Jinyoung Takes On First MMA Action Role in Crime Film 'Fighter'

Actor Jinyoung is heading back to the big screen as a mixed martial arts fighter. He will star in the upcoming film "Fighter" (Paiteo) as an unknown MMA fighter who dreams of making it to the UFC.

His agency, Management Run, announced the news on the 3rd. "Jinyoung is getting ready to meet audiences with intense fight action in the film 'Fighter,'" the agency said. "You can look forward to his desperate, deeper story as a man who protects his family with his rough fists. You'll also see an intense side of Jinyoung he hasn't shown before."

"Fighter" is a youth crime action film. It follows Hye-seong (played by Jinyoung), an unknown MMA fighter with UFC dreams. He and his best friend Won-do (Kim Min-ho) take on a risky job. They end up caught in a case over a cold wallet (an offline storage device for cryptocurrency) holding coins worth 60 billion won.

Hye-seong refuses to give up on fighting, even when life gets hard. He works to pay for his younger sibling's hospital bills and debts while still putting in the hours at training. When trouble starts to threaten him and the people close to him, he fights back to protect his family.

The film is Jinyoung's first full-scale MMA action role. He started training before filming began so the fight scenes would look like real bouts. Along with the rough physical side of a fighter, he will also play Hye-seong's struggle between his dream and the reality in front of him.

Jinyoung has worked across romance, comedy, and genre projects. This time, he is building a new kind of role around fight action.

"Fighter" started filming on the 28th of last month. The film is aiming for a release in 2027.