Remember back in 2023, when Jake Gyllenhaal and UFC star Conor McGregor teamed up for the Roadhouse remake, reimagining the iconic 80s cult classic? At first, many feared the reboot might tarnish the original, but despite skipping a theatrical release, the film actually exceeded expectations on Amazon Prime. In particular, the Irishman’s standout performance as the antagonist Knox won fan admiration and even overshadowed Gyllenhaal’s Dalton.

Surprisingly, against the odds, the remake turned into one of Amazon Prime’s biggest hits of the year, amassing 80 million views in just two months. Even now, more than a year later, UFC commentator Joe Rogan still hasn’t watched the movie, despite calling it “entertaining” last year. While Conor McGregor alone might not be enough to win him over, the recent addition of stars like Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier, and several other UFC fighters could finally change that. With that in mind, here’s a closer look at the latest cast.

Conor McGregor teams up with UFC star for Road House 2

On the latest podcast episode #2405, while discussing combat sports in movies with his comedian friends Luis J. Gomez and Big Jay Oakerson, Oakerson said he “love[d]” Conor McGregor starring in Roadhouse. Joe Rogan chimed in about the original 1989 film starring Patrick Swayze, calling it “awesome“; however, he abruptly admitted, “The first-I didn’t see the second Road House. I haven’t seen the Conor McGregor one yet.” Another of Rogan’s friends called it “terrible.”

Even though Joe Rogan hasn’t watched the remake, Roadhouse 2 was already in development. The star-studded cast, recently confirmed by ‘Home of Fight’ and Jed I. Goodman on X, now features WWE star Dave Bautista, Leila George, Dustin Poirier, and Michael Chandler, along with “Rico Verhoeven, Michael “Venom” Page, Dustin Poirier, Stephen Thompson, and Tyron Woodley to its cast.” Jay Hieron is also set to return for the sequel.

The production, however, has faced its share of challenges behind the scenes. Doug Lima, the original director, left the project before its release, criticizing the OTT release strategy and stating, “If we don’t put tentpole movies in movie theaters, there won’t be movie theaters in the future.”

Despite this, the film premiered on Amazon Prime. Earlier this year, Richie directed the sequelbut later left the project. The sequel is now under the direction of Ilya Naishuller. With the new director and an expanded cast, the sequel could end up in movie theaters, which is an itch Conor McGregor still has.

Joe Rogan’s guest breaks down the problems with Conor McGregor’s Roadhouse remake

Trouble first surfaced when the original Road House screenwriter filed a major lawsuit against the production, casting a legal shadow over the project and complicating its release. Things escalated further when director Doug Liman publicly boycotted the premiere, voicing his frustration over Amazon’s decision to bypass a theatrical release.

Despite facing criticism for its changes, Big Jay Oakerson pointed out that the remake’s backdrop and storyline differ substantially from the original. On top of that, the remake also diverges significantly from the original, a point the comedian recently highlighted on Joe Rogan’s podcast episode #2405. Oakerson told Rogan, “Let me tell you the problem with this remake.”

Joe Rogan listened closely as Oakerson explained how the original film depicted a mafia controlling the neighborhood and threatening locals, while in Conor McGregor’s remake, “The problem… do you remember the new one? It takes place in Key West, Florida. And the big bad man is offering this lady triple market value to buy her shanty, shit-hole bar, because they’re building a resort and will offer her property a mile down the road. That’s who the bad guys are. That’s what you’re supposed to get behind, him wanting to stop real estate developers.”

Now, with the Road House sequel in the works starring Michael Chandler and Dustin Poirier, it will be interesting to see whether it can actually draw UFC commentator Joe Rogan into theaters. Stay tuned.