Movies Like Guard Up

If you liked Guard Up (2021), a movie directed by Tony Doyle, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Champion (1949)
★ 6.7/10
An unscrupulous boxer fights his way to the top, but eventually alienates all of the people who helped him on the way up.
2
Conor McGregor: Notorious (2017)
★ 6.9/10
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…
3
Ali (2001)
★ 6.7/10
In 1964, a brash, new pro boxer, fresh from his Olympic gold medal victory, explodes onto the scene: Cassius Clay. Bold and outspoken, he cuts an entirely new image for African Americans in sport with his proud public…
4
DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (2004)
★ 6.4/10
When megalomaniacal White Goodman, the owner of a trendy, high-end fitness center, makes a move to take over the struggling local gym run by happy-go-lucky Pete La Fleur, there's only one way for La Fleur to fight…
5
Battling Butler (1926)
★ 6.7/10
A meek millionaire masquerades as a boxing star to win a girl's heart.
6
Downhill Racer (1969)
★ 6/10
An ambitious young skier, determined to break all existing records, is contemptuous of the teamwork advocated by the US coach when they go to Europe for the Olympics.
7
The Cut (2025)
★ 5.9/10
A retired boxer intends to return to the ring for one last shot at the title, but first he must make the weight. Holed up in a room in Las Vegas with an unscrupulous trainer, he embarks on an intensive and illegal…
8
Jungleland (2020)
★ 6.4/10
Stanley manages his boxer brother Lion but when a devastating loss in the ring leaves the pair in debt, an opportunity to recoup the cash leads to a series of misadventures that threaten to break the bond between them.
9
Eddie the Eagle (2016)
★ 7.2/10
The feel-good story of Michael 'Eddie' Edwards, an unlikely but courageous British ski-jumper who never stopped believing in himself—even as an entire nation was counting him out. With the help of a rebellious and…
10
Southpaw (2015)
★ 7.4/10
Billy "The Great" Hope, the reigning junior middleweight boxing champion, has an impressive career, a loving wife and daughter, and a lavish lifestyle. However, when tragedy strikes, Billy hits rock bottom, losing his…
11
Personal Best (1982)
★ 5.9/10
Young sprinter Chris Cahill is having difficulty reaching her potential as an athlete, until she meets established track star Tory Skinner. As Tory and her coach help Chris with her training, the two women form…
12
Foxcatcher (2014)
★ 6.7/10
The greatest Olympic Wrestling Champion brother team joins Team Foxcatcher led by multimillionaire sponsor John E. du Pont as they train for the 1988 games in Seoul - a union that leads to unlikely circumstances.
13
The Smashing Machine (2025)
★ 6.4/10
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…
14
Creed II (2018)
★ 7/10
Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight against an opponent with ties to his family's past, Adonis Creed is up against the challenge of his life.
15
Rocky IV (1985)
★ 7.1/10
Rocky Balboa holds the world heavyweight championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago, a six-foot-four, 261-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union. This time, Rocky's training regimen…
16
Resurrecting the Champ (2007)
★ 6.3/10
Up-and-coming sports reporter rescues a homeless man ("Champ") only to discover that he is, in fact, a boxing legend believed to have passed away. What begins as an opportunity to resurrect Champ's story and escape the…
17
Kid Galahad (1962)
★ 6.2/10
After completing military service, Walter Gulick takes a job as a sparring partner at a gym, the owner of which sees potential in Walter as a professional fighter—and takes him under his wing.
18
Fast Girls (2012)
★ 6/10
A street smart runner develops an intense rivalry with an equally ambitious wealthy young athlete.
19
Icarus (2017)
★ 7.6/10
While investigating the furtive world of illegal doping in sports, director Bryan Fogel connects with renegade Russian scientist Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov—a pillar of his country’s “anti-doping” program. Over dozens of…
20
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
★ 8/10
Despondent over a painful estrangement from his daughter, trainer Frankie Dunn isn't prepared for boxer Maggie Fitzgerald to enter his life. But Maggie's determined to go pro and to convince Dunn and his cohort to help…