Francis Ngannou has already proven himself worthy in Octagon, now he'll attempt to do so in Hollywood. The UFC heavyweight contender has joined the cast of Universal's action blockbuster
Fast & Furious 9.
Ngannou's specific role in the film is being kept under wraps, though it's not hard to imagine the type of talent and skillset he brings to the film. Ngannou is one of the top fighters in the UFC's heavyweight division, and one of the strongest also. Of his 14 professional wins, 10 have come by way of knockout, so you know he'll be busting some faces with his fists in the upcoming
Fast & Furious film.
Not much is known about Fast & Furious 9, but Ngannou joins a star-studded cast that includes returning stars Vin Diesel (Dominic Toretto),
Michelle Rodriguez (Letty Ortiz),
Charlize Theron (Cipher), Helen Mirren (Magdalene Shaw), and Tyrese Gibson (Roman Pierce). Former WWE superstar-turned-actor
John Cena will also be joining the franchise.
Ngannou isn't the first professional MMA fighter to join the
Fast & Furious franchise. 2013's
Fast & Furious 6 saw former fighter Gina Carano as a member of the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Special Agent Luke Hobbs' (Dwayne Johnson) team. Meanwhile, 2015's
Furious 7 featured former UFC champion Ronda Rousey as the supporting character Kara.
Four-time
Fast & Furious director Justin Lin is returning to the director's chair — after a two-film absence — with a screenplay from Daniel Casey (
Kin).
Fast & Furious 9 is scheduled to hit theaters on May 22, 2020.