Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has made the transformation into an MMA hunter for his next film role, but remains quite realistic about his prospects in the cage.
Iconic professional wrestler and Hollywood actor Johnson is ready to portray the fighting legend Mark Kerr in the new Biopic The Smashing Machine. For the part, he underwent a full preparatory style from Vechtkamp to know how to fight as a real mixed war artist.
However, when it comes to actually fighting, he seems to know on which side his bread is buttered. And last night, while he applied Kerr in the Hall of Fame, he paid tribute to the newly crowned UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall.
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson admits that Tom Aspinall would easily be broken
On Thursday evening 'The Rock' appeared in the UFC Hall of Fame to bring Mark Kerr to the institution. Last year he spent the embodying of Kerr for his new film and gave a moving speech in honor of the MMA legend.
At a certain point he even teased what could happen if he ever stepped in the cage. Johnson is a renowned WWE grid and an obvious athletic specimen, but has a limited experience with real martial arts training.
And he acknowledged such a fact that he admitted that the current heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall would easily send him if they fought. “I love MMA's sport as you know the respect I have,” he explained.
“To come out here and hear my theme song, I think -, imagine that I was an MMA hunter '. If a UFC heavyweight comes to my music, my theme song, anyway? That's cool.
“Man, well, I don't know anything about that, but I would try – head would read:” Tom Aspinall turns the rock out in eight seconds “.”
'The Rock' had MMA ambitions in pride during his early struggle days
Johnson has been around for years in the MMA world and even claimed during an appearance of 2023 about the Joe Rogan experience that he considered to be proud during his early wrestling career. He struggled to win over fans and had to be infamous to 'turn' to make things work.
“1997 I still went to LA and train,” he told Rogan when he was asked about possibly fighting. “We crossed all MMA boys. Pride just opened in Japan and I started to see all these MMA boys brave.
“At that time I earned $ 150,000 $ 150,000 a year.
“I thought:” F—, I don't think I'm going to get it in WWE. People fascinate me from the arenas. I can't be myself. They tell me that I have to smile, I don't want to smile. That's not who I am. ”
“I am starting to talk to Ken Shamrock, I am starting to talk to Mark Kerr:” Tell me about Pride. ” I have this idea in my head “Maybe I have to train in MMA, go to pride and make real money and I don't have to smile.” I am going f – sed up, beat one of my lungs.
“But if I find the right coach and train – I have this whole thing in my head. I talk to my wife at the time:” I think this is the best choice. I can really make money while these fans fascinate me for $ 150 Grand. “