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