Idris Elba Trains to Become a Kickboxer in New Reality Series

Published Jan 05, 2017

No stunt doubles. No special effects. No second takes.@IdrisElba: Fighter, starts Tuesday 17th January. #IdrisFighter pic.twitter.com/bvL01tAWEU — Discovery Channel UK (@DiscoveryUK) January 3, 2017

Already recognized as an accomplished actor, musician and DJ, you can now add professional kickboxer to Idris Elba's achievements list. The 44-year-old Londoner's training regime is the subject of a new series for Discovery UK titled Idris Elba: Fighter.Starting January 17, the series will see Elba travel to places such as Cuba, Japan, South Africa and Thailand to train, concluding with his debut fight at York Hall in Bethnal Green, London. That fight, which took place in October, was a contest that Elba won.Elba had this to say to the network when asked about taking on the 12-month challenge:The first thing most people say when I tell them I'm doing this is what about your face? What about your acting? The truth is people will go 'why is he doing it?' I get it. I would say the same. I just believe anyone can do anything. Acting aside I will break my nose for this fight. I will go for it. It's about heart. It really is about heart. What I'm trying to achieve, I've got to attack it like a pro fighter. Otherwise it's just like a hobby.He continued: "I was watching YouTube video after YouTube video of people training and fighting. I really thought to myself this is stupid. I don't know if I can do it. This is probably one of the hardest things I've ever done. Pain is not an excuse to give up. It's something to be conquered."Watch a trailer for Idris Elba: Fighter below.