The documentary The Man Who Destroyed the Machine from MEGOGO tells the story of legendary mixed martial artist Ihor Vovchanchyn — a Ukrainian fighter whom experts consider one of the greatest knockout artists in MMA history and the toughest fighter of the 1990s.

The story takes us back to the era of the iconic megafight that took place in 1999. In the ring in Yokohama, two of the world’s top heavyweight mixed martial artists of that time faced off: Ukraine’s Vovchanchyn and the still-undefeated American powerhouse Mark Kerr. The fight was meant to determine the king of the MMA world. It ended with a spectacular knockout delivered by the Ukrainian, leaving Kerr on the verge of losing consciousness. Later, the organizers ruled the fight a no-contest and stripped Vovchanchyn of his victory. It turned out that Ihor had been “demolishing” the American superstar with illegal strikes — something the referee apparently failed to notice.

A quarter century later, Hollywood is bringing this scandalous story to the big screen. This fall, Ukrainian cinemas will premiere Unbreakable, a film that recounts the personal tragedy of Mark Kerr, who struggled with painkiller addiction. “The Machine” will be played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Vovchanchyn will be portrayed by three-time undisputed boxing world champion Oleksandr Usyk.

That same quarter century later, we managed to have an exclusive conversation with the “Giant Killer” Ihor Vovchanchyn. This candid interview became the foundation of The Man Who Destroyed the Machine. The film tells the story of a simple guy from a village near Kharkiv who, thanks to his innate courage, daily hard work, and dedication, managed to rise to the very top of the MMA world. He became a global star admired in Brazil, Japan, and the United States, yet remains undeservedly little-known in his homeland, Ukraine.