Aahana Swrup
Netflix’s ‘The Cage’ is a French drama show that revolves around an unexpected rising star in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA fighting. Taylor Keita is the protagonist, an aspiring fighter who has only ever worked towards one single goal: to be a professional MMA fighter. Nonetheless, luck refuses to shine on his life as no one—not even his coach, Boss—is willing to take a bet on him. However, everything changes when an impromptu fight with Ibrahim Ibaka, a dangerous and popular fighter, sends Taylor hurtling into the possibility of success. Yet, the pathway to greatness runs jagged, as the fighter faces plenty of challenges from friends and foes alike.
As the show depicts Taylor’s transformational tale, its most exciting feature remains the numerous familiar faces that the athlete meets while on his underdog journey. From Georges St-Pierre to Jon Jones, many legendary MMA fighters become a part of Taylor’s quest. Naturally, the same brings the central characters, such as Taylor, Boss, and Ibaka’s real-life relevance into questioning.
Actor Melvin Boomer Found Inspiration For Taylor Keita in His Father
Despite the elements of realism that surround Taylor Keita’s story, the character himself remains entirely fictitious. In real life, there hasn’t been an MMA fighter with a similarly chaotic career trajectory as the on-screen athlete. Even though the struggle and obstacles Taylor faces in his rise to power remain authentically relatable, the convergence of his training pre-belt with industry legends shines an outlandish light on his story. As such, his character ultimately remains a work of fiction.
With Taylor Keita’s character, Franck Gastambide wanted to tell the story of an athlete with a difficult path ahead of him due to invisible complications who overcomes each stone life puts in his path. Consequently, an instinctual parallel—intentional or otherwise—forms between the titular boxer from the ‘Rocky’ series and Taylor Keita. As a result, the latter athlete is bound to feel familiar to viewers who will find reflections of similar on-screen protagonists in the character. Yet, Taylor distinguishes himself through his unique hero’s journey. Behind the scenes, the depiction of this journey was partly shaped by the influence of Actor Melvin Boomer’s father.
Boomer’s father, Jean-Phael Promeneur, is an MMA fighter with an invigorating career in the martial arts. In the 2024 IBJJF events, the real-life athlete secured two gold medals and currently boasts nine on-record wins in his professional career. Although Boomer was never much of a fighter, he always remained supportive of his father’s career. Inevitably, once he landed the role of Taylor Keita on ‘The Cage,’ Promeneur became a natural source of inspiration. Thus, even though Taylor isn’t a biographical recreation of a real-life counterpart, the fictional character retains realistic roots.
Boss and Ibrahim Ibaka Shape Taylor Keita’s Narrative
Similar to Taylor Keita, Boss & Ibrahim Ibaka—the two characters who significantly shape his storyline—are also works of fiction. While Boss assumes the role of a beloved mentor, Ibrahim becomes the central antagonist, fueling the protagonist’s story with their rivalry. Both characters exist within familiar tropes that fans will easily recognize, allowing them to form quick opinions on them. However, parts of their characterization also remain influenced by the world of MMA around them.
On his part, Ibrahim embodies the most toxic idea of an MMA fighter who only uses the sport as a channel for his violence. For the same reason, multiple people—including industry legends such as Georges St-Pierre are eager to train a fighter who showcases the potential of besting the former in battle. Alternatively, his social media-heavy popularity also highlights the role that the internet plays in current MMA culture. One of Ibrahim’s signature tactics is to challenge a fighter to unofficial sparring matches and live streaming the session to build an audience. Nonetheless, in the end, this tactic ends up spelling his doom as it crosses his paths with Taylor, who arrives as a reckoning for his career. In that way, Ibrahim plays an archetypical version of a narrative villain.
Similarly, Coach Boss, the mentor, also fulfills a predictable role in Taylor’s story. While he is reluctant to bestow his faith upon Taylor in the beginning—undermining the athlete like the others—he eventually learns to see the potential in him. Consequently, he remains a steadfast constant by the fighter’s side as the two help each other in their aspirations. Ultimately, Boss and Ibrahim’s sense of familiarity as characters remains confined to the roles they play within the story. Outside of the show, neither holds any connection to real-life coaches or MMA fighters.
Read More: The Cage: Is the Netflix Show Based on a True Story?
