The Smashing Machine

Mark Kerr is at the center of this portrait of a fighter whose career in the late 1990s unfolds against a backdrop of adrenaline, ambition, and vulnerability. The film opens with a candid interview in which Kerr details his view of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and his dedication to the sport. A battle in Sao Paulo in 1997 showcases his raw, fearless freestyle wrestling as he defeats a formidable opponent, illustrating the drive that would define his public persona. The interview continues, weaving together Kerr’s thoughts on competition, discipline, and the costs that come with chasing glory in a sport that thrives on intensity.

The story then shifts to more intimate ground. In a Phoenix clinic waiting room, Kerr speaks with a woman and her grandson about the UFC’s violence, but he makes a point of saying he doesn’t hate his opponents, signaling a complex mix of respect and restraint beneath the ruthless exterior. He even signs an autograph for the boy, a small gesture that humanizes a fighter who lives in the glare of the spotlight. At home, Kerr shares a tense dynamic with his girlfriend, Dawn Staples. Their relationship has tenderness and friction in equal measure: he chides her over a milk selection for his protein shake, yet his concern and affection for her remain evident even as darker struggles simmer beneath the surface. The film does not shy away from Kerr’s private battles, including opioid use that haunts him away from public view.

The narrative broadens to the international stage as Kerr travels to Tokyo with his coach, the formidable Mark Coleman. In the lead-up to Pride 7, he negotiates the logistics and the financial side of fighting, asking officials questions about payment and the stakes of competing on a global stage. After a tense interview, Kerr confronts a hypothetical question about losing, revealing a rare doubt in a man who typically projects unwavering confidence. Dawn makes a surprise trip to Tokyo, hoping to support him, but the moment unsettles Kerr in the locker room as he worries her presence might disrupt his focus. The bout itself ends in controversy: Kerr faces an opponent who employs moves deemed illegal, and the match is ruled a “no contest.” Even so, there is room for sportsmanship, as Kerr reaches out to his rival afterward and takes a friendly photograph, showing that respect can coexist with the tremors of defeat.

Back home, the relationship with Dawn again becomes a focal point. A heated argument erupts, culminating in Kerr smashing a door in a moment of uncontrolled anger. The next morning brings a life-threatening turn: Dawn calls Coleman in tears after Kerr overdoses and ends up in the hospital. Coleman visits, offering steady support as Kerr begins the long path to recovery through rehab. The rehab process strains their relationship, and Dawn, feeling increasingly distant from a man who has cycled through sobriety and relapse, ultimately leaves him.

With the support of a new training ally, Kerr heads to Hollywood in 2000 to work with Bas Rutten on rebuilding his body and technique. The sessions test him physically and emotionally, and there is a stark moment when Bas endures a painful injury during training; Kerr’s presence—along with careful care and focus—helps him push through the strain to regain peak form. The bond with Rutten becomes a catalyst for Kerr’s renewal as a fighter, even as the personal toll of his past continues to echo in his life.

Returning to competition, Kerr enters the Pride 2000 Grand Prix with renewed resolve. He delivers a performance that proves he is capable of enduring and adapting, and Dawn—now back in his life—reappears with a simple, symbolic gift: a repaired bowl she had broken in an argument. The gesture marks a fragile reconciliation, though Bas remains wary of Kerr’s decision to leave the training camp and return home with Dawn.

Yet the relationship remains combustible. An explosive dispute reaches a peak when Dawn resents Kerr’s reluctance to have her travel with him to Japan for his next bout, and another crisis looms: Dawn, in a moment of desperation, nearly shoots herself. Kerr intervenes to restrain her, and emergency responders are called, highlighting the perilous emotional terrain the couple is navigating.

The final round of the Grand Prix in Japan tests Kerr’s concentration in a way the film has been building toward. Distracted by flashbacks to happier times, he suffers a crushing defeat, a moment that is tempered by the support of Coleman in the locker room. Coleman secures the belt in his own final round, while Kerr, left to process the loss, sits in the shower and laughs through a mix of relief, relief, and perhaps a dawning clarity about what comes next.

The film closes with a flashforward to 2025 in Scottsdale, where the real story of Kerr is anchored in a quiet grocery run. The closing text notes that Kerr and Dawn reconciled shortly after his loss and married, only to eventually divorce but raise a son together. Kerr retires from fighting in 2009, and the narrative positions him and Coleman as pioneers who helped lay the groundwork for the sport’s evolution, even as the world moves on to new stars and new stories. The ending leaves a portrait of a man shaped by triumph and turbulence, defined as much by his persistence and his relationships as by the trophies he collected.

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 16:00