Top Ten MMA Fights In Movies
“However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.” — Winston Churchill
Since its inception in 1993, the UFC has gone on from a hardcore spectacle to becoming one of the fastest growing sports within a span of 30 years. However, one thing has remained; fighters from different disciplines collide to determine the most superior.
People may be surprised to find out that this concept goes way back to the time of ancient Greek to Boxing champion, Muhammad Ali and Professional Wrestler, Atonio Inoki’s exhibition match at the Nippon Budokan.
This craftmanship has made its way to Hollywood thanks to martial artist and action star legend, Bruce Lee, who many to this day look back on as the founder of MMA. Some of the biggest action stars, through their athleticism and dedication, have showcased the most vigorous and compelling form of combat ever performed. So, I’ll be analysing ten of the best MMA fights in film.
For this top ten list, each fight scene will be ranked by how the battle shapes the fighters and how its progression reflects the important development to the characters. Weapons like guns and blades are allowed, as long as the clash of styles remains a factor. Before we countdown our list, a SPOILER WARNING in now in order.
10) Dux vs. Li (Bloodsport)
We are kicking off with what is considered the earliest example of mixed martial arts committed to celluloid and the first major film role where Jean-Claud Van Damme made his major split into the public eye.
Van Damme plays Frank Dux, a Belgian — American (naturally), US army captain, trained in the art of Ninjitsu. Dux goes rogue and travels to Hong Kong to participate in an illegal martial arts tournament, the Kumite, against participants from all different cultural and fighting styles. Former Bruce Lee bad guy, Bolo Yeung, as reigning Kumite champion, Chong Li, serves as the main adversary and current record holder of the fastest knockout in the Kumite and highest body count.
Dux makes his way through to the finals to square off against Li in a fight to determine the winner, starting off with a quick fire-round of flying kicks, even at one point, using the referee’s back as leverage.
It takes all of Dux’s strength to take the almost impenetrable Li to the ground. It’s only when Li takes out a concealed pill from his waistband and throws salt into the challenger's eyes that things start to get really ugly. Dux is blinded causing him to punch aimlessly, giving Li time to recover and pummel him to the ground.
But not even an attack of this nature will stop Dux’s spirit, as, with blood running from his nose, he ignites his iconic berserker mode. Despite being blinded; Dux is able to predict and counter Li’s offense, knocking him down with Van Damme’s signature 360 spinning kicks, so hard that it makes his sworn enemy submit, crying ‘matté’, the official declaration of surrender.
The constant abusive use of slow motion (enough to make Jon Woo blush) only serves to make the blows and performance itself all the more impactful and memorable.
9) Choi Bae-dal vs. the Japanese (Fighter in the Wind)
Inspired by the true story of martial artist, Masutatsu Oyama, the founder of the famous Kyokushin karate style, we follow Choi Bai-dal, a Korean citizen trying to make his way in post-war Japan. After suffering humiliating beatings from Japanese gangsters and a xenophobic karate leader, Bai-dal swears never to face defeat ever again.
To better his physique and fighting spirit, Bai-dal retreats to the mountains and wearing only a ragged gi, embraces the harsh environment to develop his own unique style of karate and to enhance his strength and durability. This story would serve as inspiration to Ryu from the Street Fighter series.
In order to prove his worth, Bai-dal wanders all over Japan, entering into every dōjō to fight every Japanese student from every background and conquers them one by one with shear force and will power.
On his journey, Bai-dal takes on a dōjō full of karate students, where he brutally clears every one of them with a single strike.
As his quest progresses, he is ambushed by a ninja, leaping around walls and pouncing from all directions, until Bae-dal prevails by throwing the assailant into the river, using the ninja’s own weapon against him - gravity! We move into a montage featuring three different challengers with their distinct background: a Kendoka wielding a bamboo shinai with its long-range distance as his advantage, a judoka who surprises Bai-dal in a test of strength, whilst fighting in the rain, and an Aikidoka who is able to control and redirect Bai-dal’s aggression.
When it looks like Bae-dal is on the verge of defeat, our protagonist manages to improvise, breaking their offence. Not wishing to fade into obscurity, our hero blasts his way to victory to continue his journey to reach his nemesis (the karate leader) and, as the final conquest, creates his own legendary tale of wrestling a bull for its horn.
8) Jake vs. Ryan (Never Back Down)
While many can point out the recycled plot to the Karate Kid, even though the hero is an emotionally broken hothead and the rival is more of a psychopath than Johnny Lawrence, the biggest credit to the film however is the fight choreography and the camera work. Sean Faris and Can Gigandet trained in MMA for three months before filming.
The tournament showcases both polar opposites’ approach to fighting. Ryan who relishes being the centre of attention is on the offensive with a show stopping finish, whilst Jake dials down his aimless aggression and is now playing defence, choosing to counter his opponents by taking them down and winning by submission.
During the semi-finals, Ryan orchestrates his own disqualification and Jake retracts from the tournament since his beef is with Ryan, so the two settle their differences in the car park outside.
When Ryan takes Jake down to the concrete, he tries to gain control of the top guard and land significant strikes, but Jake’s reversals and defence demonstrate his newly refined skills since their first encounter, until Ryan begins to aim at his injured rib cage. As Jake tries to apply his grappling, he is constantly outwitted as Ryan proceeds to powerbomb him onto a car bonnet, only to wrench him back onto his feet to apply a guillotine choke.
Before passing out, Jake starts to remember his training and begins making his comeback by escaping the choke hold and finishes Ryan off with a strong combo, ending with a head kick knockout.
The payoff makes it all the more satisfying as we get to see Jake turn his back on his guilt and anger, realizing that true power comes through timed & controlled breathing.
7) Kham vs. three assailants (The Protector)
Thailand’s very own Jackie Chan, Tony Jaa, soars his way into his second lead entry as Kham, the titular protector of two war elephants, on a quest to rescue them from a Vietnamese gang before being served as Tom Yum Goong.
The biggest fight takes place in a Buddhist monastery, lit ablaze by the gangsters, activating the sprinkler system, turning the floor into a pool like state where Kham is left to face three assassins who decide to challenge him one by one.
Kham’s first challenger is a Capoeirista with the words ‘PRAY’ carved into his chest, which I suppose is meant to be ironic, giving the current environment. Capoeira, a Brazilian style of dancing and acrobatics, utilises complex kicks from all different angles, making it a challenge for our hero to block and find a way to counter. So, Kham decides to play into his opponent’s game with a series faints and eventually managing to time his strikes and immobilise his rival and eventually overpower him.
Kham’s second opponent is a blade wielding Wushu expert who comes in flying, swinging and throwing his blade from a great distance. Once again, our Muay Thai combatant is on the defensive, this time using the monastery itself as an improvised shield, by shrouding himself behind the bells and a moving gong, until reappearing to his attacker with two mallets as a weapon and finally K.Oing him with a tornado kick.
The final boss comes in the form of a 6 foot tall former pro wrestler, Nathan Jones, blasting his way through the wall. He grabs Kham by the throat and proceeds to chokeslam him into the pool. He swiftly goats Kham to take a few shots at him and yet, every kick, knee or elbow doesn’t seem to faze this giant. The former WWE superstar even takes a flying elbow to the forehead which results in blood pouring down his face, only pissing Jones off, causing him to throw Kham into a pillar and pretty much get the better of him through sheer rage and power.
6) Kane vs. Paul (Haywire)
Steven Soderbergh is one of the most prolific film makers of our time. Not one to shy away from different genres - from independent dramas to a heist film featuring a strong Hollywood studded cast; from award winning biographies to horror films about a pandemic eerily set nine years before an actual pandemic that would bestow devastation across the whole world - the man had yet to craft an action feature of his own.
In order to capture the essence of close combat on screen, he decided to cast retired MMA fighter, Gina Carano, in her first motion picture in an ensemble piece of A-listers, including Michael Fassbender as fellow intelligent operative, Paul, who ends up betraying her and a struggle ensues in their own hotel room as Carano’s character, Mallory Kane, must fend for herself.
Despite being caught off guard and struck in the back of the head, Mallory manages to free herself from her betrayer’s grasp. Paul retaliates with a flurry of punches, but Kane’s experience gets the better of him as she wears him down with choke holds, a devastating knee to the gut, a kick to the leg and the pièce de résistance, kicking him through the door to the bedroom. Nasty!
Paul makes one last attempt to wrestle Mallory, throws her to the bed, trying unsuccessfully to ground and pound her, but Mallory holds on long enough to catch him in a triangle choke. Mallory keeps the hold in long enough, knocking him out, turns him on his back to throw some ground and pound of her own for good measure, before shooting him in the head.
The sound of the heavy blows to our heroine sound all too real, especially when you realise that Soderbergh encouraged this ferocity, in line with Carano’s strict demand to Fassbender, “You have to hit me harder”.
5) Ip Man vs. Frank (Ip Man 3)
The Ip Man movies have showcased it’s famous Wing Chun master taking on various adversaries from a range of martial arts disciplines, including Karate, Muay Thai, Boxing and even going against Wing Chun in this instalment. I could choose any one of them, but I’ve opted to go with Ip Man’s midway confrontation with ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, who plays a gangster, Frank, in Hong Kong making multiple attempts on the lives of Ip Man and his family for interfering in his criminal affairs. When this fails, Frank decides to take matters into his own hands, or fists, inviting the Wing Chun master into his office to challenge him one-on-one with the stipulation that he lasts 3 minutes to guarantee future safety.
Frank’s right cross pushes back Ip Man’s signature Bong Sao which shows right off the bat that this isn’t going to be easy, as Tyson’s punches are over 1500-foot pounds of force. Ip Man tries to parry, but Tyson’s signature peek-a-boo style and sheer power make it difficult to find an opening, with Frank’s constant pursuit and movement giving him an advantage in taking shots from different angles.
Ip Man starts making adjustments and adopts an unorthodox stance, managing to breakthrough with a flurry of combos, but Frank survives Ip Man’s comeback, tossing him against the wall.
In the last 30 seconds of the fight, Ip Man fights for his survival using dirty tactics, blocking Frank’s hooks and crosses with devastating elbows and countering a cross with a right poke to Frank’s eye. Before both men can land the final blow, the alarm goes off, putting an end to the challenge.
The question to ask about this challenge isn’t if Ip Man could beat Mike Tyson, but how long could the master of Wing Chun last against ‘the baddest man on the planet’?
4) Wick vs. Cassian (John Wick: Chapter 2)
In order to prepare himself for the retired assassin, Reeves trained in the use of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo and Gun-Fu which didn’t require hacking into the matrix.
John Wick was hired by Santino D’Antonio to do one last job… to assassinate his own sister! - only to be betrayed and have a $7 million contract on his head and now every assassin in the world wants a shot at Baba Yaga.
Just when it looks like Wick is safe out of the catacombs, he gets hit by a car, revealing the attacker to be Cassian, Gianna D’Antonio’s former bodyguard, out for vengeance. The two killers engage in a clinch, struggling for possession of the gun and hurling each other around, ending in them tumbling down some stairs.
With his striking expertise, Cassian gains the advantage. Wick tries desperately to defend himself, only for Cassian to pull off a wild flying armbar swiftly pulling out a knife to Wick’s face. Wick flips Cassian on his back and pulls out a gun from his hidden holster, shooting only at the concrete floor as the two go back and forth vying for top position. They get back on their feet, with Cassian pulling off another takedown, applying a choke hold to Wick, although still enabling him to reload his gun, forcing Cassian to loosen his grip, to evade and control Wick’s aim.
The assassins smash through a window entering the reception of the continental hotel where the fight is broken up before breaking continental rule. Afterwards, the two share a drink, agreeing to resume another time, with Cassian promising Wick a quick death and Wick vowing to return the favour.
This exchange is an unmistakable onscreen display of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
3) Chambers vs. Boyka (Undisputed II: Last Man Standing)
Before the direct-to-DVD series continues with Scott Adkins in the lead, Michael Jai White takes up the mantle of boxer, George “The Iceman” Chambers, the original antagonist from the first movie played by Ving Rhaymes. Now returning to prison in Russia where he participates in an illegal martial art match up against champion and fellow in-mate, Yuri Boyka, played by Scott Adkins in exchange for his appeal and release.
Chambers is a boxing champion, yet is stepping into unknown territory, against a multi-disciplined and well-rounded adversary in Boyka. In their first outing, Chambers fights valiantly, despite his limited skillset, by out striking the Russian, but Boyka’s unorthodox moves and athleticism win out. However, Chambers is granted a rematch after it is revealed that Boyka’s crew drugged Chamber’s water, much to Boyka’s outrage as he wants to beat the Iceman of his own volition.
So, the two duke it out again, only this time under the guidance of a wheelchair bound in-mate, Crot, Chambers adds adapted elbow and knee strikes and submission holds to his arsenal which he uses to effectively breakdown Boyka’s A-game. Boyka is advised by his cornermen to aim for Chambers’ leg, when the Iceman suddenly takes him to the ground, places Boyka’s foot over his shoulder and presses his own hands over Boyka’s knee, and guided by the training ethos of Crot; “The harder he presses, the harder it’s gonna break!”. The Iceman emerges victorious by breaking Boyka’s leg and settles the score.
The fights in this movie showcased a fighter’s life as one’s victory is not of destruction, but one of progress and triumph. The once selfish Chambers grew & changed, whilst Boyka recuperation & redemption were set.
2) Jun vs. Tony (Flash Point)
Donnie Yen makes it onto this list again in a third collaboration with Wilson Yip as he serves as producer and fight choreographer. Yen wants to incorporate mixed martial arts into the film and after an intense gunfight between Yen’s Detective Sergeant Ma Jun and Vietnamese-Chinese gangster’s Tony, two polar opposites collide in the last 8 minutes of back-and-forth, hard-hitting action in an abandoned village.
Jun is in control of side mount followed by knees to the head, transitioning into submission attempts. Even though Tony escapes and gains top guard, Jun is still technically at an advantage on his back with more submission holds in his arsenal, but Tony lifts Jun up, powerbombs him to the concrete and throws another one resulting in both men falling from the upper deck to the floor.
Both men shrug off the pain to resume their feud, landing over hand punches and kicks from different directions and countering their attacks at every level. Both may seem on a par with each other, but Tony finally lands some hard kicks that send the Detective Sergeant through the pillars. Donnie Yen gets back up with blood running from his nose, smiling in a homage to JCVD’s iconic image from Bloodsport.
Tony has won the striking stage, so Jun evens the odds with Judo clinches, throwing the gangster around like a rag doll, then makes an attempt to land some significant hits through faints and creative means whilst using the wreckage to his advantage.
Tony puts up a valiant effort, although Jun turns out to be the more complete fighter, and soon the jackets are off, followed by haymakers from Jun, rendering the gangster unconscious with a rear naked choke.
1) Lung vs. Colt (Way of the Dragon)
What better way to end this list than with the man who introduced Hong Kong martial arts cinema to the west - the immortal Bruce Lee in his fourth leading role. For the final fight, Bruce wanted someone who could pose a true challenge, so he enlists former US police air force officer and Kyokushin black belt, Chuck Norris, to play the role of henchman to an Italian mobster.
When the conflict between the Chinese restaurant owners and the Italian gangsters goes too far, both protectors decide to settle the score, and what better location to do so than in the Roman Colosseum. The stage is set! — the Innovator of Jeet Kune Do vs. the Karate champion with his Hasselhoff like chest hair, with cats lurking in the rubble serving as an audience.
Both warriors start off with a roar of kicks with Colt landing the first blow to Lung. Colt continues the pressure with a crisp combination and a flurry of blows, proving that there are no short cuts with the Chuck man.
Lung gets back up, light on his feet. This time with a better chance of testing his range and dodging Colt’s strikes. At this point Lung is just playing with Colt like a cat with a ball of string. Colt helplessly attempts to predict Lung’s faints and offence, but Lung is just too fast for him, as he follows up by landing sharp combinations of his own and leaving Colt without any chance of finding an opening.
In the end, Lung’s speed, precision and power all become too much for Colt as he is overpowered back into the wall, whilst losing the use of his right arm and leg. Yet, despite the constant punishment, Colt just refuses to stay down making one last valiant effort at Lung, only to be caught into a Guillotine choke. Finally he meets his end at the hands of Lung. Before Lung can leave however, he places Colt’s Gi & black belt over his body: a true display of respect to a worthy adversary.
