UFC CEO Dana White believes the upcoming Smashing Machine movie could be to mixed martial arts (MMA) what The Wrestler was to professional wrestling. That all depends on the finished product, which is not scheduled for release until some point in 2025.
That said, White expects Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to earn an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Mark Kerr, the embattled UFC fighter who racked up a 4-0 record with four finishes at UFC 14 and UFC 15 in the latter half of 1997.
“I don’t know if you saw it, but he was showing on his Instagram the other day that he messed up his elbow,” White told Collider. “The Rock will kill this. He will nail this role. I know how serious he’s taking this, I know who’s working with him, and I know how hard he’s working on this film. I think that this could be the opportunity for The Rock to actually be nominated for an Oscar.”
Mickey Rourke was nominated for an Oscar for The Wrestler but is also an established dramatic actor. In addition, he was performing under the guidance of acclaimed director Darren Aronofsky, who was behind the lens for Black Swan and The Whale, among others.
Smashing Machine is directed by Bennie Safdie (Uncut Gems).
It’s too soon to make any sort of determination about the quality (or accuracy) of The Smashing Machine until it hits theaters. Recent casting additions include Bellator fighter Ryan Bader as Mark Coleman and boxing champ Oleksandr Usyk as Igor Vovchanchyn.