Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is no stranger to physical transformation, but his latest project took things to a whole new level. The 52-year-old WWE icon turned Hollywood megastar is set to portray former UFC fighter Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, a movie that delves into Kerr’s rise in MMA and his struggles with painkiller addiction. To prepare, Johnson didn’t just rely on movie magic—he trained like a real fighter. But did his hard work pay off? According to a man who’s been in the cage with some of the greatest fighters in history, the answer is yes.

Ryan Bader, a former Bellator heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, has shared the cage with legends like Jon Jones, Fedor Emelianenko, and Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson. He’s also got a key role in The Smashing Machine, playing UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman. Having seen Johnson’s MMA preparation firsthand, Bader gave his honest assessment of the Hollywood star’s skills.

“Yeah, he looked good,” Bader said in an interview with Submission Radio. “I’m not gonna say he was out there looking like a guy who has been fighting for 20 years, but he obviously works hard. He went in there and did a training camp with real MMA fighters to get his skill set to look good.”
Bader highlighted Johnson’s commitment, stating, “I’ve seen a little bit of the playbacks, and they look good. Like I said, he worked super, super hard and was actually in great shape, like he always is. Big old dude.”

While Johnson is making waves in Hollywood, Bader is focused on his own future in MMA. After a tough 21-second knockout loss to Renan Ferreira in early 2024, he recently became a free agent. Now, he’s hoping for one last fight in the UFC, where he started his career back in 2008.
“My manager and I… talked about how cool it would be, kind of, you know, full circle, come back, and at least retire in the UFC,” Bader said. “Even have one fight. I don’t know if they’re in the business of doing that, but we have thought about it.”
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Dwayne Johnson has made a career out of looking the part, but his preparation for The Smashing Machine was more than just an act. With praise from a battle-tested veteran like Ryan Bader, it’s clear The Rock took his MMA training seriously. Now, fight fans will have to wait and see if his performance in the film lives up to the hype.