It may sound a bit barbaric, but it’s undeniable that human beings love to watch one another fight. The magic of the movies allows us to enjoy that pleasure safely in the knowledge that, at least most of the time, no one actually got hurt. On the big screen, fighting takes a wide variety of different forms. Sometimes it’s boxing, sometimes it’s kung fu, and sometimes it’s much more street-level, down-and-dirty battling. All of these styles of fighting can be done well, and many of them have made it into some great action movies over the years.
For this list, though, we’ve narrowed down the focus specifically so that the films involve some form of combat sport. We’ve also gathered some of the best sports movies of all time that you should check out if you’re looking for something a little broader. For now, though, check out this list of the best fighting movies ever made.