‘The Rock’ To Star In New Film About MMA Fighter Mark Kerr

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Former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) champion and current Hollywood superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson announced earlier tonight (Fri., Nov. 1, 2019) following the conclusion of UFC 245’s pre-fight press conference in New York City that he is partnering up with his Seven Bucks Productions company to make a film about the life and journey of former MMA fighter Mark Kerr.

Johnson, who is in New York this weekend to present the new “BMF” belt to the winner of Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal at UFC 244 from inside Madison Square Garden, has been an avid MMA fan for years. So even though he’s best known for his days running WWE, “The Rock” respects the time and effort that every professional MMA fighter puts forth.

“I’ve been a fan of MMA for a very, very long time. A fan of these fighters. A fan of these warriors,” Johnson explained. “When you think about the world of MMA that everybody in this room loves and we have such a great respect, love, and reverence is from my perspective…there’s individuals in MMA. There’s warriors in MMA. Men and women who have this incredible humanity who achieved these incredible accomplishments. That’s what I want the world to see. Because these men and women, who again we love all around the world who are in MMA, sacrifice so much. And there’s so much pressure for them to win. There’s so much pressure for them to succeed. And so much pressure for them to remain on top if they’re fortunate enough to be on top.”

So why Mark Kerr? Let “The Rock” explain.

“I’m proud to say that myself and Seven Bucks Productions are going to make a film about the life of one of your founding fathers, the pioneering founding fathers, ‘The Smashing Machine’ Mark Kerr,” Johnson said.

“Mark Kerr’s story is such an incredible story. Here’s a guy who won the two-time heavyweight tournament in the early stages of UFC, and here’s a guy who also went over to PRIDE, (and) he had this incredible run. As many of these warriors have, and I wanted to shine a spotlight on this man.”

“I think what’s interesting about Mark Kerr’s story is, yes, he achieved so much in his life, (and) he was a ‘Smashing Machine,’ undefeated for a long time,” explained Johnson. “But also like all of us and like a lot of these fighters, he battled these demons. These demons of addiction, these demons of mental health, these demons of getting out and the pressure of fighting in front of 20, 30, 40, 50,000 people and what that does to somebody.

“So here’s a guy who has gone through it all and hit rock bottom, but the best part about Mark Kerr, like all of us in this room, and like these fighters by the way, all these warriors, everyday you get up, and you want to do a little bit better tomorrow than you did today.”

Kerr, 50, is one of the original dominant heavyweights of MMA. The former collegiate wrestling star made a name for himself early into his combat career by winning back-to-back UFC heavyweight tournaments in 1997 before making the move over to PRIDE. Kerr, better known as “Smashing Machine,” ended up compiling an overall MMA record of 12-0 (1 NC) before dropping his first loss to Japanese veteran Kazuyuki Fujita via decision in 2000. After that loss, Kerr would go on to win only three of his next 13 professional fights before walking away from the sport in 2009.

Kerr, who was known for his ability to viciously finish fights, also had a well-documented addiction to painkillers throughout his MMA career. HBO aired a documentary about Kerr’s life and journey through fighting back in 2012, which also discussed his struggles with the addiction.

While there are no additional details about the upcoming movie at this time, it is confirmed that the “The Rock” will be playing the role of Kerr.

“I loved that he trusts me with his life and his story,” said Johnson. “I’m going to shine the light on your life.”