Mixed martial arts, or MMA, is the combat sport whose early, unregulated years produced pioneers like Mark Kerr, nicknamed for his dominance in the cage. Kerr’s story was told in The Smashing Machine, Benny Safdie’s biographical film starring Dwayne Johnson — a former wrestler whose physical credibility made him a natural fit. The film’s success led Safdie and Johnson to collaborate again on Lizard Music, with Johnson transformed into the elderly Chicken Man.
(David Shankbone / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain))
Mentioned in: From Mark Kerr to the Chicken Man: Why Dwayne Johnson Keeps Choosing Benny Safdie’s Strangest Roles