Latest news with #MarkKerr
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dwayne ‘The Rock' Johnson Helps Induct Mark Kerr Into UFC Hall of Fame Ahead of ‘The Smashing Machine'
Dwayne Johnson may be playing Mark Kerr in A24's upcoming biopic 'The Smashing Machine,' but now the actor is even taking an active part in the MMA legend's legacy. That's because The Rock was on hand to help induct Kerr into the UFC Hall of Fame on Thursday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas alongside co-star Emily Blunt. Kerr is now the 21st member of the sport's Pioneer Era Wing. Johnson stars as the two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament champion in Benny Safdie's sports drama, which is set to premiere this October. Meanwhile, Blunt portrays Kerr's then-girlfriend Dawn Staples, with a cast that also includes Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten and Oleksandr Usyk. Director Safdie also wrote, produced and edited the film. Additional producers include Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, Eli Bush and David Koplan. A24 has described the film as 'a drama based on the story of Mark Kerr, the legendary MMA fighter from the no-holds-barred era of the UFC at the peak of his career. He struggles with addiction, winning, love and friendship in the year 2000.' Other athletes and industry icons in the 2025 UFC HoF class include two-division champ Amanda Nunes, former Middleweight champions Israel Adesanya and Robbie Lawler, former interim title challenger Kelvin Gastelum, former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort and Emmy Award-winning producer Craig Piligian. 'The Smashing Machine' hits theaters on Oct. 3. The post Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Helps Induct Mark Kerr Into UFC Hall of Fame Ahead of 'The Smashing Machine' appeared first on TheWrap.
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
The Rock inducts real-life legend he portrays on-screen into the UFC Hall of Fame 2025
Image via UFC Hall of Fame 2025 The Rock has been one of the most renowned figures in the world of acting, sports, and entertainment. His popularity spans multiple sports, including UFC, so he was an apt choice when it came to filming the biopic of a renowned legend in the world of combat sports. While the fans are yet to see The Final Boss on the big screen in this role, he blurred the lines of film and reality with a special moment in recent memory. The Rock was present for the UFC Hall of Fame 2025 ceremony to induct the same man he is portraying in the upcoming biopic movie. Who did The Rock induct into the UFC Hall of Fame class of 2025? At the UFC Hall of Fame 2025 ceremony, The Rock was present with various popular figures of the industry. The Great One was invited to induct the UFC legend Mark Kerr into the Hall of Fame Pioneer Wing, whom he will be portraying in his upcoming movie, 'Smashing Machine.' The film is set to be released in theatres in October 2025 and is directed and co-produced by Benny Safdie alongside The Rock and his ex-wife, Dany Garcia. During his induction speech, The Rock applauded Mark Kerr's resilience and ability to fight through setbacks in his life to become the legend that he is. Moreover, The Rock called him much deserving of the Hall of Fame honor and called it a privilege to play him in Smashing Machine. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Mini House for 60 sqm for Seniors with Toilet and Bath (Click Here) Pre Fabricated Homes | Search Ads Search Now Undo The Rock said, "Sometimes in life, winning becomes the enemy, and the thing that actually matters is in the loss, and that's the thing I'm so proud of Mark for is how he took those losses, the resilience to come back, and now, years later, he's getting ready to come out here and accept his rightful place into the Hall of Fame and Mark's resilience and Mark's ability to fight through loss is reflective of every fighter, every woman, every man, whether fighters of the past or present who are going to fight this weekend and the OGs, so I give it to Mark Kerr, it was a privilege to play him." With Mark Kerr's name etched in UFC history, it will be more interesting to see his story leading to that accomplishment through The Rock's spectacular portrayal of him in Smashing Machines, coming soon. Also read: 'I was tryna push the Papi agenda': Rhea Ripley reveals the story about the initial suggestion of her WWE Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
UFC Hall of Fame 2025: List of all legends who have been inducted and more
Amanda Nunes. Image via:UFC Hall of Fame 2025 honored some of the greatest martial artists of all time. Amanda Nunes made the headlines for her incredible journey defeating fellow legends like Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg and Valentina Shevchenko. Among the other fighters who have been inducted in this year are Vitor Belford, Robbie Lawler and Mark Kerr. The event has been hosted at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Amanda Nunes headlines 2025 edition of UFC Hall of Fame UFC Hall of Fame is held each year during International Fight Week. This year, the event was held two days before the highly anticipated UFC 317. Amanda Nunes was the highlight of this year's ceremony is the induction of the Bantamweight champion. Nunes headed into the event as one of the best fighters of all time. She is the only fighter to defend belts across two divisions. Nunes has held multiple titles and has several records to her name. — ufc (@ufc) Alongside Nunes, the other fighters who have been inducted in this year's Hall of Fame are – Amanda Nunes – Modern wing Robbie Lawler – Modern wing Vitor Belfort – Pioneer wing Mark Kerr – Pioneer wing Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum (UFC 236) – Fight wing Charles Oliveira – Forrest Griffin Community Award Craig Piligian – Contributors wing Dwayne Johnson attends the induction of Mark Kerr at Hall of Fame 2025 UFC veteran Mark Kerr has been inducted into the Hall of Fame 2025 and Dwayne Johnson's presence during the ceremony adds to the moment of celebration. The Rock is playing the role of Kerr in an upcoming biopic, which makes sense for the former to attend the ceremony. The former American fighter was a two-time heavyweight champion and a world champion wrestler. While this year saw some of the greatest fighters being inducted, it is indeed an honor for Charles Oliveira to share the space with the rest of them. Oliveira is just a couple of days away from his lightweight title bout against Ilia Topuria. Israel Adesanya's one of the most talked about bouts against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 too got inducted in the fight week, marking a great feat. for both fighters. Also Read: Why Dana White dares Mark Zuckerberg to enter brutal UFC tournament Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Daily Record
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
If Greg Taylor leaves Celtic for PAOK he can expect broken windows, riot police and tear gas
Mark Kerr is one of only a handful of Scots to play in Greece and while it's not for the faint hearted, he couldn't get enough Seething supporters trying to storm the inner sanctum of the stadium.. crazy ultras panning in the windows.. riot police filling the night sky with tear gas. Mark Kerr saw all sorts of chaos during his two seasons playing in the Greek Super League. And he LOVED it. The former Aberdeen, Falkirk and Dundee United midfielder is one of just a handful of Scots to have plied their trade in the country originally known as Hellas. But now it looks like Greg Taylor is set to add his name to the list with a move to PAOK edging closer after six seasons at Celtic. And while Kerr admits surprise that anyone could leave Paradise when there's a new contract on the table, he reckons a stint in the league that can made the Old Firm derby look tame is no bad substitute. Kerr spent 18 months with Asteris Tripolis after leaving Aberdeen in 2010. He fell in love with the place, the peaceful Mediterranean culture.. and the madness of it's football. Kerr said: 'I really enjoyed my time in Greece, absolutely loved it. 'The football is a really high standard. Olympiacos have obviously won a European trophy recently, AEK Athens and Panathinaikos have done well and PAOK are always up there challenging. 'The quality, it's really quite a tactical game, a bit slower. I think Greg would be brilliant over there, to be honest. 'Just the way he plays, he's good in the ball. There's some really good players in that league. 'It is a bit of a culture shock at first, the stadiums and atmospheres. PAOK is one of the older style stadiums with an open roof. One of those tunnels you go down then up stairs onto the pitch. 'It was really impressive. The fans are amazing. Passionate beyond belief. 'I remember we drew 2-2 with AEK. We were 2-0 up in the Olympic Stadium - they were sharing with Olympiacos at the time - with about five minutes ago. 'Their fans were going absolutely mental. They were trying to get on the pitch because their team was losing. 'Then we beat Panathinaikos 1-0 at home. That was probably the craziest one. 'The away fans were putting in the windows afterwards. There's armed police at all the games and there was tear gas going off everywhere. 'We were inside the stadium and they were trying to get in through the doors, putting in the windows. 'Obviously you don't expect that coming from Scottish football. I loved that though, honestly. It's a good experience. 'It's not as if you're face-to-face with them. There's riot cops there. 'Some of the directors storm on to the pitch after games too. Like the Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis did last month. That's just normal to them. 'We used to get the bosses coming down the next day and shouting in our face and the manager's face. 'They'd be offering big bonuses. But if we didn't win… "They don't give a sh*t. It's their club. I had five different managers in those two seasons.' Away from the wild scenes on the sidelines there was quality on the park. And the sunshine lifestyle was something Kerr could never have imagined in a career otherwise spent in Aberdeen, Dundee, Falkirk and Ayr. Should Taylor finalise his move to Thessaloniki then he can expect sun, blue sea and golden sand. But Kerr admits, if it was his choice, he'd still choose the east end of Glasgow's version of Paradise. Could Greece make Taylor a better player? The former Ayr United boss, who left Kelty Hearts with Charlie Mulgrew earlier this season, said: 'That's a hard one for me to answer. I know Kieran Tierney's coming back and it's maybe about game time, but I'd never be leaving Celtic! 'There's obviously things in the background that you don't know about. I just don't know how you get better than playing for Celtic and in the Champions League. 'He's got a decision to make for his family, obviously. He's been brilliant for Celtic, absolutely brilliant. 'I think he'd be a massive part of next season. If he does go to Greece though, he will love it, I'm sure. 'The country's brilliant. The lifestyle's great. I was treated really well there. 'You travel quite a bit. They fly to the islands so it's a good experience. 'And Thessaloniki is a really nice place. I was there when Aris and PAOK were both in the league so we were there a good few times. 'We stayed over for two days. We'd fly on a Friday, play late on Saturday night then either fly home that night or fly home on Sunday. You got a chance to see places. 'I moved to a wee place called Nafplio in my second season, an amazing wee place just on the sea, I'd just go back after training and chill out with the family. It was brilliant. 'It's a great league too. The boys I played with, like Anastasios Bakasetas and Kostas Fortounis, went on to become captains for Greece. 'The heat isn't even a problem as you don't train or play in it. We used to be in the training ground for half six in the morning. 'Asteris was probably the most high-tech club of my career. You'd be in early and get your bloods done. You'd be getting all your tablets and stuff based on your body. 'On a normal day, you'd be in at half seven, train at half eight. Then you'd be done for ten o'clock, eleven o'clock. 'That would be you. All the games over there are pretty much eight o'clock kick-offs. Then obviously the winter months you'll get your afternoon games. Maybe a four o'clock kick-off, three o'clock kick-off. 'Honestly, I loved it and I'm sure Greg would too.'
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mark Kerr headed to UFC Hall of Fame's Pioneer Wing
Mark Kerr is the latest fighter who will head to the UFC Hall of Fame later this month. Kerr, who won the UFC 14 and UFC 15 heavyweight tournaments, will go into the Hall's Pioneer Wing, the promotion announced Saturday during the UFC 316 pay-per-view broadcast. The induction ceremony takes place in Las Vegas as part of International Fight Week for UFC 317. Advertisement "Mark Kerr was a high-level wrestler who also fought for PRIDE and was one of the early pioneers of the sport," UFC CEO Dana White said in a news release. Kerr will be the 21st member of the Pioneer Wing, which has fighters who became professional largely in the 1990s ahead of the adoption of a unified ruleset. Kerr is one of just five fighters with multiple UFC tournament wins. The other four all are in the UFC Hall of Fame: Royce Gracie, Mark Coleman, Dan Severn and Don Frye. Kerr and his "Smashing Machine" nickname became legendary, and his background is legendary enough that an upcoming biopic starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson already is garnering acclaim. Johnson will be on hand to induct Kerr into the Hall, the UFC announced. Advertisement The UFC's news release includes this about Kerr's non-UFC pursuits: Outside the Octagon, the 56-year old Kerr served as the subject of a critically acclaimed documentary titled The Smashing Machine, which chronicled his career while competing across multiple MMA organizations. A film with the same name, starring Dwayne Johnson as Kerr, is set to be released by A24 on October 3. A native of Toledo, Ohio, Kerr began his wrestling career as a freshman at Bettendorf High School in Iowa, where he was a teammate of future UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich. Kerr returned to Toledo and joined the wrestling team at Waite High School, becoming Ohio Division I state champion in 1986. Following high school, Kerr began his collegiate wrestling career at Syracuse University, competing for the Orangemen in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association. During his tenure on the collegiate mats, Kerr won the conference title in 1989, 1991 and 1992, while also earning All-America honors and the NCAA Division I National Championship in his final season. Kerr would spend the next four years as a freestyle wrestler, winning silver and gold medals during the United World Wrestling World Cup in 1992 and 1994, as well as the silver medal at the UWW Pan American Games in 1995. He also won the USA Wrestling World Team Trials in 1993 and 1994. Kerr also competed in ADCC Submission Fighting Championship, a grappling competition, defeating future UFC heavyweight champions Josh Barnett and Ricco Rodriguez en route to winning gold medals during the 1999, 2000 and 2001 tournaments. In 2022, he was inducted into the inaugural class of the ADCC Hall of Fame. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Mark Kerr headed to UFC Hall of Fame's Pioneer Wing
