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Oleksandr Usyk Stars in 'The Smashing Machine' Opposite Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
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Manouk Akopyan
Manouk Akopyan
RingMagazine.com
Oleksandr Usyk Stars in 'The Smashing Machine' Opposite Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
Oleksandr Usyk has crossed over into Hollywood, playing a part in a different combat sport.

The Ring, WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBO heavyweight champion will star in the upcoming film "The Smashing Machine," which is about Mark Kerr, an MMA fighter and two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament champion, his tumultuous life and career.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson plays the role of Kerr while Usyk plays Kerr's rival Igor Vovchanchyn. Kerr and Vovchanchyn fought twice at Pride in 1999 and 2000. The first bout was ruled a no-contest and Vovchanchyn won the rematch via unanimous decision.

The biopic debuts in theaters Oct. 3. On Tuesday, production house A24 dropped the movie trailer, which featured cameos of Usyk as well as his manager, Egis Klimas. The film is directed by Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems) and stars Emily Blunt, a British-American actress and Oscar nominee.

This summer, Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs) has real-life fighting obligations inside the squared circle. The 38-year-old Ukrainian faces IBF titleholder Daniel Dubois in a rematch for the undisputed title on July 19 at London's Wembley Stadium.

Manouk Akopyan is The Ring’s lead writer. Follow him on X and Instagram: @ManoukAkopyan.

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