There are few actors in Hollywood that can match Charlie Hunnam’s ability to play strong and violent characters. This was most clearly seen in Hunnam’s role as Jax Teller in the FX biker drama, Sons of Anarchy . However, does Hunnam really believe he can match up with some of the top UFC fighters around?
According Mstarz , Hunnam had some recent thoughts about setting aside his acting career and entering the ring with UFC fighter Conor McGregor. However, Hunnam was quick to point out how this would not be that great of an idea.
“I was just doing a film and I had to lose a lot of weight and that’s why I’m a little skinny right now and I got down to 145 pounds, which was my goal, and I thought maybe I could fight Conor McGregor but I don’t think it would go too well for me,” Hunnam explained in the interview.
How long does the Sons of Anarchy star believe he could last in the ring with someone like McGregor? Though some fans may disagree, Hunnam did not hold out any hope that he would last long against the Irish UFC fighter.
“Maybe seven and a half seconds before getting knocked out but it would be a great seven and a half seconds,” he stated. “I feel like I could evade him for seven and a half seconds. He comes out quick.”
Hunnam’s comments follow his most recent role in Guy Ritchie’s upcoming film, Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur . In order to prepare for the part of a young King Arthur, Hunnam was forced to lose a generous amount of weight. In order to accomplish this, Realty Today is reporting that Hunnam trained using some of McGregor’s workout videos, and even incorporated some of the moves into his part.
At the same time, not only did Charlie Hunnam use McGregor as a source for losing weight, but he is also a huge fan of UFC fighting. Although he is not getting ready to step inside the ring with McGregor any time soon, Hunnam will be watching McGregor’s upcoming bout with Jose Aldo from ringside.
“I was looking at him fighting a little bit,” the actor told TMZ . “Yes I do (watch a lot of his fight videos) I am a huge Conor McGregor fan. I got tickets to see him fight (Jose) Aldo on December 12.”
Despite Hunnam’s own admission that he would not last very long in a fight against the likes of McGregor, he would at least be very familiar with his style of fighting. According to Fox Sports , this experience came after Hunnam watched a multitude of hours of McGregor’s past fights in order to get ready for his role in King Arthur.
Apparently, Hunnam was trying his best to replicate how McGregor fights and translate that style of fighting into his character. This intense training regime led to Hunnam losing a tremendous amount of weight and actually getting down to McGregor’s fighting weight, which is at 145 pounds.
That being said, it is definitely a good thing that Hunnam chose not to abandon his career in acting to take up UFC fighting. Although he undoubtedly would put up a fight against McGregor, and might even have a little knowledge about McGregor’s style, it is certain that he would not last long in the ring.
Fans can watch Hunnam in his upcoming role in Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur when it hits theaters on July 22, 2016. In the meantime, we can only hope that Hunnam remains a spectator in the upcoming McGregor fight.
Tell us! Who do you think would win if Charlie Hunnam fought Conor McGregor? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]