Movies like Karate Rock (1990)
The best movies like Karate Rock (1990) are Shootfighter: Fight to the Death (1993), Never Back Down: No Surrender (2016) and Female Fight Squad (2017). If Karate Rock hooked you with its action, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedBeast (2026)7.5/10 from 227 votes
- NewestLion Fist (2026)Released 2026
Shootfighter: Fight to the Death (1993)
Nick and Ruben are hoodwinked into a "shootfighter" (no-holds-barred, to the death) martial arts match by the evil Mr. Lee, who has a grudge against world shootfighter champ(and teacher of Nick and Ruben) Shingo.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNever Back Down: No Surrender (2016)
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.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFemale Fight Squad (2017)
A former fighter reluctantly returns to the life she abandoned in order to help her sister survive the sadistic world of illegal fighting and the maniac who runs it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNever Back Down 2: The Beatdown (2011)
Four fighters from different backgrounds come together to train under an ex MMA rising star and then ultimately have to fight each other and the traitor in their midst.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIn the Blood (2014)
When her husband goes missing during their Caribbean vacation, a woman sets off on her own to take down the men she thinks are responsible.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
SnoozefestMovies like thisNo Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers (1990)
Two feuding brothers of differing political views, one a policeman, the other a martial artist, join forces to avenge the death of their father, a retired agent who was brutally murdered by the mafia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Paper Tigers (2020)
Three middle aged men polish their martial arts skills to avenge their fallen master.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeast (2026)
MMA legend Patton James, now a commercial fisherman, is pulled back into the cage when his brother is in danger. Reuniting with his old coach Sammy, he commits to one final fight in one championship against the brutal champion Xavier Grau.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Last Kumite (2024)
When shady businessman Ron Hall kidnaps his daughter, retired karate champion Michael Rivers is forced to enter a deadly illegal Kumite tournament in Bulgaria. Enlisting the help of seasoned trainers Master Loren and Julie Jackson, he discovers other fighters face the same desperate struggle to save their loved ones.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlood and Bone (2009)
In Los Angeles, an ex-con takes the underground fighting world by storm in his quest to fulfill a promise to a dead friend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJawbone (2017)
A former youth boxing champion, Jimmy McCabe is a man in search of hope but looking in all the wrong places. When he hits rock bottom he turns to his childhood boxing club and the only family he has left: gym owner Bill corner man Eddie and promoter Joe. Back in training, years after anyone thought he was a contender, he risks his life, as he tries to stand tall and regain his place in the world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBorn a Champion (2021)
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?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Tournament (2009)
Every seven years, in an unsuspecting town, The Tournament takes place. A battle royale between 30 of the world's deadliest assassins. The last man standing receives the $10,000,000 cash prize and the title of World's No. 1 Assassin, which itself carries the legendary million dollar-a-bullet price tag.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
SnoozefestMovies like thisEmbattled (2020)
The eldest son of a ruthlessly tough MMA champion must fight his way out of the abusive cycle his father has continued.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGladiator Underground (2025)
Two brothers compete in the world's deadliest underground fighting tournament, where they must decide whether to play by the rules or to cast their honor aside and team up to bring down the dark syndicate running the tournament.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAmerican Shaolin (1991)
After facing brutal humiliation in the ring, a young karateka travels to China in order to study the ancient art of Shaolin Kung Fu, becoming the first American Shaolin.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWWE Crown Jewel 2021 (2021)
The 2021 Crown Jewel was a professional wrestling event produced by WWE. It was the third Crown Jewel and took place on October 21, 2021, at Mohammed Abdu Arena on The Boulevard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as part of Riyadh Season. The event aired via pay-per-view and livestreaming, marking the first Crown Jewel to air on Peacock in the United States.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCagefighter: Worlds Collide (2020)
Reiss is the greatest champion to ever fight in a LEGENDS cage. But when promoter Max Black pits him against wrestling superstar Randy Stone, Reiss finds himself in the toughest fight of his life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLion Fist (2026)
Martial arts fighter Joe goes to prison for four years and takes his wife's blame for a drug bust. After his release, he learns that his son needs expensive surgery because of a life-threatening tumor. Joe's only chance to save him: a brutal all-styles tournament with a $100,000 prize.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Marine 4: Moving Target (2015)
WWE Superstar Mike "The Miz" Mizanin returns as Jake Carter where he is assigned to protect a whistleblower who wishes to expose a corrupt military defense contractor. However, the military hires a heavily armed team of mercenaries to kill her and it's up to Carter to stop them at any cost.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Next Karate Kid (1994)
Mr. Miyagi decides to take Julie, a troubled teenager, under his wing after he learns that she blames herself for her parents' demise and struggles to adjust with her grandmother and fellow pupils.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
SnoozefestMovies like thisNo Retreat, No Surrender (1986)
The mob is trying to strongarm local martial arts schools, forcing young Jason Stillwell and his family to move after his father is injured defending their dojo. With his father now rejecting violence, Jason is forced to train on his own to protect himself and his best friend from the members of a rival karate school.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlack Belt Karate (1977)
Young man travels to Indonesia to visit relatives and learns the art of karate.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Champions of the Deep (2012)
After discovering a piece of the legendary Sword of the Sea, siblings Max and May Champion become caught in a struggle between opposing forces from beneath the ocean. Using their martial arts skills, they join forces with Kalyko and their dojo master to protect the magical sword and restore balance to the waters.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Nisaa' min Zahab (1967)
The film revolves around two young men who are sent to an African country to search for a gang of women who smuggle and trade drugs with most of the tourists in the city.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
The Son of Africa (1970)
A policeman from Africa takes over the task of arresting a gang consisting of women specialized in drug smuggling and murder. He disguises himself as a businessman and gets to know one of the gang members.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Wakashu (2025)
A group of men stalk a trans woman at night, unbeknownst to them that she's the master of a martial arts dojo, and is waiting for them.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
Cool government operative James Bond searches for a stolen invention that can turn the sun's heat into a destructive weapon. He soon crosses paths with the menacing Francisco Scaramanga, a hitman so skilled he has a seven-figure working fee. Bond then joins forces with the swimsuit-clad Mary Goodnight, and together they track Scaramanga to a Thai tropical isle hideout where the killer-for-hire lures the slick spy into a deadly maze for a final duel.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGang Lawyer (2012)
Yuna (Kizaki Jessica) who works in a bar is the most popular hostess for the guests. One day she is introduced to Kenji, the president of the IT company, from her colleague Aya. After finishing the work, Yuna alone goes to the bar and drinks a cocktail and gets raped while fainting. The next day, she goes to an old lawyer called Toda, but introduces a female lawyer, Ryoko (Kishi Aino), who said she had been threatened to get out of the case because it was hard to see her as a rape job. Yuna who came to Ryoko finds out that she is a senior biker who looked up at high school, and Ryoko also takes off her shoes for her junior ...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Dragonball Evolution (2009)
On his 18th birthday, Goku receives a mystical Dragonball as a gift from his grandfather. There are only six others like it in the whole world, and legend has it that whoever possesses all seven will be granted one perfect wish. When the arrival of a dark force triggers a tragedy, Goku and his companions are propelled into an epic quest to collect the seven Dragonballs and save the Earth from destruction.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Karate Rock?
The closest matches to Karate Rock are Shootfighter: Fight to the Death (1993), Never Back Down: No Surrender (2016) and Female Fight Squad (2017). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Karate Rock?
Start with Shootfighter: Fight to the Death (1993), the closest match to Karate Rock.
What is the highest-rated movie like Karate Rock?
Beast (2026), rated 7.5/10 by 227 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Karate Rock?
Lion Fist (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Italian movies like Karate Rock?
The closest matches are in other languages.
How are movies similar to Karate Rock chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Karate Rock, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.