Exclusive: Does Conor McGregor have Hollywood potential like John Cena or 'The Rock'? MMA legend Dan Severn discusses 'Road House' movie

Conor McGregor's potential as a Hollywood star has just been touched on by MMA pioneer Dan Severn, who took part in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda's own Ujwal Jain. The MMA heavyweight legend, who has some acting experience himself, offered his thoughts on McGregor's role in the 2024 'Road House' remake.

The Irishman is set to play Knox, a villainous character who fulfills the role of antagonist opposite of leading man Jake Gyllenhaal's protagonist, Elwood Dalton. While this is the Irishman's acting debut, his charisma as a trash-talker and fight promoter is a tool that Severn believes could be of importance to his acting career.

"Conor McGregor does have a lot of charisma. You see that in the fight world how well he handles himself and the pre-fight hyping events that take place and even in the post-fight comments."

Severn even likened McGregor's charisma and gift of gab to the promos cut by professional wrestlers, which is understandable given how prevalent cutting promos and playing up to a persona has become in MMA.

"He started to hear the reactions coming back from the crowd, and I'm not sure if he's actually watched any professional wrestling, but he's seen or heard all this excitement coming back, so he knew that he's got something here."

Check out Dan Severn's comments about Conor McGregor's acting potential (9:41):

McGregor's acting debut will be formalized on March 8 this year, marking the world premiere of 'Road House.' The Irishman's role in the film is of greater prominence than many could have anticipated, as many MMA stars, even the likes of Ronda Rousey, were largely relegated to side characters.

However, McGregor has been signed on to play the film's primary antagonist, which is a testament to his star power.

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What were Conor McGregor's previous views on a Hollywood career?

Despite many observers feeling that Conor McGregor and Hollywood were a match made in heaven, the Irishman wasn't always so keen on an acting career. He was initially approached to play Hawk in the 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage' but turned down the role in favor of focusing on his then rematch with Nate Diaz.

"No, I didn't replace Conor on the set. Conor didn't want the part, he was busy doing something else and they rewrote the part, they held auditions, and what can I say? I smashed it."

Check out Michael Bisping on Conor McGregor turning down an acting role (1:00):

The role was ultimately given to Michael Bisping, eventually sparking a feud between him and McGregor. Regardless, the Irishman spent most of his career disregarding Hollwyood, identifying as a fighter and nothing more.