That rare film that does a good job with both story and action, especially when it comes to mixed martial arts. Warrior stars Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises, Mad Max: Fury Road) and Joel Edgerton as estranged brothers who enter the same MMA tournament, forcing them to come to terms with their past. As the story goes, Hardy plays Tommy, an ex-marine who earns some internet fame when a clip of a fight he wins goes viral online. Soon, he enters into a five million dollar tournament. Unbeknownst to him, his brother, a former UFC fighter turned teacher also enters the tournament after being suspended from his job. There are a lot of twists and turns: Tommy's military past catches up with him, as do all the family issues. Which may be why Warrior works: it's a mixed martial arts film which isn't just about mixed martial arts, but nor does it just use MMA as a backdrop. The film features notable fighters Nate Marquardt and Anthony Johnson, and Olympic gold medalist and former WWE superstar Kurt Angle, who is almost unrecognizable as the dangerous Koba, despite still obviously being Kurt Angle. The film was recently remade in Bollywood as Brothers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY7HcUACs58 Which other great films about MMA deserve to be on this list? Share your own picks below in the comments thread.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
