Ryan Bader has decided to put his MMA gloves away for a while as he is set to share the screen with Dwayne Johnson for an upcoming biopic on Mark Kerr. ‘The Smashing Machine’ starring Johnson as Mark Kerr will have Bader playing a potential major role as well. The movie centers around Kerr’s 1990 MMA career, along with his addiction and exit from the UFC and other promotions.
The Bellator heavyweight champion uploaded this news on Instagram that he is going to Vancouver for the shoot. His role is not known yet, but the three-month tenure suggests that he has a big part in the movie. Meanwhile, after the announcement, he got a shoutout and a note of help from a legendary Hall of Famer.
Ryan Bader attracts the attention of the first UFC Heavyweight Champion
Bader uploaded his picture with his belt along with a caption stating, “Putting the MMA game on pause for a bit as l head to Vancouver for about 3 months. Excited to be a part of an amazing project by Benny Safdie #thesmashingmachine. Giving ode to a couple legends of the sport, @markkerrtsm @markcolemanufc the highs and the lows that come with this crazy-ass sport. @therock.”
The post not only got hyped by fans but Hall of Famer Mark Coleman also commented writing, “Love this turn it up brother 👊 let me know if I can help.” Along with the MMA fighter, the ensemble will have Emily Blunt, who might be playing Kerr’s ex-wife Dawn Staples. Bader’s previous fight was with Renan Ferreira, and Darth lost the fight. Now he is gearing up for a big movie and his next fight is not yet disclosed.
Coleman, who recently saved his parents from a house fire by almost sacrificing his own life, was excited about the prospect of this movie and offered his help. Coleman showed his heroic side by battling a deadly recovery from the housefire at his parent’s house. Will there be a role for representing Mark Coleman? It is yet to be disclosed, but in the meantime, Johnson made a tough confession about the movie.
Dwayne Johnson opened up about his role as Mark Kerr
The Rock had posted a video on Instagram sharing his training process for the role of the legendary MMA fighter. He also confessed that the training was hard since he was recovering from Wrestle Mania XL. He expressed that Kerr was a godfather of MMA and one of the greatest fighters during his time. The Rock captioned the post, “From the wrestling ring to the MMA cage. With WrestleMania behind me – my second training camp of 2024 begins tomorrow for my next role, in a film titled – The Smashing Machine.”
He paid his respects to all UFC and MMA fighters for their zeal and hard work every day. The Rock also mentioned addiction, which was the reason for the downward curve in Kerr’s career, and said, “I’ve lost so many friends (wrestlers) over the years from addiction and mental health struggle – from suicide to, it was just their time to go. This is my love letter to them. Let’s get to work.”
Are you excited to watch this biopic with a magnificent cast? Let us know in the comments below.