娱乐英语新闻:Anderson Silva in Hollywood film role

RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's Ultimate Fighting middleweight champion Anderson Silva is set to star alongside Steven Seagal in a new Hollywood film.

Silva will fly to Los Angeles this week to begin shooting the first scenes for the feature-length film, which is yet to be titled, Brazilian daily O Globo reported on Sunday.

"I am very excited about this new opportunity," said Silva, who was the central figure in the 2011 documentary "Like Water" which recounts Silva' s rise from poverty to world dominance in mixed martial arts.

The 37-year-old said he had already embarked on a training program specifically tailored for the big-screen role.

Silva, who defended his UFC middleweight belt in July by stopping American Chael Sonnen in the first round, already has acting credits to his name, having appeared in the films "Jogo Mortal" and "Hell' s Chain".