Conor McGregor has yet to be confirmed for the upcoming Road House sequel, but another major star with fighting experience has.
McGregor made his name in the Octagon, where he became the UFC’s first-ever simultaneous two-division champion. But the Irishman has not fought inside the cage for over four years. The former lightweight and featherweight titleholder last appeared in the main event of UFC 264, which featured his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier. McGregor broke his leg at the end of round one, marking his second defeat to ‘The Diamond’ that calendar year.
Since then, McGregor has been focused on ventures away from his UFC career, including his pub in Ireland, part-ownership of the BKFC, and acting debut in Road House.
The remake of the 1989 classic of the same name was released on Amazon Prime Video in 2024 and is among the company’s most successful movies of all time, attracting 80 million viewers worldwide in its first eight weeks.
A sequel is now set, but could it be McGregor-less?
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Dave Bautista announced for Road House 2 while Conor McGregor remains unconfirmed
McGregor’s involvement in the Road House remake drew plenty of attention, especially after scenes were filmed during UFC 285, a 2023 pay-per-view headlined by Jon Jones’ heavyweight title win against Ciryl Gane.
The Irishman played ‘Knox’, an enforcer hired to hunt down ‘Elwood Dalton’, an ex-UFC fighter played by Jake Gyllenhaal who takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys road house.
After Gyllenhaal expressed interest in a sequel, it was officially announced in May 2024. Details have now begun to emerge, including the addition of one name familiar to combat sports fans and the absence of another.
While McGregor’s status remains unconfirmed, Deadline is reporting that Dave Bautista is finalizing a deal to join the Gyllenhaal starrer this year. Bautista has forged an incredibly successful acting career since rising to fame as a pro wrestler in WWE, most notably appearing in the Dune and Guardians of the Galaxy franchises.
The 56-year-old also has a sole pro fight on his record. After leaving WWE, Bautista made his MMA debut at CES MMA: Real Pain in 2012, defeating Vince Lucero via TKO in the first round.
Conor McGregor will be disappointed if ‘Road House 2’ goes ahead without him
If McGregor is in the dark about a potential role in the Road House sequel like the public, he might be getting worried given the plea he made to be brought back earlier this year.
McGregor insisted he must be in the movie just this past June, even claiming it is “nothing” without his character.
“Roadhouse is nothing without big, bad “Knox”, let them know,” McGregor wrote on X.
“And if you haven’t watched it yet, catch it on @PrimeVideo now ‘Roadhouse’ ft McGregor as Knox and Jake Gyllenhaal as ‘Dalton’ Reimagining of the iconic Patrick Swayze classic!”