Vin Diesel Just Threw His Muscle Behind Dwayne Johnson’s The Smashing Machine

Well, this is a plot twist. Vin Diesel just hopped on Instagram to publicly hype Dwayne Johnson and The Smashing Machine, even with their long-documented friction. It is not a small shout-out either — he ties it back to his own early action days and to the real-life MMA legend Johnson is playing.

The post drops right as Benny Safdie and A24 roll out The Smashing Machine, with Johnson stepping into the life of Mark Kerr — a guy Diesel actually knows. Diesel says he met Kerr when he moved from New York to California, before he made the first XXX, and that Kerr trained him for that movie. In other words, Kerr was there when Diesel was first suiting up to be an action guy.

'One of the greatest gifts in life isn't something you can buy, it's the relationships forged along the way.'

Diesel calls Kerr one of the kindest people he has met and then pivots to give Johnson his flowers. He talks about how hard it is to maintain a global image every day and reminds fans how their Fast team-up even started: years ago he asked his audience who they wanted him to collaborate with, a commenter named Jan said Dwayne, and the rest turned into a very loud box-office duo. According to Diesel, when Johnson jumped in as Luke Hobbs, he went all-in and carved out an all-timer in Universal's character pantheon.

He also gives Kerr a victory lap moment, linking The Smashing Machine to Kerr getting inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame — a proud full-circle beat for Diesel, who says Kerr has long been the guy teaching kids to wrestle and fight, often for no money, to help them take ownership of their lives. Nerdy detail that fight fans will appreciate: Diesel notes that Mark Coleman is in the film, and that Bas Rutten shows up and apparently crushes it.

On Johnson's performance, Diesel basically says it proves the guy can still hit the top tier when it counts — that Johnson brings you back to that era and shines doing it. He closes the post proud of both men.

• Where this is happening: Diesel posted the tribute on Instagram via @vindiesel.
• The movie: The Smashing Machine, from director Benny Safdie and A24.
• The role: Dwayne Johnson plays MMA great Mark Kerr; Emily Blunt plays Kerr's girlfriend, Dawn Staples.
• Diesel and Kerr: Met after Diesel moved west; Kerr trained him for the first XXX.
• Fast history: A fan named Jan nudged Diesel toward working with Johnson; their Hobbs-Dom era became a signature pairing, with Hobbs cemented as a Universal standout.
• Fight-world extras: Diesel calls out Mark Coleman being included, and praises Bas Rutten's turn.
• Hall of Fame note: Diesel ties Kerr's UFC Hall of Fame induction to his story finally getting told onscreen.

For the movie itself: it is a gritty, go-for-the-body-shots biography — Kerr's rise in the early days of MMA, the championships, and the fallout. The film goes hard on the painkiller addiction spiral and the toll it took on him and on his relationship with Dawn Staples, which is where Blunt factors in. It is not a vanity workout montage; it is designed to sting.

As for the vibes: yes, this reads like Diesel extending an olive branch after years of headlines about tension. Some will call it performative. Personally, it sounds sincere and rooted in real history with Kerr. Either way, seeing Diesel openly cheer Johnson at this moment is unexpected — and kind of refreshing.