Heavyweight to Hollywood? Oleksandr Usyk set for major movie debut amid Daniel Dubois rematch

Oleksandr Usyk will swap the bright lights of the ring for the bright lights of Hollywood later this year when the heavyweight world champion features in a new MMA sports biopic.

The Ukrainian will bid to become a two-time undisputed champion of the division in a rematch with Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on July 19, live on DAZN Pay-Per-View .

• Read more |  Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois 2: Date, start time, TV channel, live stream, prediction and analysis

But as he seeks to preserve his unbeaten professional record on the canvas, the star has already traded it for the camera with a role in upcoming drama  The Smashing Machine .

The film, from studio A24 and director Benny Safdie, follows the career of former UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion Mark Kerr, played by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.

Usyk, one of the main-billed stars, is set to portray Igor Vovchanchyn, a key rival who competed against the American at multiple PRIDE events throughout their careers.

Though it is not the first film role for the fighter, having previously played a small part in the 2016 film  The Fight Rules , it marks his first featured role in a major picture.

 

Usyk is believed to have filmed his scenes between his two bouts with Tyson Fury in 2024, with shooting taking place in Vancouver, Tokyo and Mexico following Kerr's career.

That means there will be little bearing on his performance in the ring against Dubois, with the star having completed his commitments for the film long before this bout was agreed.

He will be far from the first boxer to tread the boards however - and ahead of his latest bout,  DAZN News' Andrew Steel  looks at five other fighters who have switched their auditoriums too.

Mike Tyson

Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Few boxers have transcended pop culture quite like The Baddest Man on the Planet, but his stock saw a resurgence in 2009 when he cameoed as himself in  The Hangover .

Years later, many generations of film fans beyond boxing arguably know Tyson more for his Phil Collins-loving role in the first two flicks in the franchise, as a send-up of himself.

Iron Mike has dinvr ventured into proper roles of his own accord, with appearances in several Asian films including  Ip Man 3  and  Girls 2 , plus  Law & Order: Special Victims Unit .

Randall "Tex" Cobb

One of the few fighters to balance both boxing recognition and a screen career, The Texan with the big 'tache and hair was one of America's foremost icons of the eighties.

Posting a 42–7–1 (1) professional record across his career, Cobb most famously went the distance with Larry Holmes for the WBC heavyweight crown in 1982, losing on points.

He amassed an impressive body of work in film and television alongside his time in the ring too, with roles in  The Golden Child ,  Raising Arizona  and  Liar Liar  to name a few.

Tony Bellew

Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing

There's only one role in two films across the Merseyside fighter's resume - but as they form a key part of a rich boxing movie lineage, it would be rude not to include him here.

Bellew played antagonist "Pretty" Ricky Conlan in  Creed , the legacy sequel to the  Rocky  franchise in which Adonis Creed, son of Apollo Creed, is mentored by Rocky Balboa.

Between his two stints as the character in 2015 and 2023, he became a world champion in real life, claiming the WBC cruiserweight title in 2016 against Ilunga Makabu.

Roy Jones Jr

The legendary four-weight world champion is one of the most celebrated boxers of his era, delivering dominant performances across multiple classes with several crowns.

The first former middleweight to win a heavyweight title in over a century with his 2003 WBA success, Jones won multiple crowns at light heavyweight and below too.

He mostly forged a screen career playing variations of himself, such as in  The Devil's Advocate  and  Creed II , but did enjoy the role of Captain Ballard in  The Matrix Reloaded .

Dwayne Johnson

(Getty Images)

We're fudging this pick a little here, but when it comes to combat athletes with a superstar movie portfolio, few can match the box-office numbers posted by The Rock.

Alongside John Cena and Dave Bautista, the star is one of the most recognisable faces in Hollywood, primarily known for his turns in the  Fast and Furious  and  Jumanji  franchises.

Johnson has topped a slew of other genre fare, including  Black Adam ,  Jungle Cruise  and  Moana , though his upcoming turn in  The Smashing Machine  marks a career turn.

Watch Usyk versus Dubois 2 live and exclusive on DAZN PPV on Saturday, July 19 for £24.99 UK; $59.99 US; $19.99/equivalent ROW.  Buy the PPV now here