The best MMA movies of all time, according to viewers
A new analysis has revealed that Warrior (2011) is the best MMA film of all time, with an IMDB user rating of 8.2.
MMA experts at MiddleEasy compiled a list of movies whose plot revolves around mixed martial arts, to find out which are the highest rated on IMDB. Each movie had to have a minimum of 10,000 votes by IMDB users to be considered.
The highest rated MMA film of all time is Warrior with an impressive IMDB user rating of 8.2 out of 10. The film, which was released in 2011, stars Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton as two estranged brothers whose entrance into a mixed martial arts tournament leads to them facing off against one another in order to win a $5 million prize. Warrior made $23.3 million at the box office worldwide and is currently available to stream on Netflix in the UK.
In second place is 2010’s Undisputed III: Redemption with an IMDB user rating of 7.3. This film follows the story of Yuri Boyka, who lost to protagonist George ‘Iceman’ Chambers in the previous film, as he rehabilitates a knee injury to join an expanded MMA prison tournament. Despite the original movie in the series making $14.9 million worldwide according to Box Office Mojo, Undisputed III only made $285,709 overall.
In joint third place is Undisputed II: Last Man Standing and Unleashed both with an IMDB user rating of 7.0.
2006’s Undisputed II follows the story of George ‘Iceman’ Chambers, an ex-boxer turned fighter who discovers a series of illegal matches dominated by prisoner Yuri Boyka. Unleashed stars Jet Li as enslaved captive Danny the Dog who is used to by a loan shark to win underground death matches.
Boyka: Undisputed IV ranks in fourth place, with an IMDB user rating of 6.9. Taking place several months after the previous film, Yuri Boyka still fights in underground matches. After he accidentally kills an opponent, he decides to help the opponent’s wife pay off her debts by fighting in further MMA matches.
Blood and Bone is the film in fifth place, with an IMDB user rating of 6.7. In this film released in 2009, an ex-convict takes the underground fighting world by storm in his quest to fulfil a promise to a dead friend.
The 2008 MMA film Never Back Down ranks sixth place with an IMDB user rating of 6.5. Starring Sean Faris, Cam Gigandet and Amber Heard, Never Back Down is about a teenager who arrives at a new high school to discover an underground fight club.
In seventh place is the 2012 film ‘Here Comes the Boom’ with a 6.4 user rating on IMDB. Starring Kevin James and Salma Hayek, this film revolves around a high-school teacher who looks to become a successful MMA fighter to raise money for his cash-strapped school. Here Comes the Boom is the most successful of the films in this list with worldwide box office takings of $73.1 million.
In eighth place is the 2011 sequel Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown, with an IMDB user rating of 5.7. The film is about a group of four MMA fighters who train under a more experienced MMA fighter for a competition aptly named ‘The Beatdown’.
Finally, the ninth highest rated MMA film of all time is 2009’s Fighting starring Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard, which has a IMDB user rating of 5.5. The film a follows street hustler as he joins an underground fighting ring to make some money.
A spokesperson for MiddleEasy commented on the study:
“Whilst there are a lot of films in the fighting genre, many of which are martial arts films, there are fewer films that focus solely on mixed martial arts.
“Of the films featured in this study Warrior takes the top spot with a strong 0.9-point lead over the movie in second place. The Undisputed franchise also appears to be a successful staple among fans of the genre, with each movie featuring on the list apart from the original Undisputed, which centres around boxing rather than MMA.
“There are several films that failed to make the list as they did not receive enough user ratings on IMDB, which highlights the fact that MMA films that break through into popular culture are few and far between.”
