UFC Champ Alexander Volkanovski Cast in Street Fighter Feature Film
Current two-time UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski is set to make his major motion picture debut, portraying “Joe” in the upcoming film adaptation of the classic arcade game Street Fighter.
The film is being produced by Legendary Pictures and directed by Kitao Sakurai. The Japanese director is known for projects such as Bad Trip, starring comedian Eric Andre.
Alexander Volkanovski is the latest addition to a cast that includes Jason Momoa, WWE superstar Roman Reigns, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Andrew Schulz, and David Dastmalchian.
With principal photography beginning on August 18th in Australia, it comes as no surprise that the fighting pride of the nation would find his way into the film.
In the video game, Volkanovski’s character, Joe, is a martial artist who specializes in kickboxing. Some hardcore fans may express concern over the physical differences between the champion and his video game counterpart. Volkanovski stands at 5’6″, while Joe is listed as 6’1″, with blonde hair and blue eyes.
Others may worry that his time on set could interfere with crucial training ahead of a possible upcoming fight with Lerone Murphy. While it is not yet clear how large of a role “Joe” will play in the film, it’s worth noting that the character has deep roots in combat sports history.
Meet the Inspiration for Street Fighter’s Joe: Benny ‘The Jet’ Urquidez
The video game character “Joe” is based on legendary American kickboxer Benny “The Jet” Urquidez, who was one of the first Westerners to achieve major success in Japan during the 1970s. Joe’s signature move—the spinning back kick—is directly inspired by Benny’s own iconic technique.
The UFC’s Joe Rogan used to train at Benny’s gym, the Jet Center, formerly located in Van Nuys, California. He has mentioned this several times on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. For a time, the Jet Center was considered the premier kickboxing gym in the world.
In a 1989 interview, Benny famously said, “Boxing has a beer-drinking crowd. Kickboxing has a champagne-drinking crowd.”
After achieving the championships at the highest level in Kick Boxing, Benny began to train some of Hollywood’s most iconic leading men of the 1980s, including Jean-Claude Van Damme, Patrick Swayze, John Cusack, and rock and roll legend David Lee Roth. Even sharing a fight seen with Jackie Chan.
Now 73 years old, Benny is the subject of an upcoming documentary produced by Keanu Reeves, scheduled for release next year. His influence—whether directly or indirectly—continues to inspire new generations of fighters.
It would be incredible if Alexander Volkanovski had a chance to meet the real-life “Joe.” Hearing two titans of combat from different eras come together would be something truly special.
