There are few spectacles more chaotic than a UFC event. Flashing lights and pounding music wash over the parade of muscled-up fighters marching to beat their opponents into submission. Then there are lulls between the bouts as the Octagon is readied for the next match. The pageantry is put on pause, and the energy ebbs. In the rise and fall of action, it can be difficult to follow exactly what’s happening when you’re in the crowd. So imagine sitting in the cheap seats at UFC 285 in Las Vegas last March, then looking up to realize that the tattooed fighter flexing on the jumbotron isn’t listed on the undercard. Is that …? Jake Gyllenhaal?
Yes, it was the indie heartthrob and Oscar-nominated actor, who is best known for his sensitive portrayal of a gay cowboy in 2005’s Brokeback Mountain and is also the face of a Prada campaign, in the chain-link Octagon plastered with Monster Energy logos. The spectators weren’t alone in their surprise.
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