News has broke that WME-IMG, the parent company of the UFC, is currently creating a biopic centered around the first ever event held by the promotion. The film is said to revolve around Rorion Gracie, the co-founder of the UFC, and will chronicle the journey of his little brother, Royce Gracie, as he goes on to win the UFC 1 tournament. There are many prominent figures that were involved creating the UFC, and I think I know who should portray these MMA legends.
Rorion Gracie: Diego Luna 
Rorion Gracie was practically the leading man for the UFC in its early days, and it takes a commanding star to bring such a prominent figure to life. Diego Luna has become a Hollywood staple since Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and I feel like he is perfectly cut out for a leading role of this type. While he may not really be Brazilian like Rorion Gracie, I feel like he could pull of the accent nicely, and he’s a good enough actor to emulate any real life person to a tee.
Art Davie: Jake Johnson
Art Davie is credited as the creator of the UFC, co-founding the promotion alongside Rorion Gracie. Known as an advertising and business genius, Davie handled most of the legal troubles the UFC experienced early on, and the company wouldn’t exist today without his influence. I feel like a traditionally comedic actor like Jake Johnson would be perfect to channel the eccentric personality of Davie, and he looks fairly similar to the man when he was younger. Johnson has become an extremely popular actor thanks to his roles in Let’s Be Cops and New Girl, and I think that he would make a perfect and refreshing addition to this movie.
Helio Gracie: Paul Calderon
Helio Gracie was the co-creator of the entire martial art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and highly influenced his son Rorion in the creation of the UFC. I feel like Paul Calderon could be made up to look just like Grandmaster Helio, and while he’s not Brazilian, I feel that he is talented enough to learn the accent. Calderon is a terrific in mentor roles, and I feel that he could accurately depict just how much Gracie helped the people around him to be successful.
Royce Gracie: Rami Malek
Royce Gracie will undoubtedly be a huge part of this film considering that he’s the man who won the first UFC tournament, and he was actually chosen by Helio Gracie to compete because he was the smallest member of the Gracie family at the time. This created one of the greatest real life underdog stories to come out of the MMA world, and etched Royce Gracie’s name into the record books for years to come. Casting Rami Malek in the role would put a lot of new eyes on this movie as he’s a huge star right now, and he has such a range as an actor that I believe without a doubt that he would give the most accurate portrayal of Royce Gracie possible.
Ken Shamrock: Aaron Taylor-Johnson
While Ken Shamrock didn’t make it to the finals of the UFC 1 tournament, his loss to Royce Gracie created a life long rivalry between the two, and he’s still seen as one of the most legendary MMA fighters to date. Someone that I feel could accurately portray the muscular physique and bad attitude of the UFC Hall of Famer is Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Taylor-Johnson is known for his incredible body transformation, and adding that to his ability to play both the hero and the villain, he could be a major frontrunner for a role like this.
Art Jimmerson: Rashad Evans
Art Jimmerson may not be an MMA pioneer like everyone else in this movie, but he’s certainly one of the most memorable characters from the first UFC tournament. Representing his sport of boxing, Jimmerson gained fame from wearing a single boxing glove in his fight against Royce Gracie, and immediately regretting not having both hands to fend off takedowns. Casting a real life MMA fighter like Rashad Evans in this movie could be a nice easter eggs for fans of the sport to find, and his resemblance to Jimmerson is good enough to possibly snag him the role.
Gerard Gordeau: Stefan Struve
Gerard Gordeau was a monstrous kickboxer that faced Royce Gracie in the tournament final, and it seemed a given that he would beat the BJJ practitioner. However, despite having all the odds stacked against him, Gracie ended the bout at only one minute and forty four seconds into the fight. Having a physically imposing presence play Gordeau is a must, and I feel that casting current UFC Heavyweight Stefan Struve in the role would be as imposing as you could get. Struve is a face that many MMA fans would recognize in the theatre, and being the tallest UFC fighter in the history of the promotion could help emphasize just how much everyone expected Gordeau to smash Royce Gracie.
