Halle Berry’s love of MMA is unmatched, except by Joe Rogan of course. Berry is not only directing and starring in Bruised, an upcoming movie about the sport, but she is a dedicated fan on her own. She is often seen ringside at the biggest UFC events.
Most recently, the Academy Award-winning actress was spotted at UFC 247. She was there to support her sparring partner for Bruised, Valentina Shevchenko, who won her bout against Katlyn Chookagian in a third-round TKO to hold on to her flyweight championship.
Berry also showed support for the fighter in an Instagram post before the fight, writing, “u are a true warrior with a heart of pure gold. Proud to call you friend. Let’s go CHAMP!”
Halle Berry Is A Longtime Boxing Fan
This isn’t anything new for Berry. She grew up a boxing fan, telling UFC.com, “When I was a kid, like a little girl, like six, seven, eight, nine years old, English boxing was everything to me,” the actress said.
She was a big fan of the top heavyweights of the day, saying, “I didn’t have a father in the house, so [I was] watching great fighters like [Thomas] Hearns and [Muhammad] Ali and Joe Frazier.” The Kidnap star said, “Those guys, to me, were strong images of a strong black man that I was missing in my own household, and that’s how I viewed them.”
She’s Trained For Roles Before
Bruised isn’t the first time Halle Berry has trained with an MMA fighter to prepare for a role, either. In 2018, while getting ready to film John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, alongside Keanu Reeves, Berry worked with Bellator MMA fighter Cris Cyborg. The two hung out quite a bit, even taking in a boxing match together in Los Angeles while they were working together. Berry has also trained with Brian Ortega in jiu-jitsu to prepare for Bruised.
All This Training Has Paid Off For The Actress
Halle Berry is a keen advocate of healthy living. She often promotes her fitness routine on Instagram and talks up the virtues of a keto diet. It makes sense that she would be entranced by a sport like mixed martial arts, which combines strength training with cardio.
It also explains why, at age 53, she still looks as good as she did at 23 and why she believes women should still be having babies after age 40. It’s a mistake to underestimate Halle Berry and think she’s all beauty but no brawn.