The Rock Played Me in a Movie. Then I Told Him How I Almost Died — Mark Kerr, MMA's Smashing Machine

In 1999, Mark Kerr was the most dangerous heavyweight on the planet. By 2000, he was dead in a bathroom, blue lips, no pulse, brought back by Narcan. Twenty-five years later, The Rock plays him in the movie. This is the story Hollywood couldn't fit in two hours. UFC champion. Two-time ADCC champion. Division I National Champion. The man who built the blueprint for the modern MMA fighter then nearly didn't live to see anyone follow it. In this episode, Mark Kerr ("The Smashing Machine") sits down to talk about the rise, the overdose, the comeback, and what it actually felt like to watch Dwayne Johnson become him on screen. In this raw and unforgettable episode, Mark sits down with us to talk about: What it felt like when Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was cast to play him How he helped create the standard for what a professional MMA fighter looks and acts like The training methods he pioneered 25 years ago — heart rate-based conditioning, functional training — that the sport has only recently caught up to The injuries, pain management, and how it all spiraled into addiction The night the cameras went down, and he was found unresponsive — lips blue, barely breathing — and brought back with Narcan Why vulnerability is the most alpha thing a man can do His mission to prepare and mentor the next generation We get into the early days of no-rules fighting in Japan, the science of cardio that didn't exist yet, the morphine addiction that almost ended everything, and the mission that's driving him now: passing the wisdom on to the next generation.. Whether you're a fight fan, someone in recovery, or just somebody who needs to hear that one thing doesn't define you, this episode is for you. CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold open — The Rock is playing you in a movie 02:15 Setting the standard before MMA had one 06:40 Mortality, Hulk Hogan, and watching your old self 10:20 Why wrestling led to fighting (and the '96 Olympic miss) 14:05 The brutality of early MMA — "I'm never doing this again" 18:30 Shattering the 10th-degree-black-belt myth 22:45 Training science 25 years ahead of its time 26:50 Breathing, recovery, and the Dagestani gas tank 30:15 How the HBO documentary actually happened 34:40 The painkillers, the pressure, the slow spiral 39:20 Blue lips, no pulse — the night Narcan saved his life 44:10 The Rock, the movie, and what they got right 48:25 The mission now: mentoring the next generation 53:00 Why connection beats championships 57:30 The contract you sign at birth This episode is sponsored by Celsius, the energy drink that fuels every Strong New York workout. Visit @celsiusofficial on Instagram to see all of their new flavors! This episode is sponsored by Marek Health. Optimize your hormones, recovery, and performance. by visiting marekhealth.com. Use code KENNY at checkout for 10% Marek Diagnostics, Supplements and the Marek Health Guided Optimization signup. CONNECT WITH STRONG NEW YORK Instagram: @strongnewyork TikTok: @strongnewyork Web: www.strongnewyork.com FOLLOW MARK KERR Instagram: @MarkKerrTMS If this episode hit you, do us a favor — LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and SHARE it with one person who needs to hear it. And drop your favorite moment below.