3. “The Smashing Machine” (2002)
Mark Kerr was a three-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist and an NCAA All-American wrestler at Syracuse University, where he won a national title in 1992. The Toledo, Ohio, native crossed over to mixed martial arts in 1997 and won his first 11 fights, taking two UFC tournament titles before later competing in Pride Fighting Championships. Helmed by director John Hyams, “The Smashing Machine” documentary takes viewers through Kerr’s mixed martial arts career and subsequent downward spiral into drug addiction. Clocking in at 78 minutes, it includes his stunning run at World Vale Tudo Championship 3, where he made his professional MMA debut and earned “The Smashing Machine” nickname by defeating Paul Varelans, Sidney Goncalves Freitas and Fabio Gurgel to win a one-night tournament in Brazil.
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