UFC fighter Melsik Baghdasaryan joins Jean-Claude Van Damme in the film “Katana”
- Published
- Place
- Japan, France and the United States (filming)
- Event date
- Past event —
Summary
Armenian mixed martial artist Melsik Baghdasaryan, who has fought in the UFC, is part of the cast of “Katana”, an action film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. The project was announced on 4 November by the trade outlet Deadline, ahead of the American Film Market (AFM), and reported on 5 November by the Armenian press. Written and directed by Frenchman Jeremy Zag, producer of the animated series “Miraculous”, the film tells the story of a former world champion turned father, forced back into combat when his daughter is kidnapped by the yakuza in Japan. French kickboxing and Muay Thai world champion Cyril Benzaquen is also in the cast. Filming is scheduled from April to June 2027 in Japan, France and Los Angeles.
Analysis
Born in Yerevan in 1992, Melsik Baghdasaryan, nicknamed “The Gun”, came from kickboxing, including Japan’s K-1, before fighting in the UFC’s featherweight division. Casting real fighters is a deliberate choice by Jeremy Zag, who wants a credible martial arts film in the spirit of “Bloodsport”. For an Armenian athlete, sharing the bill with a global star of the genre offers rare visibility. The exact role he will play has not been specified.
Possible consequences
The film is being offered to distributors by the company The Veterans. No release date has been announced.
