‘It Was A Privilege To Play Him’ The Rock Praises MMA Legend Mark Kerr At UFC Hall Of Fame

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Dwyane ‘The Rock’ Johnson accompanied Mark Kerr to the UFC Hall of Fame ceremony on Thursday night and shared some kind words about the MMA legend.

Later this year, The Rock will star as Kerr in the upcoming A24 film ‘The Smashing Machine,” which is set to release in October.

https://twitter.com/A24/status/1917202210401722831

While on the red carpet at the UFC Hall OF Fame, The Rock revealed why he wanted to pay tribute to Kerr by depicting him in ‘The Smashing Machine.”

“It was important to pay tribute to Mark because of the life he lived…MMA moves fast, and it’s an accelerated sport. Everyone is getting better and better every day, and we found that out making this movie, so what an opportunity for us to acknowledge Mark and the road that he paved for others.”

Later in the night, The Rock would induct Kerr into the UFC Hall of Fame.

“I give it up to Mark Kerr. It was a privilege to play him.” @TheRock inducts Mark Kerr into the #UFCHoF! 👏 pic.twitter.com/AGqyaAlaoD

— UFC (@ufc) June 27, 2025