From the big screen to the cage: Volkanovski plays 'Joe' in the new Street Fighter movie
The featherweight champion makes his acting debut in the film released last week and, eight days later, defends his belt in Abu Dhabi.
By Equipo La Jaula Props · · 1 min read
Photos: MMAnytt, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
Few champions head into a title defense with a movie premiere behind them. Alexander Volkanovski is part of the cast of the new Street Fighter film, which hit U.S. theaters on October 16, 2026, just eight days before UFC 333.
His character: Joe
Volkanovski plays Joe, an American kickboxer who only appeared in the original 1987 Street Fighter video game and was inspired by legendary karateka and kickboxer Joe Lewis. His casting was announced in September 2025 and marks his acting debut.
Volkanovski himself shared a video of his transformation on Instagram:
Clicking will load content from Instagram (Meta), which may set its own cookies.
Open on InstagramThe film
- Produced by Legendary with Capcom and distributed in the U.S. by Paramount.
- Directed by Kitao Sakurai, after brothers Danny and Michael Philippou left the project in 2024.
- Shot in Australia, Volkanovski's home country, from August 2025.
- The cast includes Andrew Koji (Ryu), Noah Centineo (Ken), Callina Liang (Chun-Li), Jason Momoa, Cody Rhodes (Guile), Roman Reigns and 50 Cent, among others.
- It premiered on October 12 in Los Angeles to mixed reviews.
From the set to the Octagon
While the film is still in theaters, the real-life 'Joe' has another mission: defending the featherweight title against unbeaten Movsar Evloev in the UFC 333 main event on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. Will the actor or the challenger win?
