Movies Like Born a Champion (2021)

Born a Champion is a 2021 action, drama film from Alex Ranarivelo with a MovieMagicScore of 7.0/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with The Philly Kid and Redbelt.

Action Drama

The Philly Kid

2012

A former NCAA champion wrestler is paroled after 10 years in prison. Now, to save a friend's life, in a series of cage fights he must agree to do the impossible - lose.

5.4

MagicScore

Redbelt

2008

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.

6.5

MagicScore

The Outsider

2015

Revolves around a British military contractor Lex Walker who is told his daughter has died. When he arrives in Los Angeles and discovers the body is not hers, he begins an investigation.

4.4

MagicScore

Amsterdam Heavy

2011

A mysterious gangster goes on the bloody rampage through Amsterdam, stopping at nothing to uncover those who have betrayed him. Now it is up to CIA Agent Martin Keele, to stop him.

3.5

MagicScore

Bloodsport

1988

An American Army Major goes AWOL to Hong Kong for an outlawed martial arts contest called the Kumite.

7.0

MagicScore

The Smashing Machine

2025

In the late 1990s, up-and-coming mixed martial artist Mark Kerr aspires to become the greatest fighter in the world. However, he must also battle his opioid dependence and a volatile relationship with his girlfriend Dawn.

6.4

MagicScore

Tapped Out

2014

A disgruntled teenager, sent to do community service at a rundown Karate school, enters an MMA tournament to face the man who killed his parents.

5.6

MagicScore

Fight Valley

2016

Twenty-two year old Tori Coro gets involved in an underground fighting ring in a rough section of Camden, NJ. When her bruised and beaten body is found abandoned in the woods, rumors begin to swirl that Tori died in Fight Valley, an unofficial neighborhood where fighters go to make money. Tori's sister Windsor moves to town to start her own investigation. Jab's, a respected fighter turned gym owner, agrees to train Windsor as she prepares to come face to face with Tori's killer and fight for justice.

3.3

MagicScore

Bloodsport III

1996

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...

5.5

MagicScore

#10

Bloodsport II

1996

After thief Alex Cardo gets caught while stealing an ancient katana in East Asia, he soon finds himself imprisoned and beaten up by the crowd there. One of the guards, Demon, feels upset by Alex appearance and tortures him as often as he gets the opportunity. Alex finds a friend and mentor in the jailhouse, Master Sun, who teaches him a superior fighting style called Iron Hand. When a 'best of the best kumite' is to take place, Demon gets an invitation. Now Master Sun and Alex need to find a way to let Alex take part in the kumite too.

5.4

MagicScore

#11

Bloodsport: The Dark Kumite

1999

Agent John Keller goes undercover into the tough prison known as Fuego Penal to find out about the corpses of prisoners disappearing without a trace. There he gets involved in a dangerous tournament arranged by a man named Justin Caesar, where the prisoners are forced fight to death.

4.7

MagicScore

#12

Circle of Pain

2010

Following an in-ring accident, Dalton Hunt retired from the world of mixed martial arts at the top of his game. Unable to outrun his guilt, he lost his family, his title, and his way. But when a crooked promoter lures him back into a fight against the current undefeated champ, Patrick "The Brick" Wahle, Dalton must enlist the aid of an enigmatic trainer to turn him back into a warrior so he can stand tall and do battle once again.

4.0

MagicScore

#13

Conor McGregor: Notorious

2017

Conor McGregor is the biggest star in the history of Mixed Martial Arts. Filmed over the course of 4 years, Notorious is the exclusive, all-access account of Conor’s meteoric rise from claiming benefits and living in his parents' spare room in Dublin to claiming multiple championship UFC belts and seven figure pay-packets in Las Vegas.

6.9

MagicScore

#14

Sanshiro Sugata Part Two

1945

A few years after his breakthrough, Sanshiro resumes his path to judo mastery—testing his discipline against an American prizefighter and later facing vengeful karate brothers. As rival schools and public spectacle push him toward violence, he must reconcile strength with restraint and the true spirit of his art.

6.1

MagicScore

#15

Real Steel

2011

Charlie Kenton is a washed-up fighter who retired from the ring when robots took over the sport. After his robot is trashed, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son to rebuild and train an unlikely contender.

7.1

MagicScore

#16

Never 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.

7.1

MagicScore

#17

Kickboxer

1989

If your enemy refuses to be humbled... Destroy him. Accompanied by his brother Kurt, American kickboxing champion Eric Sloane, arrives in Thailand to defeat the Eastern warriors at their own sport. His opponent: ruthless fighter and Thai champion, Tong Po. Tong not only defeats Eric, he paralyzes him for life. Crazed with anger, Kurt vows revenge.

6.8

MagicScore

#18

Never Back Down

2008

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.

6.8

MagicScore

#19

Undisputed

2002

Monroe Hutchens is the heavyweight champion of Sweetwater, a maximum security prison. He was convicted to a life sentence due to a passionate crime. Iceman Chambers is the heavyweight champion, who lost his title due to a rape conviction to ten years in Sweetwater. When these two giants collide in the same prison, they fight against each other disputing who is the real champion.

6.5

MagicScore

#20

The Challenger

2015

A legendary trainer comes out of retirement to help an underdog boxer fight his way to a better life.

5.9

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Born a Champion?

The top films similar to Born a Champion by MovieMagicScore are The Philly Kid (5.4), Redbelt (6.5), The Outsider (4.4). Each shares action/drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Born a Champion worth watching?

Born a Champion holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.0/10 from 131 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Born a Champion?

Born a Champion (2021) is a action, drama film directed by Alex Ranarivelo, starring Sean Patrick Flanery, Dennis Quaid, Katrina Bowden.

Where can I find more recommendations like Born a Champion?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more action recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like The Philly Kid Movies like Redbelt Movies like The Outsider Movies like Amsterdam Heavy Movies like Bloodsport Movies like The Smashing Machine

About movies like Born a Champion

This ranked list pairs Born a Champion (2021), a action and drama film from Alex Ranarivelo, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Sean Patrick Flanery take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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