Jay Hieron stepped in the octagon earlier this month, 10 years after his last fight for the UFC.
Hieron, a former UFC welterweight contender who retired in 2014, got back in action but not in the way most MMA fans were used to seeing him. Hieron played a role in the remake of “Road House,” which was partly filmed live at UFC 285 inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
In the scene, Hieron fought Jake Gyllenhaal, who plays Elwood Dalton, the main character of the film. It was quite the experience for the former UFC fighter.
“When you’re dealing with a live event, a live crowd, we were using the UFC’s camera angles – we usually have a camera set up in a way to help sell the choreography – no, no, we’re dealing with a live crowd, where if it looks terrible, they’re going to let you know,” Hieron told MMA Junkie Radio. “We were in the belly of the beast. We’re in the UFC crowd. They’re the most hardcore fans in sports arenas.
“So just to get the crowd going and get them all riled up, it was a great experience.”
Hieron is not the only MMA fighter featured in “Road House.” UFC star Conor McGregor also plays a big role and was there present shooting his scenes at the UFC 285 weigh-ins and in the crowd at UFC 285.
For Hieron, this was an incredible experience where his two worlds collided. It was nice for the 46-year-old to be back in the UFC, even if he wasn’t competing.
“It was great. I saw everybody I haven’t seen in a long time,” Hieron said. “I saw Dana (White). I saw Jon Jones. It was just great to walk down memory lane and get the love, too. Everyone was like, ‘Man, keep doing your thing.’ It was good. It made me feel good. I was happy to be in the position that I was.”