6 Martial Arts Tournament Movies To Watch After Mortal Kombat II

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Martial arts tournaments have often inspired some of the most exciting martial arts films, both classic and modern – including movies like Mortal Kombat and its sequel. Released in May, Mortal Kombat II continued this trend, telling a story centered around a global competition featuring skilled fighters.

Many films, like The Karate Kid, feature a climactic martial arts tournament where the hero demonstrates everything they’ve learned. However, some movies make the competition the central focus, showing multiple rounds and highlighting the different fighters, while also developing a separate storyline outside of the arena.

The level of risk also varies between martial arts movies. Films like The Karate Kid and Best of the Best feature structured, modern tournaments, while others, such as Mortal Kombat, are much more extreme. This is often because of the setting or looser rules, and sometimes includes potentially fatal fights and even weapons, which raises the stakes and adds to the danger.

The idea of a martial arts tournament is a classic one, and it’s been used in some of the most beloved martial arts films ever made. Many of these movies have become cult favorites or hidden gems from the 70s and 80s. Over the years, there have been plenty of enjoyable martial arts tournament films, especially if you’re a fan of movies like Mortal Kombat II.

6. Bloodsport

The 1984 film Bloodsport made Jean-Claude Van Damme a star. He plays Frank Dux, a martial artist who claims to have competed in a secret, high-stakes fighting tournament called The Kumite. The movie depicts Dux entering the Kumite and facing off against fighters skilled in various authentic combat techniques.

The variety of fighters makes each battle feel fresh and different, but the highlight of Bloodsport is undoubtedly the last fight between Frank Dux and Chong Li. Bolo Yeung brilliantly portrays Chong Li’s intense anger and ruthlessness, resulting in what many consider to be Jean-Claude Van Damme’s most exciting fight scene ever.

5. The Quest

Bloodsport launched Jean-Claude Van Damme’s career, leading to two similar films: Lionheart and The Quest. Both are fun to watch, but The Quest is particularly deserving of more recognition. Set in 1925, the movie tells the story of a man forced into slavery who becomes a master of Muay Thai. He’s promised his freedom if he fights in a secret tournament representing the United States against fighters from around the world.

It’s true this movie feels a lot like Bloodsport, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It gives us more fantastic fight scenes with Jean-Claude Van Damme and some really well-done action. While the final fight isn’t quite as good as the one in Bloodsport, the fights leading up to it are creative and make the movie enjoyable.

4. The Tournament

Released in 1974, The Tournament is a classic kung fu film featuring stars Angela Mao and Carter Wong. The story centers around a kung fu master whose honor is challenged when one of his students dies during a kickboxing competition, and the other returns without a win. Determined to restore their master’s reputation, the surviving student teams up with the master’s daughter to train and ultimately win the tournament.

The 1974 film features a tournament format that perfectly highlights two common themes in martial arts movies: respecting your teacher and adapting to new fighting styles. The story centers on kung fu fighters competing against opponents trained in Muay Thai. The contrast between these two styles creates exciting and dynamic fight scenes, and the film’s quick pace and well-choreographed action keep it consistently engaging.

3. Kickboxer 4

While films like Lionheart, Bloodsport, and The Quest center around martial arts tournaments, Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Kickboxer doesn’t. However, later Kickboxer movies do feature tournaments. After the first film, Sasha Mitchell became the lead, starring in the next three sequels. The final one, Kickboxer 4, puts Mitchell’s character, David Sloane, in an underground martial arts competition run by the original film’s villain, Tong Po.

Kickboxer 4 combines a fighting tournament plot with a revenge story: Sloane is tasked by the government to win the tournament and expose Po, who falsely accused him of murder. Like the Mortal Kombat movies, it features plenty of violence, as fighters are allowed to kill their opponents.

2. Enter The Dragon

Considered the greatest martial arts movie of all time, Enter the Dragon cemented Bruce Lee’s status as a global superstar. The film follows Lee as he goes undercover at a martial arts tournament held on a remote island, secretly investigating a dangerous drug lord who is also holding his sister hostage. It’s a thrilling blend of spy adventure and tournament action, though the competition itself is never fully seen.

Beyond Bruce Lee’s captivating presence and amazing martial arts skills, a major reason Enter the Dragon is so compelling – especially its tournament plot – is that the story follows three main characters. While Bruce Lee is the film’s central star, Jim Kelly as Williams and John Saxon as Roper are also key protagonists. This trio of heroes, each with unique backgrounds and fighting techniques, makes the tournament feel much larger and more engaging.

1. The Master Of The Flying Guillotine

In the 1970s, Jimmy Wang Yu starred as a skilled martial artist in the revenge film The One-Armed Boxer. He returned to the role four years later in The Master of the Flying Guillotine, where his character faced off against the master seeking revenge for two villains Wang Yu’s character had previously defeated.

In The One-Armed Boxer, the hero faces a dangerous new opponent: Fung Sheng Wu Chi, a disguised assassin who pretends to be a monk. This villain specializes in a brutal weapon called the Flying Guillotine – a bladed throw that acts like a lasso and decapitates its victims. The film’s violent deaths using this weapon will likely appeal to fans of games and movies like Mortal Kombat.

Instead of a typical chase, the film uses a martial arts tournament to build tension toward the final fight. Unusually, the hero doesn’t actually compete in the tournament; he, like the viewers, watches a series of battles between many different martial artists, each with unique skills and weapons. In fact, outside of the Mortal Kombat series, no other film captures the feel of those intense one-on-one fights quite like The Master of the Flying Guillotine.

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2026-05-16 03:50