Ex-UFC champ Rose Namajunas roped in for Hollywood movie starring Lupita Nyong’o as fight consultant

'Strawweights' roped in Rose Namajunas alongside Lupita Nyong'o and Chloe Grace Moretz, blending UFC authenticity with Hollywood storytelling to capture the strawweight division's competitive spirit.

Ex-UFC champ Rose Namajunas roped in for Hollywood movie starring Lupita Nyong’o as fight consultant

Rose Namajunas roped in for Hollywood movie starring Lupita Nyong'o (Image via: IMAGO, Instagram)

UFC fighters have become global superstars in recent times. Former two-division champion Conor McGregor will star as an antagonist in the remake of the Road House movie. The trailer of the movie received rave reviews from fans and critics worldwide. Another UFC star is gearing up for an important role in a movie. Variety’s Alex Ritman reported that Ex-UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas has an important role in a Hollywood movie starring Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o.

The movie stars Nyong’O opposite rising Hollywood phenom Chloe Grace Moretz. In the movie titled Strawweights, Lupita Nyong’O will portray a veteran UFC star looking to regain her title. On the other hand, Moretz will portray a surging contender in the division. Reports suggest that the movie is a UFC drama. Moreover, Rose Namajunas will take on the helm of fight consultant for the movie. As the movie’s name suggests, the film will be set against the backdrop of the UFC’s strawweight division.

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In 2022, UFC released a documentary titled Thug Rose: Mixed Martial Artist. The 90-minute documentary showed the dramatic and inspiring story of Rose from an underdog to a champion in the division. Namajunas burst into the scene with an upset victory over long-reigning champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Moreover, the documentary showed her passion for the piano, her relationship with coach-boyfriend Pat Barry, and her mental struggles.

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Namajunas is a two-time champion in the UFC’s strawweight division but now competes at flyweight. She made her flyweight debut at UFC Paris 2023 but lost to Manon Fiorot. She will headline UFC Vegas 88 against Amanda Ribas on March 23. In the strawweight division, Namajunas holds victories over three other champions. In addition to Jedrzejczyk, Namajunas has defeated Zhang Weili and Jessica Andrade.

Valentina Shevchenko starred as the antagonist in a Halle Berry movie

Even before Conor McGregor, many UFC stars starred in Hollywood movies. However, nobody had a primary starring role in a mainstream Hollywood movie before McGregor. Kamaru Usman and Georges St-Pierre have had minor roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, the then-UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko had the role of a secondary antagonist in the movie Bruised, which starred Halle Berry.

Valentina Shevchenko
Valentina Shevchenko (via Imago)

Like the movie Strawweight, UFC was the backdrop of Bruised. In the movie, Berry starred as Jackie Justice, whereas Shevchenko portrayed Lucia “Lady Killer” Chavez. Berry suffered some injury to her ribs during the shooting of the fight sequence of the movie. Now, Shevchenko and Berry are close friends, and she has frequently attended UFC events. Berry had even mediated the face-off between UFC fighters. At UFC 268, Berry squared off Zhang Weili and Rose Namajunas.

Shevchenko is not the flyweight champion anymore, as she lost the title to Alexa Grasso at UFC 285. Moreover, her rematch with Grasso ended in a split draw. CEO Dana White already stated that the UFC will book a trilogy next.

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