Las Vegan Roy Nelson takes on movie role
One of the UFC’s smallest fighters has been replaced in the cast of an upcoming film by one of its largest.
Heavyweight Roy Nelson will appear in “Kickboxer: Retaliation” alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme.
The Las Vegan replaces women’s strawweight Paige VanZant, who was set for a role in the film.
VanZant, fresh off a runner-up finish on “Dancing With The Stars,” opted to return to training in order to take a fight against Bec Rawlings on Aug. 27.
That opened the door for Nelson, a self-proclaimed film buff.
Nelson will play an inmate. Other notable athletes in the film are Mike Tyson, Gina Carano, Georges St. Pierre, Fabricio Werdum and Ronaldinho.
According to producer Rob Hickman in a news release, Nelson’s role was expanded after he delivered a strong performance in the small part for which he was first cast.
Nelson, a 40-year-old Cimarron-Memorial graduate, is currently on location in Thailand.
No release date has been set for the film, which is part two in a planned trilogy. The first installment, “Kickboxer: Vengeance” is due out in September.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow @adamhilllvrj on Twitter.