Bellator Champ Ryan Bader Lands Role in Upcoming Mark Kerr Biopic

Ryan Bader won’t be in action for at least a few more months after joining the cast of "The Smashing Machine.”

The Bellator MMA heavyweight champion recently announced on social media that he has landed a role in the biopic on UFC and Pride Fighting Championships veteran Mark Kerr, who will be played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

“Putting the MMA game on pause a bit as I head to Vancouver for about three months,” Bader wrote on Instagram. “Excited to be part of an amazing project by [director] Benny Safdie. Giving ode to a couple legends of the sport, Mark Kerr and Mark Coleman. The highs and lows that come with this crazy ass sport.”

Produced by A24, “The Smashing Machine” will also star Emily Blunt and is expected to be released sometime in 2025. It is currently unknown exactly what role Bader will play in the film, which is based on a 2002 documentary of the same name. According to imdb.com, the movie will be “based on the true events surrounding Kerr's life and rise through the MMA world, which was unfortunately derailed by his opioid addiction.”

Bader last appeared at the PFL vs. Bellator event on Feb. 24, when he suffered a 21-second technical knockout loss to 2023 PFL heavyweight winner Renan Ferreira. The Arizona native remains the Bellator heavyweight champion, with three successful title defenses to his credit.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ryan Bader (@ryanbader)