Jay Hieron boxing Denzel Washington on the set of the Equalizer 2
Coming to the end of career can be a daunting prospect for any MMA fighter. Michael Bisping spoke recently on the Joe Rogan Podcast about how, despite the use of one ‘good eye’ his fear of retiring, fueled him to carry on, perhaps longer, than he should have.
We have seen retirements that never really are that, and the athlete comes back, slower, injury prone and basically older. It happens to us all right? You get older, your body does not respond the way it used to.
If you have been an athlete and a successful one at that, it is hard to just turn the switch off, even if that is what your body is telling you to do, so you better find something else to do and fast, and hope that you are half way as successful as you were in the previous.
When I spoke with former Strikeforce, Bellator and UFC fighter Jay Hieron, our conversation was of course, me fan-boy-ing out. Telling me about the time he met Mike Tyson, fighting Georges St-Pierre and fighting current UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley.
When we got on to the classic question ‘So what keeps you busy these days’ I was surprised to learn he had been trying his hand at acting and stunt work and had a starring role in one of the biggest movies this year ‘The Equalizer 2’ alongside Denzel Washington.
https://www.facebook.com/martialartschat/videos/259447571444402/
Not only that, but he got to do some boxing rounds with Denzel himself, and word is he’s got some good hands! (I don’t doubt it)
It’s lovely to hear a guy, who had a rough up bringing in New York, make something of himself and when that was over, he used that hard work ethic to transition into another avenue and find success and joy in what he is doing. The movie aint bad either!
https://www.spreaker.com/user/machat/jay-hieron-interview-full
