Underground Fighting in TV Shows: Every Series Worth Watching
Television has embraced underground fighting in ways that movies cannot — with longer character arcs, deeper world-building, and more nuanced portrayals of the fighting lifestyle. Here is every series worth watching, from prestige drama to anime.
Tier 1: Essential Viewing
1. Kingdom (2014-2017, DirecTV/Netflix)
Seasons: 3 | Episodes: 40
The finest fighting show ever made for television. Set in a Venice Beach MMA gym, Kingdom follows the Kulina family as they navigate the professional and underground fighting worlds. Frank Grillo, Jonathan Tucker, and Nick Jonas deliver career-best performances.
What sets Kingdom apart is its unflinching portrayal of the personal cost of fighting — addiction, broken relationships, financial desperation, and physical deterioration. The underground fighting elements feel authentic because they grow organically from the characters' circumstances.
Where to stream: Netflix Underground factor: 8/10
2. Warrior (2019-present, HBO/Max)
Seasons: 3+ | Episodes: 30+
Based on a concept by Bruce Lee, Warrior is set in San Francisco's Chinatown in the 1870s. The series follows a martial arts prodigy who immigrates from China and becomes embroiled in tong wars and underground fighting.
The fight choreography is exceptional, and the historical setting provides context for why underground fighting has deep roots in immigrant communities.
Where to stream: Max Underground factor: 9/10
3. Baki (2018-present, Netflix)
Seasons: Multiple series | Episodes: 75+
The anime adaptation of the legendary manga series. Baki Hanma trains to surpass his father, the strongest creature on earth, through increasingly extreme underground fighting tournaments. The Death Row Convicts arc is peak underground fighting storytelling.
Over-the-top and scientifically absurd, but endlessly entertaining and deeply influential on fight culture.
Where to stream: Netflix Underground factor: 10/10
Tier 2: Highly Recommended
4. Cobra Kai (2018-2025, YouTube/Netflix)
Seasons: 6 | Episodes: 60
The Karate Kid sequel series features extensive underground and unsanctioned fighting, from dojo brawls to tournament cheating to full-scale martial arts gang warfare. While lighter in tone than Kingdom or Warrior, Cobra Kai captures the tribal nature of fighting communities.
Where to stream: Netflix Underground factor: 6/10
5. Gangs of London (2020-present, Sky/AMC+)
Seasons: 2+ | Episodes: 18+
A British crime drama with some of the most brutal fight sequences ever filmed for television. The underground fighting scenes are visceral and grounded in the UK's real underground fighting culture.
Where to stream: AMC+ Underground factor: 7/10
6. Kengan Ashura (2019-present, Netflix)
Seasons: 2+ | Episodes: 36+
Another anime entry, Kengan Ashura features corporate-sponsored underground fighting where businesses settle disputes through hired fighters. The concept mirrors some real-world underground fighting business models.
Where to stream: Netflix Underground factor: 10/10
7. Banshee (2013-2016, Cinemax/Max)
Seasons: 4 | Episodes: 38
A small-town crime drama featuring an ex-con posing as a sheriff. The fighting sequences, including underground cage fights and bare knuckle brawls, are among the best on television. The show never glamorizes the violence.
Where to stream: Max Underground factor: 7/10
Tier 3: Worth Your Time
8. Marco Polo (2014-2016, Netflix)
Seasons: 2 | Episodes: 20
Netflix's ambitious historical drama features martial arts and fighting throughout. The training sequences and one-on-one combat scenes are beautifully choreographed.
Where to stream: Netflix Underground factor: 5/10
9. Wu Assassins (2019, Netflix)
Seasons: 1 | Episodes: 10
Iko Uwais (The Raid) stars in this San Francisco-set series blending supernatural elements with martial arts. The fight choreography is exceptional.
Where to stream: Netflix Underground factor: 6/10
10. Into the Badlands (2015-2019, AMC)
Seasons: 3 | Episodes: 32
A post-apocalyptic martial arts series with stunning fight choreography. The feudal society depicted relies on combat as the primary form of conflict resolution.
Where to stream: AMC+, Netflix Underground factor: 7/10
11. Peaky Blinders (2013-2022, BBC/Netflix)
Seasons: 6 | Episodes: 36
While primarily a crime drama, Peaky Blinders features bare knuckle boxing prominently in its first season and throughout the series. Tommy Shelby's bare knuckle roots are central to his character.
Where to stream: Netflix Underground factor: 6/10
Reality and Documentary Series
12. Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings (Discovery)
Not fighting, but the underground competition culture parallels are strong.
13. Ultimate Fighter (2005-present, ESPN+)
The reality series that popularized MMA features elements of underground fighting culture, particularly in early seasons.
14. BKFC Fight Night (Various platforms)
Bare knuckle fighting events broadcast as series programming. The most direct connection to real bare knuckle fighting on television.
Anime Deep Cuts
15. Hajime no Ippo (2000-2002, 2009-2014)
The definitive boxing anime. While set in sanctioned boxing, the underground spirit of fighting from nothing permeates every episode.
16. Megalo Box (2018-2021)
A cyberpunk reimagining of Ashita no Joe, featuring underground boxing with mechanical enhancements. Stunning animation and a story about fighting for dignity.
17. Record of Ragnarok (2021-present)
Humanity's greatest fighters battle gods in an ultimate underground tournament for the survival of the species.
18. Tough / Koukou Tekken-den Tough
Underground martial arts manga and anime about a Miyazawa family style fighter entering deadly tournaments.
What to Watch First
New to fighting shows? Here is your starter path:
- Kingdom — For the most realistic, emotionally devastating portrayal
- Baki — For pure underground fighting entertainment
- Warrior — For historical depth and exceptional choreography
- Cobra Kai — For accessible, fun martial arts drama
- Gangs of London — For raw British underground violence
Each show offers a different lens on underground fighting culture, from the legal realities to the media ecosystem that surrounds it.
After the Credits: Watch the Real Thing
YouTube Channels -- see what these shows are dramatizing:
- Streetbeefs -- the real backyard fighting scene Kingdom explores
- KOTS -- the underground intensity Gangs of London tries to capture
- Top Dog FC -- production quality that rivals these TV shows
- BKFC -- real bare knuckle fighting (Peaky Blinders fans take note)
- Strelka -- the Russian street fighting scene
- BKB -- British bare knuckle (the world Snatch depicted)
Featured Videos:
- Kimbo Slice vs Big D -- the real-life origin story
- KOTS Simon vs Ronin -- rawer than any TV fight scene
- Top Dog Knockouts -- the real spectacle
Related Reading:
- Underground Fighting Movies List -- the film companion
- Underground Fighting Video Games -- the interactive companion
- Best Underground Fighting Books -- deeper storytelling
- Underground Fighting Podcasts -- audio discussion of these shows and real fighting