Best movies like Tough Guys

A unique, carefully handpicked, selection of the best movies like Tough Guys Starring Bill Viola, Frank Caliguri, Dann Carr, Jacquet Bazemore, and more. If you liked Tough Guys then you may also like: When We Were Kings, Never Back Down, Never Back Down: No Surrender, One Down, Two to Go, The Quest and many more popular movies featured on this list. You can further filter the list even more or get a random selection from the list of similar movies, to make your selection even easier.

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10 years before the debut of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In 1979, Bill Viola and Frank Caliguri dreamed up a contest pitting barroom bigmouths against wrestlers, martial artists, boxers, bouncers and brawlers, billed as no-holds-barred new type of competitive fighting. When the fights succeeded beyond their wildest expectations, they were swept up in a chain of events that ended in the first mixed-martial arts ban in the nation. “Tough Guys” chronicles the inception of Caliguri and Viola’s first bouts and the colorful, crazy cast of fighters who made them a hit as well as the politicians who brought it all crashing down. The film brings to life a moment when the national martial arts craze was building to a crescendo as the economies of Pennsylvania steel towns were plummeting to levels of unemployment never seen, breeding desperate men looking for a chance to prove their worth and make some money in the ring.

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When We Were Kings

It's 1974. Muhammad Ali is 32 and thought by many to be past his prime. George Foreman is ten years younger and the heavyweight champion of the world. Promoter Don King wants to make a name for himself and offers both fighters five million dollars apiece to fight one another, and when they accept, King has only to come up with the money. He finds a willing backer in Mobutu Sese Suko, the dictator of Zaire, and the "Rumble in the Jungle" is set, including a musical festival featuring some of America's top black performers, like James Brown and B.B. King.

Never Back Down

Jake, full of anger after his father's death, is just starting to find a place for himself at his new Orlando high school - until Ryan, head of an underground MMA fight club, picks Jake out as a prime opponent. After being trounced by Ryan in front of the entire school, Jake begins training under the firm, moral guidance of a MMA master, where he learns how to fight... and how to avoid a fight. But it becomes obvious that a rematch will be inevitable if Jake wants to stop Ryan and his bullying, once and for all.

Never Back Down: No Surrender

Picking up after the events of Never Back Down 2, former MMA champion Case Walker is on the comeback trail to become champion once again.

One Down, Two to Go

A pair of tough cops go after the mob who jinxed the martial arts tournament and injured their buddy.

The Quest

Ghang-gheng, the ancient winner-take-all competition in which the deadliest fighters from around the world employ the most spectacular feats of martial arts skills ever displayed in order to win the prized Golden Dragon. But fighting prowess alone will not be enough for Chris to triumph over such daunting foes.

Redbelt

Is there room for principle in Los Angeles? Mike Terry teaches jujitsu and barely makes ends meet. His Brazilian wife, whose family promotes fights, wants to see Mike in the ring making money, but to him competition is degrading. A woman sideswipes Mike's car and then, after an odd sequence of events, shoots out the studio's window. Later that evening, Mike rescues an action movie star in a fistfight at a bar. In return, the actor befriends Mike, gives him a gift, offers him work on his newest film, and introduces Mike's wife to his own - the women initiate business dealings. Then, things go sour all at once, Mike's debts mount, and going into the ring may be his only option.

Karate Cop

John Travis is the last honest cop in a future dominated by terroristic martial-arts gangs who fight gladiator-style in arenas.

Kickboxer 2: The Road Back

In this rousing sequel to Kickboxer, Tong Po broods about his defeat at the hands of Kurt Sloan. Po and his managers resort to drastic measures to goad Kurt into the ring for a rematch.

Kickboxer 3: The Art of War

Kick-box champion David Sloan arrives in Rio de Janeiro for an exhibition fight. He and mentor Xian take pity on Brazilian rascal Marcos Coasta, an urchin who offers guide services but routinely steals from tourists for himself and his older sister Isabella. David is shocked when he sees how his Argentinian opponent Marcelo needlessly abuses a courteous local sparing partner. That's the doing of his evil US manager, Lane. He has nasty plans to force David to cheat and runs a white slavery racket.

The Redemption: Kickboxer 5

Kickboxing champion Matt Reeves witnesses the murder of his friend Johnny. While investigating the crime, he learns that a Mr. Negaal in South Africa has founded a new kickboxing association and does not leave international champions much of a chance. Johnny had to pay with his life when he did not want to join. Neegal seems to kill everybody who is in his way especially David Sloan from the previous Kickboxer films. Matt is on his own now, but suddenly finds an unexpected ally.

American Kickboxer

Kickboxing champion B.J. is jailed for an accidental murder thanks to the testimony of his arch-nemesis Denard. A year later, B.J. is released and then challenged by Denard for $100,000. Will B.J. accept and get even with Denard?

American Kickboxer 2

Two rivals, one a cop and the other a martial arts teacher team up to save a little girl from a terrorist and his henchmen.

Best of the Best

A team from the United States is going to compete against Korea in a Tae Kwon Do tournament. The team consists of fighters from all over the country--can they overcome their rivalry and work together to win?

The Big Brawl

A young Asian American martial artist is forced to participate in a brutal formal street-fight competition.

Bloodsport III

Bloodsport III brings us back to the world of Alex Cardo. This time he must battle in a fight to end all fights - The Kumite, the most vicious warrior alive - Beast. He must not only battle for his own honor, but also avenge the death of Sun, his mentor, teacher, and spiritual "father", when Sun is spitefully killed by crime boss Duvalier. In order to defeat Beast, destroy Duvalier, and avenge Sun's death, Alex turns to Leung to whom he was indebted in Bloodsport II. Leung directs him to the great shaman, Makato "the Judge", to whom Alex must turn for guidance. The judge teaches him to fully channel the energy in his mind and body in order to rout the Beast in the Kumite...

Brothers

David and Monty, estranged half-brothers, train in mixed martial arts to earn a livelihood. However, things change when the two are forced to compete against each other in the final tournament.

Rocky

An uneducated collector for a Philadelphia loan shark is given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fight against the world heavyweight boxing champion.

Ring of Fire

Johnny Woo (Wilson) is a Chinese doctor who has given up fighting in the ring. His brother is a teacher at a kickboxing club. When Johnny falls in love with Julie (Ford), whose brother is a teacher in a rival kickboxing club, tension begins to build...

Out for Blood

A lawyer's family is murdered by drug smugglers, and he is beaten and left for dead, but survives although in a coma. When he awakes he only has a partial memory of what happened. In order to find out the real story, he trains with a karate master and becomes a mysterious avenger known as "The Karate Man".

Fighting

Small-town boy Shawn MacArthur has come to New York City with nothing. Barely earning a living selling counterfeit goods on the streets, his luck changes when scam artist Harvey Boarden sees that he has a natural talent for streetfighting. When Harvey offers Shawn help at making the real cash, the two form an uneasy partnership.

Tough Enough

An aspiring country singer, whose money is disappearing faster than his career opportunities, enters a "Tough Man" amateur boxing contest to earn some cash to pay his bills. Amazingly enough, he wins it, and is picked to go onto the national finals. He's torn between his first love, music, and the glitz, glamor and money of the "Tough Man" world.

Grudge Match

A pair of aging boxing rivals are coaxed out of retirement to fight one final bout -- 30 years after their last match.

Hard Times

In the depression, Chaney, a strong silent streetfighter, joins with Speed, a promoter of no-holds-barred street boxing bouts. They go to New Orleans where Speed borrows money to set up fights for Chaney, but Speed gambles away any winnings.

Bruised

Jackie Justice is a mixed martial arts fighter who leaves the sport in disgrace. Down on her luck and simmering with rage and regret years after the fight, she's coaxed into a brutal underground fight by her manager and boyfriend Desi and grabs the attention of a fight league promoter who promises Jackie a life back in the Octagon. But the road to redemption becomes unexpectedly personal when Manny - the son she gave up as an infant - shows up at her doorstep. A triumphant story of a fighter who reclaims her power, in and out of the ring, when everyone has counted her out

The Ronda Rousey Story: Through My Father's Eyes

This documentary chronicles former Olympian and UFC champion Ronda Rousey's ascent to iconic status in the world of mixed martial arts.

Born a Champion

After a blood- soaked jujitsu match in Dubai, fighting legend Mickey Kelley falls to superstar Blaine. But years later, an online video proves that Blaine cheated, and the world demands a rematch. Can the aging underdog get back into shape in time to vanquish his foe, get revenge, and claim his prize?

Price of Glory

An ex-boxer, living with the knowledge that his fight career was cut short by a crooked manager, channels his bitter disappointment in a single-minded quest for boxing championships for his three sons. We see them in pee-wee Silver Glove matches with dad constantly pushing them. Ten years later, they're young men, with dad as both father and manager. A professional promoter, Nick Everson, wants to sign the boys, but dad rejects those offers. Then, in expressions of their varied relationships with their father, each son makes his own decisions. Can dad ever step aside, and can the family hold together?

Night of the Warrior

A kickboxer has an accounting problem with the mobster (Anthony Geary) who lent him money for a nightclub.

Fist 2 Fist

Still haunted by his failure to prevent the murder of a young couple years earlier, a mixed martial arts teacher must confront the skeleton in his closet when the boy who was orphaned by the killing shows up at his door.

The Big Man

An unemployed Scottish miner is forced into bare-knuckle boxing to make ends meet.

Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back

A martial arts instructor comes to the defense of a schoolteacher who has taken a stand against a local white supremacist organization.

Pit Fighter

Jack Severino has no memory, all he knows is the brutal sport of Pit Fighting. When his past catches him up, he realizes he is not who he thought he was. For some men must fight for redemption.

Bloodfist II

Jake Ray gives up his title after killing a man in the ring. When Jake goes to Manila to help an old friend, trouble awaits him! After fending off multiple attacks, Jake is finally captured and chained to a half a dozen martial arts champions. Taken to an island fortress, they are forced to battle chemically-stimulated killers in fights to the death. To win - and to live - it will take every ounce of strength and skill in their martial arts arsenal

Gladiator Cop

Andrew Garret is a cop trying to reveal the background of secret killing fights named "Game". He takes part in the fights under the nickname Gladiator. One of the Game bosses, Parmenion, wants him to fight with the ancient sword that once belonged to Alexander the Great against his own fighter Mongol to recall the 2000 years old duel between Alexander and his enemy whose re-incarnations he believes to be Andrew Garrett and himself.

Final Impact

A former kick-boxing world champion discovers a young fighter, and believes together they can win back the world crown.

Tiger Claws

The police does not know what to do. They have to deal with a serial killer who aims at martial arts masters. One after another is killed in the same brutal way. This may be a chance for detective Linda Masterson to work on her first murder case. She gets the job and to her side an other martial arts specialist, Sgt. Tarek Richards. Now they need to find a tiger style master, because the killer obviously uses tiger style kung fu. Not a simple task, since tiger is a very ancient and rare style.

The Best of the Martial Arts Films

The most explosive barehanded combat sequences ever filmed. An electrifying video of martial arts mastery and mayhem. This program takes a behind-the-scenes look at the weapons, the mystical eastern philosophy, and the incredible skills that have made martial arts films one of the most popular genres in the world today.

The Circuit

Years ago, Dirk Longstreet walked away from The Circuit, the merciless underground fight club with no rules, where money changes hands as men are killed. But now gangsters have got his brother, and only one more journey inside the ring will save his life.

The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies

Hosted by Samuel L. Jackson, this in-depth documentary offers viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the history of the martial arts film -- from the genre's rebellious beginnings to high-flying modern epics. Jackson takes you through the best moments of 100 movies, including Charlie's Angels and Oscar winner Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Interviews with martial arts film veterans Sammo Hung, John Woo and Ang Lee round out the video.

Ring of Death

On the inside, there are no rules. See what happens when Prison Officials Profit from Illegal fights.

The Ultimate Fighter

The son of a rich businessman who has ties with the Russian mob. But the mob sets up his family and forced the young guy at fighting in martial arts tournament.

Death Warrior

A gritty MMA fighter is forced into a twisted, underground gambling ring in which he must fight to the death with other MMA fighters in order to save his wife from certain death at the hands of a maniacal crime boss. In a desperate race against time, he is forced into a series of increasingly violent life and death matches while simultaneously piecing together the puzzle which leads him to uncover

Street Warrior

An Iraqi war vet returns home to find that his brother is in a coma from participating in an illegal underground fight club.

The Hammer

A coming of age drama following the life of Matt Hamill, the first deaf wrestler to win a National Collegiate Wrestling Championship.

The Prize Fighter

"Bags" the boxer (funnyman Tim Conway) and his manager, Shake (Don Knotts), are quite a pair: One is a dim bulb, and the other has a mean streak. Times are tough and they must save their gym, so they line up some moneymaking fights. But when Bags and Shake discover that the bouts have been rigged, they end up with their backs to the wall and must fight back -- literally.

Notorious Nick

Nick Newell, a one-armed MMA fighter gets a rare chance to fight for the lightweight championship. He strives to win for himself and all the other people in the world with physical challenges.

EFC

Riding off the heels of her sister Scarlett’s championship legacy, Cassady Jones is now the EFC Champion and the new face of women’s mixed martial arts. Alexa Star begins to rise quickly through the ranks with fervor to become the number one contender for the EFC championship. With ripples of excitement and anticipation, Cassady and Alexa collide for the first time only to find themselves in a melee that shocks the entire sports world, while leaving EFC in the most tumultuous period of its history. As Donna and Nikki fight to keep the floundering EFC alive, majority shareholder Frank Russo recruits John David for one last strike at liquidating and selling off the assets of the company while dissolving the only women’s mixed martial arts promotion in the country. With the future of the company at stake, the fight for EFC isn’t just another fight, it’s the fight for everything.

UFC 290: Volkanovski vs Rodriguez

UFC 290: Volkanovski vs. Rodríguez was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 8, 2023, at the T-Mobile Arena facility in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States. A UFC Featherweight Championship unification bout between current champion Alexander Volkanovski and interim champion (also The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America featherweight winner) Yair Rodríguez headlined the event. UFC 290 PPV Main Event On ESPN+: 145 lbs.: Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez UFC 290 PPV Co-Main Event On ESPN+: 125 lbs.: Flyweight champion Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja UFC 290 PPV Main Card On ESPN+ (10 p.m. ET): 185 lbs.: Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du Plessis 155 lbs.: Dan Hooker vs. Jalin Turner 185 lbs.: Bo Nickal vs. Valentine Woodburn (Tresean Gore injured)

Undisputed III: Redemption

Russian inmate Boyka, now severely hobbled by the knee injury suffered at the end of Undisputed 2. No longer the feared prison fighter he was, he has declined so far that he is now good only for cleaning toilets. But when a new prison fight tournament begins - an international affair, matching the best fighters from prisons around the globe, enticing them with the promise of freedom for the winner - Boyka must reclaim his dignity and fight for his position in the tournament.

UFC 297: Strickland vs. du Plessis

UFC 297: Strickland vs. du Plessis was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 20, 2024, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A UFC Middleweight Championship bout between current champion Sean Strickland and former KSW Welterweight Champion Dricus du Plessis headlined the event.

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