Dwayne Johnson and Benny Safdie‘s The Smashing Machine may not have hit the mark at the box office, but it really struck a chord with its viewers, leaving them wondering what happened to Mark Kerr after the film’s events.
As the well-received The Smashing Machine depicts the life story of the former wrestler and MMA fighter, it takes viewers on a journey through Kerr’s career, love life, and his battle with addiction. The film ends with Johnson Kerr losing his fight in Japan, riddled with the thoughts of his then-girlfriend, Dawn Staples, her s*icide attempt, and more.
Even though he lost, the film shows Kerr at ease, smiling and laughing to himself before it cuts to the postscript, where it’s revealed that he and Staples got married 11 days after the 2000 PRIDE Grand Prix, and that he retired in 2009.
Though The Smashing Machine ends there, it leaves us with the question of what happened to Kerr after the credits rolled.
Mark Kerr’s Professional and Personal Life After The Smashing Machine‘s Ending
One might say that The Smashing Machine ended rather abruptly, without giving its audience a full explanation of what happened to Kerr after the unexpected defeat.
Those who have followed his career in the past would know that it went into a downward spiral. After the loss at PRIDE 4, he continued to fight, but it was just never the same; his MMA career record was 15-11-0. After devastating losses to Igor Vovchanchyn, Heath Herring, and Yoshihisa Yamamoto, Kerr retired from PRIDE.
Later, Kerr gained his reputation back with wins against Steve Gavin in the World Cage Fighting Organization and Chuck Huus at CCCF. He then lost five final matches of his career to fighters like Muhammed Lawal and Oleg Taktarov, and was forced to retire from the sport.
As for his personal life, the film revealed that Kerr and Staples tied the knot in 2000. They went on to have a son together, named Bryce. The couple ended things for good in 2005 and went their separate ways. Kerr opened up about their relationship to TIME, stating,
“What I was doing at the time was incredibly selfish. Dawn just wanted my love. She wanted to feel important…A lot of that volatility was because of my actions.”
What The Smashing Machine didn’t show is that Kerr found love again in fitness consultant Franci Alberding, and the two recently got married in 2023. They run a wellness company together called Absolute Wellness.
What Has Mark Kerr Been up to Lately?
Kerr currently resides in Arizona, and he has been pretty active in promoting the film based on his life. He has spoken highly of both The Smashing Machine and the people behind the project.
In July 2025, Kerr was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame by none other than Johnson himself. The actor posted about the feat on Instagram, stating, “Mark was one of the greatest fighters on the planet, and during that same time he overdosed twice as he battled his addictions outside the cage…Today, Mark serves as a pillar of hope to everyone out there…“
A post shared by Dwayne Johnson (@therock)
In September, Innovative Arts Entertainment signed Kerr for representation in endorsements, licensing, appearances, merchandising, speaking engagements, and acting.
Back in 2019, it was revealed that Kerr had been battling peripheral neuropathy since 2016, and he had started a GoFundMe page for his treatments not covered by insurance. Even today, only 53% of his goal has been met, and the fundraiser remains open.
Share your thoughts on Kerr’s life after the events of the movie in the comments section below!
The Smashing Machine is currently playing in theaters.
