The 2025 calendar year is shaping up to be a memorable one for former UFC tournament winner Mark Kerr.
Along with being portrayed by Hollywood icon and WWE superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on the big screen, Kerr will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
And none other than Johnson will be the one to induct him.
The announcement was made recently by the promotion, as Kerr joins the Pioneer Era wing during the June 26 induction ceremony. The event will take place alongside UFC 317 in Las Vegas.
“Mark Kerr was a high-level wrestler,” UFC President and CEO Dana White said, “who also fought for PRIDE and was one of the early pioneers of the sport.”
Welcome to the UFC Hall of Fame, Mark Kerr 👏
The Smashing Machine rounds out the class of 2025! pic.twitter.com/lOltVjqKxI
— UFC (@ufc) June 8, 2025
Kerr captured both the UFC 14 and UFC 15 heavyweight tournament titles following a standout amateur wrestling career that saw him win the NCAA Division I title at Syracuse in 1992.
A biopic on Kerr titled “The Smashing Machine” will be released in theaters on October 3 starring Johnson and Emily Blunt.
The Pioneer Era wing is for fighters who competed before the adoption of the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, which went into effect in 2000. It includes the likes of Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn and Randy Couture.
Along with the induction of Kerr, Amanda Nunes, Vitor Belfort and Craig Piligian are all set to be enshrined.
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