Eric Zachanowich / A24

Mark Kerr was a mixed martial arts newcomer in 1997, but already had the look of a superstar. After watching Kerr maul three opponents in one night, Brazil’s Tatame magazine gave him an appropriately fearsome title: “Máquina de Bater,” or The Smashing Machine.

The nickname stuck, but the pressure to win made Kerr’s dominance difficult to maintain.

The former UFC heavyweight champion’s trials in and out of the cage are the subject of biopic The Smashing Machine , premiering Friday, October 3. Starring Dwayne Johnson as Kerr, the film focuses on the fighter’s early rise through the MMA ranks in the late 1990s and its toll on his personal life.

While Kerr’s winning ways initially grabbed the attention of fans, they masked a substance use disorder the fighter

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