Michael B Jordan's preparation for 'Creed II' was "worse" than the original movie.

Michael B Jordan

Michael B Jordan

The 31-year-old actor - who has reprised his role as Adonis Creed for the new film - has admitted to hating the exhausting experience of getting himself in shape to star in the boxing movie.

He confessed: "For the first [film], there's no way I could imagine what I was going to be doing - the second time around, it was worse.

"I have to believe when stepping into the ring, I am a fighter. I would work out to exhaustion day in and day out. Sometimes twice a day, going home with swollen knuckles and all.

"To get in shape, we definitely amped up the cardio along with the boxing, which itself is an amazing workout, two times a day, every day for six weeks."

The painful fight scenes also meant Michael needed to make multiple trips to the hospital.

But the Hollywood star has insisted he didn't allow the bumps and bruises to discourage him.

Michael - who appears alongside Tessa Thompson and Sylvester Stallone in the new movie - told the Belfast Telegraph newspaper: "It's a badge of honour, honestly. We're making an action film and if you're not getting hurt, then you ain't trying hard enough.

"So I feel like it just means that we were putting it all on the line for the perfect shot. For the perfect scene."