It might be a multi-billion dollar sport that’s well-known for its brutality — and become a past time for politicians and celebrities alike. But mixed martial arts has been around for years, combining forms of boxing, karate, striking, and grappling to deliver a product unlike any other.
Even before it became a part of the American cultural landscape, filmmakers have been doing their level best to portray the epic highs, lows and horrors of life in the cage. They have amplified the thrills of defeating your enemy — and double-underlined the pain every single athlete goes through when they step through the ropes. The results create some of the best fighting movies of all time.
But which MMA movies are the cream of the crop? This ranked list counts down the very best motion pictures that tackle either athletes who take part in the sport, or the sport itself, via authorial opinion and IMDb scores. Here are the five best MMA-related films of all time.
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5. Bloodsport
Frank leaps and prepares to kick Chong Li in “Bloodsport” – Cannon Films
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Donald Gibb, Leah Ayres
Runtime: 1 hour, 32 minutes
Jean-Claude Van Damme was a mixed martial arts superstar before it was cool — or, more accurately, he made being an MMA artist cool. “Bloodsport” helped launched him as a star in the 1980s, and the gritty, campy and bloody action-drama remains one of Van Damme’s best movie outings. It also includes one of his greatest movie fight scenes, making it a must-watch for fans, and a solid way to get people into the mixed martial arts genre.
Frank Dux (Van Damme), a Captain in the U.S. Army, is invited to participate in the Kumite, an underground mixed martial arts tournament with deadly, dangerous stakes. He accepts and promptly goes AWOL. After landing in Hong Kong, he begins to make both friends and enemies as he impresses in his tournament performance. But he’s being chased by agents from the CIC, who want to drag him in for absconding. When Frank’s friend Ray Jackson (Donald Gibb) is beaten up by tournament hot shot Chong Li (Bolo Yeung) during a clash, Frank becomes determined to win, getting revenge at any cost.
4. Bruised
Jackie bares her teeth in “Bruised” – Netflix
Cast: Halle Berry, Shamier Anderson, Adan Canto
Runtime: 2 hours, 9 minutes
Naturally, MMA isn’t just for men. Some of the most famous athletes in the sport — from Ronda Rousey to Amanda Nunes — identify as women. Hollywood has created some films featuring female MMA stars, and the best one is a Netflix exclusive that bowed in 2021. Halle Berry both stars and makes her directorial debut with “Bruised,” a powerful tale of overcoming the odds, and it provides Berry with one of her best movie roles to date.
Jackie “Pretty Bull” Justice (Berry) is an alcoholic who lives a down-at-the-heels life. Once, she was a famous MMA star, and her boyfriend and agent Desi (Adan Canto) keeps trying to talk her into rejoining the sport. Desi takes her out on a scouting job to an underground fight one night, and when Jackie she finds herself being provoked into action by one of the competitors, she responds with a flurry of violence. She’s spied by a promoter for Invicta Fighting Championships and offered a spot on a card. Now the hard work of getting back into fighting shape begins — and is quickly complicated by her six-year-old son (Danny Boyd Jr.) who drops back into her life and forces Jackie to grow up.
3. The Smashing Machine
Mark Kerr holds a belt aloft in “The Smashing Machine” – A24
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt
Runtime: 2 hours, 3 minutes
Dwayne Johnson goes for the gold in “The Smashing Machine.” While this biopic of early MMA star Mark Kerr isn’t perfect — after all, it bombed at the box office and only scored a single Oscar nomination — Johnson genuinely puts one of his best performances into the film, easily earning the role a berth on this list.
The film follows Kerr (Johnson) through the highs and lows of his career, including his fall from grace in 1999, due to addiction and a complicated relationship with his girlfriend, Dawn (Emily Blunt). Mark eventually stages a comeback with the help of Bas Rutten (played by Rutten himself) and the possibility of redemption knocks at his door. But can Mark conquer his dependency on chemicals — and keep things with Dawn on an even keel — for long enough to taste the fruits of his labor?
2. Blood and Bone
Isaiah delivers a kick in “Blood and Bone” – Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Cast: Michael Jai White, Julian Sands, Eamonn Walker
Runtime: 1 hour, 33 minutes
An unjustly forgotten film all about fighting your way to the top of the heap, “Blood and Bone” spotlights the talents of Michael Jai White, whose martial arts skills have often been overlooked in the MMA genre. “Blood and Bone” offers tons of White’s high-kicking ways, making this a must-watch for fans who love b-movie style action and well-choreographed fighting sequences.
Isaiah Bone (White) is fresh out of prison and finds himself involved in an underground MMA fighting ring. He quickly gets in deep with the mob and the international black market arms dealing scene. When he makes friends with the girlfriend of a mobster, Angela Soto (Michelle Belegrin), he figures out that he was a cellmate and friend of her late husband. In tribute to his old friend and to comfort Angela, he vows to track down the couple’s son, who was placed in foster custody soon after his birth. The way to power is a high-stakes, big money fight that could cost Isaiah everything, or shake up the ring’s foundation forever.
1. Warrior
Tommy and embrace after a fight in “Warrior” – Lionsgate
Cast: Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte, Joel Edgerton
Runtime: 2 hours, 20 minutes
“Warrior” is a saga about brotherhood and fatherhood that manages to touch the heart even while its characters are punching each other in the face. Estrangements are mended, frayed edges smoothed, and family reunites — all it takes is a little bit of bare-knuckled brawling. It’s a fine reflection of what life in a UFC ring is all about, and it’s also a great character study — resulting in a film that earns its way to the top of the heap.
Marine Thomas “Tommy” Riordan (Tom Hardy) has a complicated and ugly family home life. His father, Paddy (Nick Nolte), keeps begging him for reconciliation, but Tommy hasn’t forgiven Paddy for his years of physical abusiveness, or his alcoholism. Tommy discovers one day that he has a knack for fighting; he punches out a famous middleweight at the gym, and a video of the incident hits the internet and causes a stir.
Bolstered by his newfound fame, Tommy decides to enter an MMA tournament with a multimillion dollar purse, taking on Paddy as his trainer. Meanwhile, Tommy’s older brother Brendan (Joel Edgerton) has a mountain of bills to pay that his job as a teacher cannot cover. A former MMA fighter, Brendan turns back to the sport that made his name in the hope of winning the $5 million purse for himself. The brothers are soon pitted against each other, with Paddy caught in the middle.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration websiteor contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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