Ryan Bader is putting his fighting career on hold for a few months after landing a role in The Smashing Machine, the upcoming biopic on UFC and PRIDE veteran Mark Kerr that also stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
On Saturday, the former Bellator heavyweight champion revealed that he was cast in the film, with production primarily taking place in Vancouver. There’s no word yet on Bader’s role, although a three-month stint seems to indicate that he’ll have a featured role in the film, which is being directed by Benny Safdie with independent studio A24 producing.
“Putting the MMA game on pause for a bit as I head to Vancouver for about three months,” Bader wrote on Instagram. “Excited to be a part of an amazing project by Benny Safdie, The Smashing Machine. Giving ode to a couple legends of the sport, Mark Kerr, Mark Coleman. The highs and the lows that come with this crazy ass sport.”
Bader joins a cast also expected to include recent Oscar nominee Emily Blunt, who is rumored to play Kerr’s longtime girlfriend Dawn Staples.
Based on the 2002 documentary of the same name, The Smashing Machine takes a deep dive into the peaks and valleys throughout Kerr’s career. Kerr was once hailed as the future of the sport, but injuries and addiction to pain medication led to his downfall.
The documentary follows Kerr primarily during his time with PRIDE, where he attempted to make a comeback, but it’s ultimately Coleman who revives his own career with a stunning victory in the first-ever PRIDE Grand Prix tournament.
The Smashing Machine has been a passion project for Johnson for the past few years, as the WWE superstar turned actor remained adamant about getting the film done after gaining the rights to the story. For the past couple of weeks, Johnson has been training at MMA gyms, including Black House, to get himself ready to portray Kerr in the upcoming film.
As for Bader, the 40-year-old UFC and Bellator veteran most recently fought in February, suffering a knockout loss to Renan Ferreira on the PFL vs. Bellator card in Saudi Arabia. Prior to that setback, Bader rattled off three wins in a row, including a second victory over legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko.
Bader now joins Johnson on the cast with no release date set quite yet for the film, although it’s expected that The Smashing Machine lands in theaters sometime in 2025.
