The Rock to Star in and Produce Movie about UFC Fighter Mark Kerr

Dwayne Johnson’s grind really never stops, and the most electrifying man in sports entertainment has his sights set on the world of MMA. Now, before you get ahead of yourself, he’s producing and starring in a project based on the life of UFC Champion Mark Kerr. Variety reported these details after the star dropped into the press conference for UFC 244 this week. Johnson was on hand as a guest presenter for the event in Madison Square Garden before Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal settle things in the cage. The Rock will be the one to put the belt on the winner of that bout as they are crowned with the BMF title. People in attendance at the press conference were overjoyed when the movie star strode onto the stage with the belt in tow.

Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions will be the conduit for his producer role. He’ll have some familiar faces on-hand to help in that area with Beau Flynn, his ex-wife Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia. The company has produced numerous features with the action star attached. Things are still in the early development stages and no studio has been attached to the project yet. This project could represent a big swing for a studio looking to bank on The Rock’s marketability and charisma, although this would be his first foray into a dramatic role.

Kerr had a storied career in the Octagon. He is a two-time UFC heavyweight champion and was considered the best fighter in the world during his time in the sport. Some of his nicknames included The Smashing Machine, The Titan, and The Specimen. An HBO documentary in 2002 called The Smashing Machine chronicled parts of his career, but this larger effort from Johnson is an attempt to show his life story. Some of the highs and lows were chronicled during that documentary including Kerr’s romantic life and struggles with painkiller addiction.

Johnson sounds as energized as always about the prospect of taking on the role, “Mark Kerr’s story is such an incredible story. 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 50,000 people and what that does to somebody. Here’s a guy who has gone through it all, hit rock bottom, but the best part about Mark Kerr is that, like all of us in this room and all these fighters, these warriors, is that everyday, we get up and we want to do a little bit better tomorrow than we did today.”

The People’s Champ also offered, “The guy was a beast and he was dominant and there was only one like him at that time. When you think about these fighters, there is no other sport like MMA — the multiple disciplines and the pressure and the fact that you put your life on the line, literally, every time you step in the cage — and if you dig a little deeper than the physicality that they have, there’s a real character of depth to a lot of these warriors, and Mark is one of them.”

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