The crossover between MMA and showbiz has become increasingly prominent in recent years with projects like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s “The Smashing Machine” about MMA legend Mark Kerr’s career, Zhang Weili’s starring role in the Chinese film “After Typhoon” in addition to her upcoming biopic, and Valentina Shevchenko making her acting debut in “The Terminal List” alongside Chris Pratt.
The latest MMA star to make this transition is Alexander Volkanovski, the reigning UFC featherweight champion, who, according to Hollywood Reporter, has been cast as the character Joe in the upcoming live-action “Street Fighter” movie adaptation.
Alexander VolkanovskiSam Navarro-Imagn Images
Volkanovski’s character, Joe, is one of the more obscure characters from the Street Fighter video game series. He appeared in the original game as a non-playable character and was an American known for his kickboxing style.
The new “Street Fighter” film, set to debut in Oct. 2026, will mark the third live-action adaptation of Capcom’s iconic fighting game franchise, serving as a complete reboot following the 1994’s “Street Fighter” which starred Jean-Claude Van Damme, and 2009’s “The Legend of Chun-Li.”
The production began filming in Australia in August 2025 under Legendary Entertainment and Paramount Pictures, and features an impressive ensemble cast including Jason Momoa as Blanka, Cody Rhodes as Guile, and rapper Curtis Jackson, better known as 50 Cent, playing Balrog. Volkanovski joins the cast alongside other notable additions, including comedians Eric Andre, Andrew Schulz, and Kyle Mooney.
Volkanovski’s Hollywood debut comes at an interesting time in his career. With a record of 27-4, the Australian fighter has established himself as one of the greatest featherweights in UFC history. He has successfully defended his featherweight championship multiple times against top contenders, and regained the belt, becoming the division’s first two-time champion and the first fighter aged 35 or older to win a UFC title in the weight divisions from flyweight to lightweight. As of the writing of this article, Volkanovski remains ranked no. 6 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings.
Volkanovski joins a distinguished list of MMA fighters who have successfully transitioned to acting roles in major Hollywood productions. Bas Rutten paved the way for modern fighters with appearances in major films like “Here Comes the Boom” and television series like “Lights Out,” but others have followed including Georges St-Pierre (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), Ronda Rousey (The Expendables 3 and Furious 7), Randy Couture (The Expendables series), Michael Bisping (The Naked Gun and Never Back Down: Revolt), and Kamaru Usman (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever). Even Volkanovski’s former opponent Max Holloway appeared in the 2018 film “Den of Thieves.”
For Volkanovski, this role could mark the beginning of a significant second career in entertainment once his fighting days conclude. At 36 years old, he remains competitive at the highest levels of MMA but is undoubtedly in the latter stages of his athletic career.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Sep 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the MMA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’
