Conor McGregor is just three days into his reign as undisputed UFC featherweight champion, and he already has Hollywood beating down his doors. The Irish striker is now attached to two A-list celebrities and will likely be appearing on the silver screen soon.
The first is Vin Diesel. According to TMZ.com, McGregor has verbally agreed to appear in the upcoming xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. Diesel first hinted that he was interested in casting McGregor for a role in the film on Instagram on Monday.
There’s no news on what sort of role McGregor would play, but we’ve seen Diesel starring in films alongside mixed martial artists in the past. Former EliteXC and Strikeforce fighter Gina Carano made an appearance in Fast & Furious 6, and former UFC women’s bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey featured in the next film of the series, Furious 7.
xXx is currently in the early stages of pre-production, so it’s not a 100-percent guarantee that McGregor will be fighting Russian anarchists any time soon.
Diesel isn’t the only one trying to get in on the McGregor business, though. Also according to TMZ.com, Mark Wahlberg is interested in roping the new champ onto a set. When ambushed by TMZ with questions, Wahlberg was complimentary of McGregor, saying he wouldn’t be surprised if he breaks out in Hollywood.
“Yeah, we talked about him for something. We like him,” he said. “The right role, he could be great. Very possible (I’d work with him).”
Like Diesel, this wouldn’t be the first time Wahlberg has worked alongside a fighter. Wahlberg served as executive producer for the Entourage film, which featured Rousey in a minor role. He will also work with her again for the upcoming action flick Mile 22.
Obviously, these are still very early in the production cycle, so it remains to be seen how big (or not) McGregor’s movie career winds up being. Either way, McGregor fans ought to keep an eye on Hollywood news over the coming months.
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