Conor McGregor has channeled the spirits of Rafael Dos Anjos and Jose Aldo and has pulled out of a planned movie appearance in the latest instalment of the Vin Diesel movie franchise xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage.
It was revealed by TMZ in December that McGregor was likley to play a role in the film, but now McGregor has backed out of the project, citing a desire to remain focussed on his UFC career.
As I mentioned on @SportsCenter, I'm told McGregor has canceled his planned appearance in Vin Diesel's XXX film. Doesn't want distraction.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) March 19, 2016
Nothing like a shock defeat to focus the mind.
Diesel has previously worked with UFC's Ronda Rousey, in Furious 7 (yep, there have been seven of those films) last year. Rousey followed up her professional relationship with Diesel with a shock defeat to Holly Holm, so perhaps the UFC's version of the Curse of the Bambino is an agreement to work with Vin Diesel. At least one person has pointed this out on twitter so we feel compelled to publish it:
Ronda Rousey was in Furious 7 and Conor McGregor is in The new XXX movie. The curse of Vin Diesel is real!
— brocco (@broccoxi) March 6, 2016
McGregor pulling out means he is free to pursue an alternative acting debut. We advocate McGregor thinking long and hard about his decision here, as it would harm his career were he to be typecast in action roles. So perhaps he can play up his cerberal and romantic side, and take up a role in the remake of The Notebook, or any soppy love story by Nicholas Sparks. It would give him an opportunity to refine his 'red panty' line at the very least.
Or perhaps he should focus on an Irish historical role. There will soon be a biopic on Charles Haughey, and directors will need a confident Irishman to fill the role.
Diesel's film will go ahead in McGregor's absence, and will complete the xXx trilogy. The film's precusors include the SEO disaster that was xXx along with xXx: State Of The Union (which, despite the promise of the title, failed to deliver an adequate appraisal of the socio-economic and political situation of America).
