Originally released in 2002 and directed by John Hyams, The Smashing Machine is a film about the mixed martial arts career and personal life of Mark Kerr. This graphic documentary takes an unflinching look into the world of no-holds-barred fighting and the modern day gladiators who populate it, all through the eyes of Mark “The Smashing Machine” Kerr and his friend Mark “The Hammer” Coleman.

Today the UFC and other MMA promotions like it are far more sanitised compared to what they once were in the mid-90’s. At one stage mixed martial arts was banned in the United States as it was considered to be to gruesome. These were much harder times for the fighters too and in this film we witness first hand the effects of putting your body on the line in such a way as we see Kerr struggle with an addiction to painkillers.