Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson honored Mark Kerr at the 2025 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony with a special trophy.
The event took place on Thursday, June 26, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and Johnson made a special appearance alongside Emily Blunt to honor Kerr for becoming the 21st inductee into the Pioneer Era Wing of the Hall of Fame.
Johnson, who portrays Kerr in the upcoming biopic The Smashing Machine, took the stage to personally present a trophy to the former UFC and PRIDE champion. Blunt, who plays Dawn Staples-Kerr—Kerr's first wife—in the film, was also in attendance to show support.
The star-studded event also honored several other MMA icons, such as Israel Adesanya, Robbie Lawler, Amanda Nunes, and Vitor Belfort. Former interim title challenger Kelvin Gastelum, as well as Emmy-winning producer Craig Piligian, were also recognized for their contributions to the combat sport.
The Smashing Machine will be released on October 3 and explores Kerr's rise, fall, and eventual redemption in the mixed martial arts world. Fans have been raving about the film ever since photos of Johnson portraying Kerr in full makeup circulated online earlier this year. The anticipation got even higher when the trailer was released last April.
In a conversation with Pat McAfee, Johnson explained how he stepped away from blockbuster movies to challenge himself with this upcoming film.
"I love making the bigger blockbuster movies," said Johnson. "They're a lot of fun. They're hard as shit to make and a lot people enjoy them—hopefully, knock on wood around the world—but I wanted more. I wanted a challenge and I just wanted the opportunity to disappear into something and disappear into a part and a role that would really challenge me in ways that I've never been challenged before.
