Syracuse Orange The Syracuse Orange are the athletic teams that represent Syracuse University. The school is a member of NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Until 2013, Syracuse was a member of the Big East Conference. The school's mascot is ...

Mark Kerr (born December 21, 1968 in

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

) is an American champion collegiate wrestler and retired

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

. During his MMA career he was regarded by many as the best fighter in the world, and was a World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner, a two-time

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

heavyweight tournament winner, and a

PRIDE FC PRIDE Fighting Championships (Pride or Pride FC, founded as KRS-Pride) was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion company. Its inaugural event was held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997. Pride held more than sixty mixed martial arts even ...

competitor. In 2003, Kerr was the subject of an

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

documentary titled '' The Smashing Machine'', which detailed his MMA career fighting in

Vale Tudo Vale Tudo (; en, Everything Goes/Everything Allowed), also known No Holds Barred (NHB) in the United States, is an unarmed, full-contact combat sport with relatively few rules. It became popular in Brazil during the 20th century and would event ...

, the UFC and PRIDE. ''The Smashing Machine'' also focused on Kerr's eventual struggle with substance abuse, his relationships with his then-girlfriend, various training partners, and his friendship with

Mark Coleman Mark Daniel Coleman (born December 20, 1964) is an American retired mixed martial artist, professional wrestler and amateur wrestler. Coleman was the UFC 10 and UFC 11 tournament champion, the first UFC Heavyweight Champion, and the Pride Fig ...

Biography

Early life

Mark Kerr was born in

to Tom and Mary Kerr. His father was

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, and his mother was Puerto Rican. From early childhood, he would dream of being in the

World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...

and would hold mock fights with his younger siblings in the back yard.

High school career

In 1983, Kerr began his wrestling career in

Bettendorf, Iowa Bettendorf is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. It is the 15th largest city of Iowa and the third-largest city in the "Quad Cities". It is part of the Davenport– Moline– Rock Island, IA- IL Metropolitan Statistical Area. The popu ...

wrestling as a freshman at

Bettendorf High School Bettendorf High School (BHS) is a public four-year comprehensive high school located in Bettendorf, Iowa and is part of the Bettendorf Community School District. History Early history Prior to its opening in 1951, there was no high school in ...

where he shared the wrestling room with another future MMA champion

Pat Miletich Patrick Jay Miletich (; born March 9, 1966) is a retired American mixed martial artist and former sports commentator. He is known for his fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he became the first UFC Welterweight Champion and UFC ...

who was a senior at the time. After his freshman year at Bettendorf, Kerr and his family moved to

where he became a high school state champion wrestling for Toledo Waite.Half century of Waite wrestling comes to sudden halt
. Presspublications.com (2011-01-24). Retrieved on 2012-06-17.

College career

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

, Kerr was the Division I champion at 190 pounds in 1992.

Randy Couture Randall Duane Couture (; born June 22, 1963) is an American actor, former United States Army, U.S. Army sergeant, former mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and former Collegiate wrestling, collegiate and Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman ...

, wrestling for

Oklahoma State University Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

, took second place. Kerr was also a Division I All-American in 1992. In 1994, Kerr was the USA Senior Freestyle Champion at 220 pounds.

Mixed martial arts career

While training as an amateur wrestler, Kerr became interested in

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

as a way to earn money. He, his long-time friend and training partner

and

Tom Erikson Tom Erikson (born July 6, 1964) is an American former amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist who competed in the super heavyweight division. Weighing between and throughout his career, "The Big Cat" began wrestling at an early age and was ...

were initially scouted by Richard Hamilton, who had managed

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

fighter

Don Frye Donald Frye (born November 23, 1965) is an American former mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, and actor. In MMA, he was one of the sport's earliest well-rounded fighters and won the ''UFC 8'' and ''Ultimate Ultimate 96'' tournaments an ...

until a falling out and was now offering a place in

UFC 10 ''UFC 10: The Tournament'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on July 12, 1996, at the Fairgrounds Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, and later r ...

against him.Jonathan Snowden, ''Total Mma: Inside Ultimate Fighting'' However, nothing came from it, and Coleman ended up hunting down the chance. Eventually, Kerr and Hamilton arranged for the former to train with Coleman and fight at Brazilian event World Vale Tudo Championship 3 in January 1997. His appearance was highly anticipated, as other wrestlers like Coleman or Erikson were already known in the MMA community, though there were doubts about Kerr's true skills.Vale Tudo Relics: The Birth of The Smashing Machine
/ref>His Smashing Machine days over, Mark Kerr reflects on then and now
/ref> Kerr himself was doubtful about it, to the point Hamilton had to force him to fight under the threat the Brazilian crowd might riot and kill him if he didn't show up.

World Vale Tudo Championship

Kerr made his debut in MMA at WVC 3 against UFC veteran

Paul Varelans Paul Varelans (September 17, 1969 – January 16, 2021) was an American professional mixed martial artist. He competed in Ultimate Fighting Championship from 1995 to 1996, and had a worked match in Extreme Championship Wrestling in 1996. Backg ...

. The bout lasted two minutes, with Kerr slamming Varelans with a takedown, mounting him and landing punches and

knee strike A knee strike (commonly referred to simply as a knee) is a strike (attack), strike with the knee, either with the kneecap or the surrounding area. Kneeing is a disallowed practice in many combat sports, especially to the head of a downed opponent. ...

s for the stoppage. The same happened to his next opponent, Mestre Hulk, a

capoeira Capoeira () is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, music and spirituality. Born of the melting pot of enslaved Africans, Indigenous Brazilians and Portuguese influences at the beginning of the 16th century ...

police teacher who had become known for besting

Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

fighter

Amaury Bitteti Amaury Bitetti is a Brazilian mixed martial arts former fighter and promoter holding the rank of 7th degree black and red coral belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ). Considered by many as one of the best BJJ competitors of all time, Bitetti is a tw ...

. After losing two teeth to Kerr's

ground and pound Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

, Hulk crawled out of the ring, getting disqualified. Kerr then reached the finals, where he was pitted against jiu-jitsu fighter

Fabio Gurgel Fabio is a given name descended from Latin ''Fabius'' and very popular in Italy and Latin America (due to Italian migration). Its English equivalent is Fabian. The name is written without an accent in Italian and Spanish, but is usually accented ...

. Again, the fight would bring echoes, this time those of the bout between Erikson and Gurgel's teammate Murilo Bustamante, which happened the same year. Kerr went to the fight with a broken hand from the Hulk fight, but he had 50 pounds over Gurgel. He took Gurgel down, passed his

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

with ease and bloodied him with multiple kinds of strikes. The situation prolonged itself by 19 minutes, with the Brazilian trying

armlock An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that Anatomical terms of motion#General motion, hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow, elbow joint or glenohumeral joint, shoulder joint. An armlock that hyper-extends the ...

s and triangle chokes from the bottom, but Kerr avoided them and kept landing punishment. The fight had no time limit, but at the 30 minute mark, seeing that Gurgel was unable to defend anymore, the judges stopped the fight and gave Kerr the win.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Following his success in Brazil, Mark Kerr was invited to fight in the

. Kerr had previously been told of the event by Coleman, who was himself a UFC tournament winner and champion by this point. Kerr's first bout in the UFC came at

UFC 14 ''UFC 14: Showdown'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 27, 1997 in Birmingham, Alabama. The event was seen live on pay-per-view in the United States, and later released on home video. History UFC 1 ...

where he fought in the heavyweight tournament. His first fight was against

krav maga Krav Maga ( ; , ; ) is an Israeli martial art. Developed for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), it is derived from a combination of techniques used in aikido, judo, karate, boxing, and wrestling. It is known for its focus on real-world situation ...

representative Moti Horenstein, and Kerr defeated his opponent by technical knockout at 2:22 of the first round. With this win Kerr advanced to the finals of the tournament where he beat

Dan Bobish Daniel Emerson Bobish ( ; born January 26, 1970) is a retired American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. He was competing in the Super Heavyweight (no limit) division. He is a former King of the Cage Super Heavyweight Champion. ...

with a submission (chin to the eye) at 1:38 of the first round; Kerr's win over Bobish earned him the UFC 14 Heavyweight tournament title. Following his success at UFC 14, Kerr was invited to compete at the next UFC tournament —

UFC 15 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. In this tournament, Kerr's first opponent was Greg Stott whom he defeated in 17 seconds from the opening of the fight, winning by way of knockout with a knee to his opponent's head. Advancing to the finals, Kerr fought Dwayne Cason and finished his opponent within the first minute of the opening round, winning the UFC 15 Heavyweight tournament. Kerr's winning of the UFC 15 tournament was his last fight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.'' The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr'' Following his win of UFC 15, Kerr decided to fight in Japan for the

Pride Fighting Championships PRIDE Fighting Championships (Pride or Pride FC, founded as KRS-Pride) was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion company. Its inaugural event was held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997. Pride held more than sixty mixed martial arts even ...

due to the UFC's promotional difficulties and Pride's larger paychecks.

Pride Fighting Championships

After considering an offer from Japanese promotion

Shooto Shooto is a combat sport and mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the ''Shooto Association'' and the ''International Shooto Commission''. Shooto was originally formed in 1985, first as a particular fighting system and then in 198 ...

, Kerr signed up with Pride for a matchup against fellow UFC champion

Royce Gracie Royce Gracie (; born 12 December 1966) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist, a UFC Hall of Famer, and a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. A member of the Gracie family, he is considered to be one of the most influential figures i ...

Pride 2 The year 1998 is the 2nd year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 1998 had 3 events beginning with, ''Pride 2''. Debut Pride FC fighters The following fighters fought their first ...

in 1998. The match, as per Gracie's demands, would have been without time limits or referee stoppages. However, Royce pulled out after the fight had been advertised. Kerr was then slated to fight Branco Cikatic. Kerr utilized the same ground-and-pound fighting style from his previous fights, taking his opponent onto the mat and then using strikes and submissions to try to finish the fight. Kerr was said to be an improved version of

because he was proficient in wrestling, submissions, and take downs, with good

cardio Cardio (from Greek καρδίᾱ ''kardia'', 'heart') may refer to: * Of the Heart * Cardiology ** Cardiovascular system * Aerobic exercise, also known as cardio * ''Cardio'' (album), a 2010 album by Miguel Bosé See also * * * Physical exerc ...

and an ever-improving striking game under his tutelage with

Bas Rutten Sebastiaan "Bas" Rutten (; born 24 February 1965) is a Dutch-American actor, former mixed martial artist, kickboxer and professional wrestler. He was a UFC Heavyweight Champion, a three-time King of Pancrase world champion, and finished his car ...

. Around the time that Kerr entered PRIDE, many considered Kerr to be one of the top MMA Heavyweight fighters in the world. Kerr won four bouts between Pride 2 and Pride 6. However, his status was soon questioned after his first bout with

Igor Vovchanchyn Igor Yaroslavovych Vovchanchyn (, uk, Ігор Ярославович Вовчанчин; born August 6, 1973) is a retired Ukrainian mixed martial artist and kickboxer, who competed in early no holds barred MMA contests. After making his profess ...

at Pride 7, in which he was knocked out by illegal knee strikes. Even though the loss was overturned and changed to a "No Contest" ruling, Kerr admitted that the initial loss had been a difficult decision for him to face. Following his fight against Vovchanchyn, Kerr fought in the

Pride Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round The year 2000 is the 4th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2000 had 6 events beginning with, ''Pride FC - Grand Prix 2000: Opening Round''. Debut Pride FC fighters The foll ...

and won over

Enson Inoue Enson Shoji Inoue (; born April 15, 1967) is a Japanese-American jiu-jitsu practitioner and retired professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 1995 until 2010, he fought for the PRIDE Fighting Championships, the UFC, Shooto ...

. His win against Inoue earned him a place at the

Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals The year 2000 is the 4th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2000 had 6 events beginning with, ''Pride FC - Grand Prix 2000: Opening Round''. Debut Pride FC fighters The fol ...

, where he fought

Kazuyuki Fujita is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and a former amateur wrestler, currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is a one-time GHC Heavyweight Champion. He has most recently fought in Road FC, but is also known for his ...

and lost by decision. At Pride 10 - Return of the Warriors Kerr defeated Igor Borisov by submission. Four months later, at Pride 12 - Cold Fury, he lost by decision in the rematch with Vovchanchyn. Kerr then lost to

Heath Herring Heath Herring (born March 2, 1978) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Heavyweight division of Rizin. While perhaps best known for competing in PRIDE, he has also formerly competed for the UFC and K-1. ...

Pride 15 The year 2001 is the 5th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2001 had 6 events beginning with, ''Pride 13 - Collision Course''. Title fights Debut Pride FC fighters The ...

via TKO. With his second loss in a row, Kerr decided to take time away from MMA. In 2004, Kerr returned to PRIDE, fighting Yoshisha Yamamoto at

Pride 27 The year 2004 is the 8th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2004 had 10 events beginning with, ''Pride 27 - Inferno''. Title fights Debut Pride FC fighters The followi ...

. Just 40 seconds into the fight, Kerr attempted a double leg takedown, but accidentally spiked his head into the canvas, stunning him with Yamamoto quickly following up with punches to end the fight. With his third straight loss under the PRIDE FC banner, Kerr quit PRIDE. Speaking of Kerr's time fighting in Japan, Mark Coleman said, "Every time a fight came around he was pretty scared. He was intimidated by the whole situation and that is probably what led to him using pain killers."

Later career

After his loss to Yoshihisa Yamamoto, Kerr was supposed to make his comeback against Wes Sims in the American Championship Fighting (ACF) on May 6, 2006 at the

Denver Coliseum Denver Coliseum is an indoor arena, owned by thCity and County of Denver operated by itsDenver Arts & Venuesand located in Denver, Colorado. The arena holds 10,200 people and was built from 1949 to 1951. The coliseum is located in Denver's Elyria ...

, but was not medically cleared to fight due to a hand injury. On February 11, 2007, Kerr fought Mustafa Al Turk at

Cage Rage Cage Rage Championships, also known as Cage Rage, was a United Kingdom-based, mixed martial arts promotion that premiered on 7 September 2002 in London. Cage Rage went into liquidation and is now no longer trading. Cage Rage had been owned and ma ...

20: 'Born 2 Fight'. Kerr lost his footing after an attempted roundhouse kick and he was mounted, stunned with a series of blows and submitted within the first round. Kerr was supposed to fight

Sean O'Haire Sean Christopher Haire (February 25, 1971 – September 8, 2014) was an American professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and kickboxer, better known by his ring name Sean O'Haire. Haire was best known for his appearances with the professio ...

on August 17 in the Global Fighting Championships first show at the

Mohegan Sun Arena The Mohegan Sun Arena is a 10,000 seat multi-purpose arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, located inside the Mohegan Sun casino resort. The arena facility features of configurable exhibition space and a clear span. It was built by the Perini Buil ...

but was cancelled due to his high blood pressure and his license was suspended indefinitely. Mark Kerr fought in the World Cage Fighting Organization (WCO) in November 2007, winning his bout against Steve Gavin by Americana after 1:39 of the first round. Kerr competed in the

ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship The ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship, is an international submission wrestling, submission grappling competition, organised by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC). The inaugural tournament was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 1998. It has been ...

(ADCC), a world class submission wrestling tournament. In 2000, Kerr won the ADCC Open Weight Absolute Tournament. Among the fighters he defeated at ADCC were Carlos "Carlão" Barreto,

Sean Alvarez Sean Alvarez (born July 14, 1971) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He competed in the Heavyweight division. An accomplished grappler, Alvarez won gold medals at the Brazilian jiu-jitsu World Championships and the Pan Americ ...

Ricco Rodriguez Ricco Rodriguez (born August 19, 1977) is an American semi-retired mixed martial artist currently competing in the heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 1999, he has competed for the UFC, PRIDE Fighting Championships, EliteXC, I ...

, Mike Van Arsdale,

Josh Barnett Joshua Lawrence Barnett (born November 10, 1977) is an American mixed martial artist, submission grappler, professional wrestler and color commentator currently signed to Bellator MMA, where he competes in their Heavyweight division. Barnett p ...

and Tony Netcler. It was quite notable at the time when Mark Kerr, Mario Sperry and Royler Gracie were dominating the ADCC each in their own weight classes. Kerr is an avid

powerlifter Powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. As in the sport of Olympic weightlifting, it involves the athlete attempting a maximal weight single-lift effor ...

, reportedly able to

bench press The bench press, or chest press, is a weight training exercise in which the trainee presses a weight upwards while lying on a weight training bench. Although the bench press is a full-body exercise, the muscles primarily used are the pectorali ...

425 lb (192.5 kg) and squat 550 lb (250 kg). In 2008, Kerr launched a comeback. In March, Mark beat Chuck Huus by Submission (Keylock/Americana) at CCCF – Battle on the Border. In April, he lost to

Oleg Taktarov Oleg Nikolaevich Taktarov (russian: Оле́г Никола́евич Такта́ров; born 26 August 1967) is a Russian actor and retired mixed martial artist. He was a practitioner of Sambo and Judo and competed in the Ultimate Fighting Cham ...

in one round by kneebar. Two months later, Kerr was choked out in the opening round by deaf fighter Tracy Willis at a C-3 Fights show in Cocho, Oklahoma. On July 26, Ralph Kelly stopped Kerr in the first round at Xp3. On September 27, 2008 Kerr lost to fellow heavyweight

Jeff Monson Oregon State Beavers Jeffrey William Monson (born January 18, 1971) is an American-Russian mixed martial artist, boxer, and submission grappler who competes primarily in the Heavyweight division. A professional competitor ...

by rear-naked choke, in a battle of former ADCC champions. On August 28, 2009, Kerr faced fellow wrestler

Muhammed Lawal Oklahoma State Cowboys Central Oklahoma Bronchos Muhammed Lawal (born January 11, 1981), also known as "King Mo", is an American professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist currently signed to Major League Wr ...

at an M-1 Global event. Kerr was taken down and subsequently pounded into unconsciousness in just 25 seconds, receiving several blows to the head after he was clearly unable to defend himself. This led the event's TV commentators to openly speculate that Kerr's fighting career was over.

Guy Mezger Guy Mezger (born January 1, 1968) is an American martial artist, who competed in professional combat sports including Full Contact Karate, Kickboxing, and Boxing, but is most recognized as a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter. Mezger retired fro ...

, in the post-fight discussion, suggested that it was time for Kerr to "find another vocation". Kerr has only won four of his 15 fights since 2000 and has lost each of his last five fights. As of 2010, Kerr considered himself "99.9 percent retired" and was pursuing a degree with an eye on pharmaceutical sales. As of 2015 he was working at a

Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

dealership.

HBO's ''The Smashing Machine''

In 2003,

aired a documentary titled '' The Smashing Machine'', directed by

John Hyams John Hyams is an American screenwriter, director and cinematographer, best known for his involvement in the '' Universal Soldier'' series, for which he has directed two installments. Hyams is the son of director Peter Hyams. Career Hyams gra ...

, which dealt with the life and career of Mark Kerr. The program chronicles Kerr's addiction to painkillers and the "no holds barred" aspect of early

competition. Kerr's then-girlfriend, Dawn Staples, and mixed-martial artists

Kevin Randleman Kevin Christopher Randleman (August 10, 1971 – February 11, 2016) was an American mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, and former UFC Heavyweight Champion. Randleman's background was in collegiate wrestling, in which he became ...

and

also appear in the film.

states clearly during the documentary that due to Kerr's ability to end fights quickly, the Pride tournament directors were removing all of Kerr's 'weapons' (notably head-butts and knees to the head of a grounded opponent) in an attempt to make the fights last longer for television and crowd satisfaction.

Championships and accomplishments

Collegiate wrestling

*NCAA Division I Collegiate Championships **1992 190 lbs 1st Place champion

Freestyle wrestling

*FILA World Championships Freestyle Results **1993 220 lbs 7th Place *USA Senior Freestyle Championships **1994 220 lbs 1st Place champion

Grappling credentials

*ADCC World Submission Wrestling Championships *ADCC 1999 **99 kg+: 1st Place *ADCC 2000 **99 kg+: 1st Place **Openweight: 1st Place *ADCC 2001 Superfight championship: Defeated Mario Sperry. *ADCC 2003 Superfight championship: Lost to Ricardo Arona. *ADCC Hall of Fame inductee

Mixed martial arts

*World Vale Tudo Championship **WVC 3 Heavyweight tournament winner *

** UFC 14 Heavyweight Tournament Winner ** UFC 15 Heavyweight Tournament Winner

Submission wrestling record

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, , Points , - , Win, ,

Chris Haseman Chris Haseman (born 2 June 1969 in Brisbane, Queensland) is an Australian mixed martial artist. Haseman is currently signed with Fighting Network RINGS and is a longtime veteran of the promotion (1995–2012). Regarded as a pioneer of MM ...

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Ricardo Almeida Ricardo Alves Almeida (; born November 29, 1976) is a Brazilian-American former mixed martial artist and current Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappler residing in Bordentown, New Jersey. Almeida is a veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, PRID ...

, , Points , - , Win, , Mike Van Arsdale , , Points , - , Win, ,

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Rigan Machado Rigan Machado (born 2 July 1966) is an 8th degree red and White belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, earning his rank under Carlos Gracie, Jr. He is a former Pan American Champion (1996, 1997 weight and absolute) and a veteran medalist of the ADCC. Mac ...

, , Points , - , Win, , Anthony Netzler , , Submission , - , Win, ,

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Ricardo Arona Ricardo Arona (; born 17 July 1978) is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist. A professional from 2000 until 2009, he competed in PRIDE Fighting Championships and RINGS in his mixed martial arts career, and was a member of Brazilian Top Team ...

, , Points , -

Mixed martial arts record

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, KO (punches) , M-1 Global: Breakthrough , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:25 ,

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of ...

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, Submission (rear-naked choke) , Vengeance FC , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:17 ,

Concord, North Carolina Concord is the county seat and largest city in Cabarrus County, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 105,186, with an estimated population in 2021 of 107,697. In terms of population, the cit ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–9 (1) , Ralph Kelly , TKO (punches) , Xp3: The Proving Ground , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:11 ,

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Concho, Oklahoma Concho is an unincorporated community in Canadian County, Oklahoma, United States. It is north of the Concho Indian Boarding School. The post office opened April 20, 1915. The ZIP code is 73022. The school and post office were named for Indian agen ...

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, Submission (kneebar) , YAMMA Pit Fighting , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:55 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

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Newkirk, Oklahoma Newkirk is a city and county seat of Kay County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,172 at the 2020 census. History Newkirk is on land known as the Cherokee Outlet (popularly called the "Cherokee Strip"), which belonged to the Chero ...

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Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–6 (1) , Mostapha al-Turk , TKO (submission to punches) , Cage Rage 20 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:29 , London, England , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–5 (1) ,

Mike Whitehead Michael Joe Whitehead (born June 29, 1981) is a former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight weight classes for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, IFL, Affliction, and Strikeforce. Mixed martia ...

, TKO (punches) , IFL: World Championship Semifinals , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:40 ,

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–4 (1) , Yoshihisa Yamamoto , TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:40 ,

Osaka, Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third most populous city in Ja ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–3 (1) ,

, TKO (knees) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:56 ,

Saitama, Saitama is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance. Being in the Greater Tokyo Area and lying 1 ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–2 (1) ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Pride 12 - Cold Fury , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1 (1) , Igor Borisov , Submission (neck crank) , Pride 10 - Return of the Warriors , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:06 ,

Tokorozawa, Saitama is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 344,194 in 163,675 households and a population density of 4800 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Tokorozawa is located in the ce ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–1 (1) ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 15:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 12–0 (1) ,

, Decision (majority) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 15:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , NC , align=center, 11–0 (1) ,

, NC (illegal knees) , Pride 7 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:36 ,

Yokohama, Kanagawa is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 11–0 ,

Nobuhiko Takada Nobuhiko Takada ( ja, 高田伸彦, ring name: ) (born April 12, 1962) is a Japanese former mixed martial artist, retired professional wrestler, actor, and writer. He competed in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Universal Wrestling Federation (UW ...

, Submission (kimura) , Pride 6 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:04 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 10–0 , Hugo Duarte , TKO (retirement) ,

Pride 4 The year 1998 is the 2nd year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 1998 had 3 events beginning with, ''Pride 2''. Debut Pride FC fighters The following fighters fought their first ...

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:32 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 , Pedro Otavio , Technical Submission (kimura) ,

Pride 3 The year 1998 is the 2nd year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 1998 had 3 events beginning with, ''Pride 2''. Debut Pride FC fighters The following fighters fought their first ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:13 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Branko Cikatic , DQ (grabbing the ropes) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:14 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Dwayne Cason , Submission (rear-naked choke) , rowspan=2,

, rowspan=2, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:53 , rowspan=2, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Greg Stott , KO (knee) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:17 , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 ,

, Submission (chin to the eye) , rowspan=2,

, rowspan=2, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:38 , rowspan=2,

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Moti Horenstein , TKO (punches) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:22 , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , rowspan=3, World Vale Tudo Championship 3 , rowspan=3, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 30:00 , rowspan=3, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Mestre Hulk , DQ (crawling out of the ring) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:21 , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 ,

, TKO (knees and punches) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:06 ,

References

External links

* *
The Smashing Machine
' (2002) at

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

*
Mark Kerrarchive
at

National Wrestling Hall of Fame The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum and hall of fame for amateur wrestling, headquartered in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In 2010, it began operating the Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa. History The museum was awarded to Stillw ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerr, Mark 1968 births Living people Sportspeople from Toledo, Ohio American male mixed martial artists American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu American sportspeople in doping cases Doping cases in mixed martial arts Mixed martial artists from Ohio Heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu American male sport wrestlers Syracuse Orangemen wrestlers Pan American Games medalists in wrestling Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States Wrestlers at the 1995 Pan American Games Bettendorf High School alumni Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters ADCC Hall of Fame inductees