“Once you turn that invisible line, there’s no going back,” said UFC legend Mark Kerr, speaking to Sports Illustrated about his addiction. Fans knew him as ‘The Smashing Machine.’ Kerr captured two UFC heavyweight titles after debuting in the promotion in 1997. At his peak, he dominated opponents and looked unstoppable inside the Octagon. However, away from the spotlight, his life veered into a darker fight. Kerr battled prescription painkillers and alcohol addiction as relentlessly as he once battled rivals.
Over time, his addiction deepened in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Following a crushing loss at the 2000 Pride Grand Prix, burnout and narcotic use in Japan drove him further into despair. Despite those struggles, Kerr eventually fought his way back. He rebuilt his life, overcame his demons, and now lives in stability. Now, his story returns to the public eye with the release of The Smashing Machine, a film hitting theaters this week. Ahead of the theater release, Kerr joined UFC commentator Joe Rogan, who pointed to a “psychedelic” dr*g he believes could have changed Kerr’s life.
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Joe Rogan highlights Texas psychedelic therapy with Mark Kerr
Mark Kerr joined the latest podcast episode (#2384) and reflected on his HBO documentary The Smashing Machine (2002). During the conversation, he recalled meeting a 65-year-old grandmother at the premiere — someone he admitted he “had nothing in common with.” However, her words struck him: she spoke about her grandson’s “drinking problem,” which made Kerr realize how his own story impacts others and inspires people beyond the fight world. In that moment, Kerr described his addiction as a “horrible existence.”
Later in the episode, Joe Rogan asked Kerr, “Did anybody ever recommend Ibogaine to you?” Kerr said no, but admitted he had heard of it. Following that, Rogan highlighted how Texas now explores the use of this “illegal dr*g” for medical purposes to help people overcome addictions such as alcohol and smoking.
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“So, they’re doing that now in Texas,” Rogan said. “And the Ibogaine initiative passed through thanks to former Governor Rick Perry, Republican, who, through working with veterans, found that a lot of veterans who struggle with addiction and PTSD, that Ibogaine is incredibly effective. And it’s not a recreational drug. It’s not fun. It’s a psychedelic that takes 24 hours, and it’s apparently brutally introspective, but it literally corrects addictive pathways — like whatever the connection is in the brain that causes you to be addicted to things.”
Earlier this summer, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed legislation to allow the medical use of ibogaine, a dr*g derived from Mexico (an ancient African shrub that people have used for centuries to treat addiction). As a result, the bill enables universities, hospitals, and pharmaceutical developers to conduct controlled trials of Ibogaine. With this move, Texas became the first state to actively invest in psychedelic research, under the guidance of former Governor Rick Perry, who also appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience episode.
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Joe Rogan spotlights Ibogaine therapy with Governor Perry on his podcast
Audiences have already observed that the Ibogaine-related bill will not allow “public access” to the substance, as authorities will enforce a strict “no street economy” rule. However, Ibogaine’s transformative potential has already come to light. For instance, in 2022, former Army Ranger Chase Rowan, haunted for years by a parachute accident 16 years earlier, spiraled into opioid use that evolved into a fentanyl addiction. This, in turn, destroyed his marriage and left him “stuck alone,” struggling with both financial and emotional ruin.
Then, when Rowan took the Ibogaine pill, vivid visions overwhelmed him — one of a devil with wings, another of winding roads leading back to childhood memories. Through this experience, that first psychedelic journey forced him to confront long-buried trauma and recognize the pain he had caused those around him, like watching a movie of his own life unfold.
As a result, he awoke the next morning with a profound ‘spiritual awakening’, feeling the happiest he had been in two decades.Earlier this year, Joe Rogan welcomed former Governor James Perry and Bryan Hubbard on his podcast, which he described as his most important episode yet, #2251.
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On Instagram, Joe Rogan said, “This was one of the most important podcasts I’ve ever done, especially if you, or someone you know have struggled with addiction. @governorperry and @w_bryan_hubbard joined me to discuss Ibogaine therapy, and the efforts that have been made to bring it to Texas and to get this miraculous plant off the schedule 1 list. It has a truly insane rate of success for helping people kick addictions, cure anxiety and depression, and even many neurological conditions.”
What is your perspective on using Ibogaine therapy to treat other forms of addiction? Could a “psychedelic” dr*g like this truly deliver such results? Share your thoughts below.