How Dwayne Johnson Can Become an MMA Legend With ‘The Smashing Machine’

Legends aren’t always made in the cage or ring; sometimes they emerge from fans’ imaginations, where cinema and sport collide. When Sylvester Stallone laced up as Rocky Balboa, he did more than just play a boxer; he created an icon. Audiences believed in Rocky because Stallone did, transforming himself into a symbol of grit and possibility. That belief transformed a character into a legend. Now, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson stands at a similar crossroads.

With The Smashing Machine, the future WWE Hall of Famer isn’t just playing Mark Kerr, the two-time UFC tournament champion; he is also carving a space for himself in MMA’s cultural mythology. Whether he realizes it or not, he is carrying the weight of history and has the perfect opportunity to give mixed martial arts its own Rocky moment. But why do we believe that the Hollywood megastar will be able to pull it off? Well, here are the three reasons to help you understand.

Dwayne Johnson carries the Rocky effect into MMA

What Sylvester Stallone did for boxing was more than just cinematic. It was physical, visceral, and truly believable. By the time Rocky III arrived, Stallone had starved and shredded himself to a remarkable 2.8% body fat, the kind of transformation that screams obsession rather than vanity.

That devotion to the role made Rocky Balboa seem too real, and it surely transformed audiences into believers. And now, Dwayne Johnson is following the same path, but his stage is the Octagon rather than the squared circle. The WWE superstar, known for his huge action-figure-esque physique, lost approximately 60 pounds for The Smashing Machine.

This was not about vanity metrics or red carpet looks. It was about storytelling. Just as Stallone realized that Rocky had to look like a boxer who had bled and sweated in dimly lit gyms, Johnson knows that Mark Kerr cannot be the one we know as The Rock. His body had to speak the truth for him before he could throw a punch on film.

And this is where the Rocky effect really shines: the willingness to suffer for belief. Fans notice more than just weight loss when they see Dwayne Johnson’s improved physique. That sacrifice signals to the audience that he isn’t relying on charisma or star power. He’s buying into the character with the same obsession that Stallone once did, and in doing so, he invites fans to buy it too.

The Rock transforms into a true mixed martial artist

Johnson’s physical transformation would have been impressive enough, but he went above and beyond by becoming a student of the fight game. Wrestling did give him a foundation, but professional wrestling is more theater, than combat. To become Kerr, he had to embrace all the aspects of striking, ground fighting, while developing a level of cardio that would break a man in half.

Training videos that he often shared on his social media showed him sweating during sparring sessions, practicing takedown defenses, and enduring the rigorous repetition of grappling. That grind matters. Stallone shadowboxed, jumped rope, and beat on speed bags until his shoulders ached.

Dwayne Johnson is on the same path, but his curriculum is MMA’s chaos: punches and kicks flow into clinches, and clinches collapse into scrambles. Even the prosthetics, all 13 or 14 of them, serve a deeper purpose. They erase The Rock’s really world-renowned face, allowing fans to focus on ‘The Smashing Machine’ rather than the WWE megastar.

It’s the same effect Stallone created with Rocky’s southpaw shuffle and slurred Philly drawl: the actor disappears, leaving behind the character, the persona. ‘The Rock’ isn’t “acting” when he ducks under a strike or sprawls on a takedown; rather, he is honoring the sport’s physical language. MMA fans place a high value on authenticity. And Johnson’s preparation proves that he understands the assignment: he must move, breathe, and suffer as one of their own.

‘The Smashing Machine’ paves his path to MMA legend

So, what does it all mean? It means Dwayne Johnson isn’t just making another film. He is immersing himself in the emotional fabric of MMA, just like Sylvester Stallone did with boxing. The Smashing Machine does more than just recount Kerr’s wins and him battling his demons; it channels the spirit of what it takes to fight when the world doesn’t understand you.

Mark Kerr’s story is brutal, heartbreaking, and inspiring – all in the same breath. His struggles with addiction, the toll of painkillers, and the crushing weight of expectations all keep adding more depth to the man behind the takedowns. For ‘The Rock’, embodying that journey allows him to go beyond the bulletproof action hero. Instead of invincibility, he embraces vulnerability. And this is exactly how true movie icons are born.

If Rocky became the symbol of boxing’s heart, Johnson now has the same opportunity in MMA. This isn’t hyperbole. Future generations may see the Hollywood icon and think “the Octagon,” just as fans saw Stallone and immediately thought “fighter.” Not because he fought there himself, but because he captured its spirit on screen and gave audiences a tale to believe in.

And perhaps it is the true power of The Smashing Machine. It is more than just a movie. It’s Dwayne Johnson’s opportunity to write his name into the history of mixed martial arts, not as ‘The Rock’, not as one of Hollywood’s most bankable star, but as the man who gave the sport its Rocky moment the fans longed for. What do you think? Do you believe he would be able to pull it off? Let us know in the comments.