"Road House": Nate Diaz Turned Down Role To Not Lose Fight Against Jake Gyllenhaal

Dan Lalonde
May 25
2 min read

Nate Diaz Conor McGregor Jake Gyllenhaal

When I watched the Road House remake I thought Conor McGregor should have won Best Supporting Actor on Redbull and Cocaine. But did you know another UFC legend was offered the part first?

Nate Diaz recently revealed that he was originally in line to play the role Conor McGregor ended up taking in the Amazon reboot of Road House. The UFC veteran shared on The HJR Podcast that he was approached to portray 'Knox', the main villain opposite Jake Gyllenhaal’s character, Elwood Dalton.

However, Diaz declined the opportunity—not for scheduling or money—but due to the plot. As a long-time fan of the original Road House, Diaz said he knew the antagonist loses a fight in the end, and once he learned Gyllenhaal was playing the lead, his decision was made.

“I’m like, ‘So I’m the main bad guy? Who’s the Patrick Swayze then?’ And they said Jake Gyllenhaal,” Diaz explained. “I ain’t going in no movie and losing to no ‘Brokeback Mountain’. I’m good.”

The role later went to Conor McGregor, Diaz’s former rival, marking the Irish fighter’s cinematic debut alongside Gyllenhaal. The movie was released on Prime Video in March 2024 and shattered streaming records with over 50 million views in two weeks.

Despite its success, director Doug Liman protested Amazon's decision to bypass a theatrical release.

Diaz, now 40, last fought in MMA at UFC 279 and has since transitioned into boxing, facing names like Jake Paul and Jorge Masvidal. While his future in combat sports remains uncertain, Diaz continues to stay in the spotlight—just not on Hollywood's terms.