The kindest thing you can say about MMA movies is that they are often a bit…hit or miss (credit to Producer DL for that pun).
It’s usually the same storyline over and over again… ‘a disgraced MMA fighter finds redemption in the cage and the courage to face their demons, when blah blah blah…’ – which is actually almost word for word the synopsis of next month’s latest MMA theatrical offering – Halle Berry’s UFC-supported film ‘Bruised’.
‘Bruised’ features a cameo from UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevenkho as the hilariously named ‘Lady Killer, the movie is hitting Netflix on November 17th.
Given all that, we thought it would be a good time to deliver our MMA movie rankings to get the blood pumping.
Before we get to the meat of the rankings, we wanted to quickly run you through 10 to 6 to highlight the ‘preliminary card’ before jumping into the main event!
10. Here Comes the Boom – 2012
9. Redbelt – 2008
8. The Hurt Business – 2016 (We know, it’s a documentary but It was good)
7. Fighting – 2009
6. Bloodsport – 1988
Now let’s jump into the cage for our top 5! Kicking us off is…
- Never Back Down – 2008
We feel this is an underappreciated MMA movie and one of the first to jump on the MMA train.
An angsty teenager discovers an underground fight club (apparently you can talk about this one) and meets a classmate who begins to coerce him into fighting.
The final fight scene is worth the wait, but the thing that always got me is Jake is wearing his shoes. Instant point deduction in my eyes.
RIB RATING – 3.5 White belts out of 5
- Blood & Bone – 2009
An ex-con who jumps into LA’s street fighting scene. As is expected in any good story, his life takes a turn for the worse and is forced to fight the reigning champ in exchange for his loved ones’ lives, which has always seemed a little bit rough, but you’ll understand when you watch it!
Look out for the prison fight scene featuring Kimbo Slice, as well as a brutal raw fight scene featuring Strikeforce legend and Mandalorian star Gina Carano.
RIB RATING – 3.5 White belts out of 5
- Undisputed II: Last Man Standing – 2006
Two Michael Jai White movies back to back with White taking over the role of George ‘Iceman’ Chambers from Ving Rhames.
Set in a brutal Russian prison, the character of Chambers must fight his way to release by taking out the elite Russian brawler Yuri Boyka.
The true treat of the movie is watching Scott Adkins’ Boyka vs. Michael Jai White’s Chambers. Both Adkins and White are legends of the stunt double / direct-to-DVD action movie scene and both bring out the best in each other.
RIB RATING – 4 White belts out of 5
- Embattled – 2016
The son of a tough MMA champion fights his way out of the abusive cycle his father has continued when **SPOILER ALERT** ends up facing his dad in the ring
Let’s be real here the storyline is a gut-wrencher but it all makes sense in the context of the movie.
Embattled is really well shot, has a great fight scene and a story that feels real. It was a hit with critics as well, at least for an MMA movie – it actually sits quite high at 71% & 75% on rottentomatos.com
RIB RATING – 4 White belts out of 5
- Warrior – 2011
A favourite of the boys headlined by Tom Hardy and Australia’s own Joel Edgeton. Strap yourself in for this emotional rollercoaster that pulls at all heartstrings
The movie is set up with an alcoholic former wrestler and Marine returning home, trained by his father and thrust into an international MMA tournament (featuring cameos by Rumble Johnson and Kurt Angle as the Fedor-inspired Koba)
RIB RATING – 4.5 White belts out of 5
We know the world of MMA movies is fraught with some stinkers, so we’re holding out hope that “Bruised” makes some top 10 lists in the future, not just because seeing Shevchenko become a breakout Hollywood star would make some interesting promo tapes!