Mark Kerr at the peak of his powers was perhaps the most feared man in mixed martial arts, as he enjoyed a meteoric rise to superstardom by blitzing through tournaments in the World Vale Tudo Championship and Ultimate Fighting Championship.
A onetime NCAA wrestling champion who transitioned to MMA in 1997, Kerr’s achievements have been thrust back into the spotlight through a hotly anticipated Benny Safdie-directed biopic set for theatrical release on Oct. 3. “The Smashing Machine” stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the titular role, alongside Emily Blunt, former Bellator MMA champion Ryan Bader and ex-UFC titleholder Bas Rutten.