UFC: Valentina Shevchenko’s ‘real kicks’ left Halle Berry with broken bones shooting MMA film fight scenes
- Oscar-winning actress Berry ‘felt like I was really fighting’ while doing her own stunts for new film ‘Bruised’
- ‘She’s [Shevchenko] a beast ... she just brought so much reality to it for me,’ says Berry
There aren’t many civilians, or even trained fighters, who’d come away unscathed from throwing down with Valentina Shevchenko. Add Halle Berry to the list.
The UFC flyweight champion starred alongside Berry in the Oscar-winning actress’ new MMA-themed film, Bruised. Berry, who also makes her directorial debut, plays protagonist Jackie “Justice” with “Bullet” Shevchenko her main rival – and she told host Jimmy Fallon in an interview on The Tonight Show that things got pretty painful on set.
“I broke some stuff on this one,” Berry said. “And you know what? It’s OK. I always get hurt, but I realised that, when you go hard, you’re bound to get hurt. When you do your own stunts, you’re bound to get hurt.
“In this movie, I was fighting the real UFC flyweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko. And you know what? She had to throw some real kicks, and I had to really take them, and that really broke some bones.
“She’s a beast, but I couldn’t have asked for a better teacher, a better scene mate, a better fight partner. She just brought so much reality to it for me.