expendables 3,” which begins filming next month in Los Angeles.
“Ronda Rousey will show championship form in Expendables 3,” Stallone tweeted. “So will multi-champion Victor Ortiz.”
The movie, which is also slated for filming in Sofia, Bulgaria, features a cast that includes Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jason Statham.
This will be the acting debut for Rousey, who has been in negotiations for a variety of roles in recent months, including the next remake of “The Fast and Furious” series.
According to UFC President Dana White, filming of the movie won’t impact Rousey’s scheduled title defenseagainst Miesha Tate, scheduled on Dec. 28 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
“That’s why I said, `Yes,” said White via text message. “Ronda listens, unlike others.”
The movie is scheduled to be released on Aug. 15, 2014.
Rousey becomes the second female MMA superstar to break into movies at a high level. Gina Carano, the biggest star before Rousey, broke into the movie world with a starring role in “Haywire,” and appeared most recently in “Fast and Furious 6.” It was one of the biggest box office movies of the year.