Sun Sep 28 02:10:00 UTC 2025: **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

**Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Takes Real Punch Filming “The Smashing Machine,” Leaving Him Seeing Stars**

**Los Angeles, CA –** Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, known for his action movie prowess, recently experienced a truly authentic taste of the fight game while filming “The Smashing Machine,” a biopic about MMA legend Mark Kerr. During a combat sports media roundtable, Johnson revealed he took a legitimate punch from an MMA fighter during a scene recreating Kerr’s 2000 Pride Grand Prix finals fight with Kazuyuki Fujita.

“It felt like when you get rocked by a real fighter multiple times,” Johnson told CBS Sports. “There’s a moment in the trailer where I’m on my knees in the ring and I look up dazed. That’s real. I got my bell rung.”

Director Benny Safdie, known for his immersive filmmaking style, encouraged Johnson’s commitment to realism. Safdie’s desire to avoid cutting away from the lead actor pushed Johnson to insist his scene partner, a professional mixed martial artist, deliver a genuine blow. After initial hesitation from the fighter, who was reluctant to strike Johnson, Safdie and Johnson convinced him to commit to the shot. MMA legend Bas Rutten, also present, reportedly encouraged the fighter, yelling, “Just hit him! He’s just The Rock! Hit him!”

“He hit me so hard!” Johnson exclaimed. “That’s what you see in the movie. Not only is he hitting me, but I realized watching back that he’s coming down. That was a punch! Dude!”

“The Smashing Machine,” based on the 2002 documentary of the same name, explores the life and times of Mark Kerr, a dominant but troubled figure in the early days of MMA. The film stars Johnson as Kerr and Emily Blunt in a supporting role. In addition to Johnson and Blunt, the film features several notable MMA personalities including UFC alum and two-division Bellator champion Ryan Bader portrays UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman, undisputed boxing heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk is in the film, and Rutten portrays himself.

“The Smashing Machine” is slated to premiere in the U.S. on October 3rd.

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