• Dwayne Johnson stars in "The Smashing Machine," a biopic of MMA fighter Mark Kerr. • Kerr had a dominating career at the UFC, which recently named him to its Hall of Fame. • Kerr has also battled addiction, and at a low point after his fighting career, was living out of his car.

Dwayne Johnson's buzzy awards season turn in the A24 sports biopic "The Smashing Machine" sees the wrestling legend embody another famous athlete: mixed martial artist Mark Kerr.

One of the most dominant fighters in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) during the late 1990s, Kerr rose through the ranks while battling an addiction to pain medication and dealing with a tumultuous relationship with his girlfriend, Dawn Staples (played in the film by Emily Blunt).

The movie, in theaters Friday, is based on

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