ABOVE PHOTO: British actor Idris Elba, left, listens to Emilio Correa, a boxer with the Cuban National team at the Rafael Trejo boxing gym in the Old Havana section of Havana. The session is part of the Discovery Network show Fighter. Elba is getting ready for his first kick boxing fight which will take place in October of this year. (Photo by Angel Valentin)
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Continuing his relationship with Discovery Networks UK, Idris Elba will move from pushing his body, mind and engineering know-how to the limit for the four-part series “Idris Elba: No Limits” (which aired earlier this year), to pushing mostly his body and mind in a new limited series titled “Idris Elba: Fighter” – a three-part docu-series that will see him undertake the physically and mentally demanding task of training to become a professional kickboxer. Elba will eventually take on a seasoned fighter in a no-holds-barred bout.
The Hollywood superstar crossed multiple continents for the series, filming in the UK, Cuba, Japan, South Africa and Thailand. He is also producing via his company Green Door Pictures, with an early 2017 air date eyed in both the UK and the USA on the Discovery Channel.
“It has been a lifelong ambition of mine to fight professionally. Entering the ring to further test myself as a human being is a challenge I have been looking to take on for quite some time,” Elba said in a press statement.
The intimate series will follow Elba as he receives mentoring from former world champions, trainers and coaches, then travels the world to incorporate unorthodox training methods and regimens to increase his chances for the main event.
His previous adventure, which aired last month, followed the actor as he immersed himself in rally driving, street racing, aerobatics and power boating to master not only the discipline of racing, but also the engineering, science and history behind it. He joined professional teams, took on seemingly impossible challenges, received coaching by some of the world’s leading drivers and pilots and meet fellow speed freaks to share their secrets.
“I’m taking on the toughest… challenges of my life for this new Discovery TV series. The extreme challenges take me right out of my comfort zone as I compete against the best…,” Elba said.
The ultimate fight that he’s training for will take place in October of this year.
“Idris Elba: Fighter” is a Discovery Networks UK commission. It is produced by Shine North and Idris Elba’s production company Green Door Pictures.
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