VIDEO: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson shocks fans with slimmed-down physique for serious MMA fighter role

Fans of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson have joked the actor now resembles “The Pebble” after losing weight for his latest role.

The 53-year-old plays MMA fighter and UFC pioneer Mark Kerr in A24’s new biopic, The Smashing Machine.

Johnson is currently promoting the film at the Venice Film Festival, and several photographs showing his noticeable weight loss have gone viral. According to reports, he has lost around 60 pounds to bring his weight closer to 240 lbs than his usual 300 lbs. 

On X, formerly Twitter, one fan praised the transformation and wrote: “The Rock is close to 60. Maintenance on that size wasn’t [physically] possible. Dave Battista did the same. Shout out them. For living healthier life styles.”

Another also felt the slimmer look suited Johnson, writing: “He still looks good for his age though.”

Several more made the same joke as each other, with one writing: “He will be known now as ‘the pebble’” and another saying: “Gonna have to start calling him Dwayne the pebble Johnson.”

Johnson will play Kerr, a former wrestler who competed as a mixed martial artist between 1997 and 2009. During his MMA career, he was a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion, World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner, and a Pride FC competitor.

He was previously the subject of a 2003 HBO documentary, also titled The Smashing Machine after Kerr’s longtime nickname. The new film will reportedly take place around the turn of the millennium and will follow Kerr’s struggles with love and addiction as well as his exploits in the ring.

The film will be written and directed by Benny Safdie, who previously co-wrote and co-directed Uncut Gems, one of A24’s biggest commercial successes to date.

The Independent