In 1999, a former two-time UFC heavyweight tournament winner continued his ascent in Japan. Mark Kerr, an MMA legend, is now in the UFC Hall of Fame, inducted into the Pioneer wing following this year`s International Fight Week.
He is also set to be portrayed by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson in an upcoming movie titled after his nickname, ‘The Smashing Machine’.
While Kerr faced some setbacks later in his PRIDE career, he quickly established himself as a top fighter upon arriving in the promotion. At PRIDE 6, he sought to avenge one of his legendary teammate`s most controversial defeats by facing a major Japanese star.
Mark Kerr Submitted Nobuhiko Takada to Avenge Mark Coleman’s Controversial Defeat
At PRIDE 5, Nobuhiko Takada submitted Mark Coleman in the second round in a fight that became infamous for controversial reasons. Coleman has since suggested the fight was a ‘work’ or fixed, a long-standing fan theory, particularly regarding his heel hook submission.
As a former pro wrestling star, Takada was involved in several controversial matches. Mark Kerr recently stated on the JAXXON podcast that Takada`s fight with Rickson Gracie was also staged to help build the promotion and create stars.
By the time Kerr and Takada faced off at PRIDE 6, the American made sure the result was beyond any doubt of being predetermined. The Japanese fighter had some success striking and was able to get back up after his opponent`s successful takedowns.
However, after securing his third and final takedown, Kerr controlled the fight from top position before locking in a kimura submission. Takada tried to escape the submission, but it only worsened, leaving him clutching his arm and writhing in pain after tapping out.
Mark Kerr Claims There Was an Unspoken Rule in Japan Not to Acknowledge Fixed Fights
While these outcomes certainly helped build PRIDE`s status, the discussion around fixed matchups remains a significant cloud over the promotion`s legacy. For a long time, fighters didn`t discuss this publicly, but people like Mark Kerr have changed this, even though some details and rumors are still unclear.
During his appearance on the JAXXON podcast, Kerr claimed it was an unspoken rule that you did not talk about the true nature of ‘worked’ fights.
“Oh, I know there was and again, it’s one of those unwritten rules, like if it was a work, you’re never going to f—ing mention it. Ever. It was crazy because over there in Japan, you didn’t know you f—ed up until they went, ‘Oh, you f—ed up.’
“It was like these unwritten rules that existed, they’re called ‘implied rules,’ right? You’re supposed to know that gravity, if you jump off a 50-story building, it’s going to kill you. You didn’t know that? Like, what the f—.”
