Tim Kennedy: I'll move to acting when I can be Natalie Portman's butt-double

You might have noticed UFC Fight Night 31 headliner Tim Kennedy is a natural on camera in addition to his skills as a middleweight fighter.

But you could say he’s holding out for a cush gig before he tries his hand in the entertainment business.

“I’ve done a little acting, and every time I do it, they want me to do more,” he told MMAjunkie.com. “Right now I want to fight until I can’t fight the best guys in the world. I’m very much looking forward to being Natalie Portman’s stunt double.”

“UFC Fight Night 31: UFC Fight for the Troops 3? takes place Wednesday at Fort Campell, Ky. Its main card airs live on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and MMAjunkie.com.

Kennedy doesn’t just want to be the guy that takes a fall for the movie star, either.

“I think Jake Gyllenhaal has nothing on me in the hair department,” he said. “I know I’m going to make waves in Hollywood, it’s just not yet.”

Seriously, though, that just might be the case for Kennedy (16-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC), if he chooses to apply himself. While the videos he’s filmed for longtime sponsor Ranger Up haven’t exactly made him a YouTube star, they’ve given him a pretty good highlight reel that doesn’t involve punching or kicking people in the head.

He said a recent video in which he mistakes upcoming opponent Rafael Natal (17-4-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) with tennis pro Rafael Nadal picked up 30,000 views in 24 hours. Others have drawn twice that number.

“There’s things that I would enjoy doing on TV,” Kennedy said. “Cooking shows, hunting shows, shooting shows, hosting a survival show, hosting military competitions. Those are the type of things that I would enjoy. If I’m not having fun, I don’t want to do it. I love fighting, and that’s why I do it. If I can have fun doing that, then I’ll do it.”

Of course, those types of projects perfectly dovetail with Kennedy’s other skills. In case you’ve been living under an MMA rock, he’s pretty handy with a gun, and no novice in the kitchen. He said he gets around six offers a year to host TV projects in those areas.

But you won’t see him cutting his UFC career short just yet.

“We’re not quite there yet,” he said. “I need for this chapter of my life to be done. I need to fight the best guys in the world and beat them. Then I can move on.”

And you won’t see him trying to do that while pursuing a career in entertainment, either, as have several MMA stars before him. UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is the latest to go down that road, having recently filmed a major role in “The Expendables 3.” She will soon act in “Fast and Furious 7? before defending her belt against Miesha Tate at next month’s UFC 168.

Gina Carano is, of course, the most successful fighter to transition into acting. But the former Strikeforce fighter retired from the cage before her career took off.

“There hasn’t been a single instance where a guy has been splitting his time between acting and fighting and been a successful fighter, and/or a successful actor,” Kennedy said. “Both of them take a lot of commitment and dedication to be successful at, and I don’t think you can do them at the same time.”

On Wednesday, Kennedy gets the opportunity to take another spotlight, this one in front of his military brethren as he takes on the tough Natal. That’s his starring role for now.

“Until I can be Natalie Portman’s butt with my butt, I don’t want to be in Hollywood,” Kennedy deadpanned.

And for more on UFC Fight Night 31, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.