Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson is set to play MMA fighter and UFC champion Mark Kerr in a feature film, which he will also produce through his company, Seven Bucks Productions, in association with production partners Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia, and frequent collaborator Beau Flynn. 

The announcement was made in a surprise press conference on Friday evening at Madison Square Garden in New York.

"Mark Kerr's story is such an incredible story. Like all of us, and like a lot of these fighters, he battled these demons of addiction, of mental health, of the pressure of fighting in front of 50,000 people, and what that does to somebody," Johnson said.

Kerr, a two-time UFC heavyweight champ, was widely regarded as the best fighter in the world during his MMA career.

Johnson said the role is an opportunity for him to throw light on "one of our warriors, who not only deserves it, but who has such universal appeal and a universal story."

The wrestler-turned-actor revealed that he has spoken to Kerr about the film, and is happy that the legendary sports star trusts him with his life story.