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From UFC stardom to ‘Bad Boys for Life’, Rory Markham explains how he left fighting for good

As the production crew prepared a massive action scene in “Bad Boys for Life,” former UFC fighter Rory Markham got ready to shoot opposite Will Smith.

Markham was playing gunrunner Booker Grassie, who was involved in an arms deal gone bad. Smith’s character was determined to save him in the midst of a shootout.

It was hard for the 38-year-old fighter turned actor not to pinch himself. He was living above Pat Miletich’s gym in Bettendorf, Iowa., when he’d landed his first role thanks to a chance invitation from his former head coach.