A very mixed film

Rating: 7/10 (1 February 2020)

Positives:

the acting of the main 3 is brilliant, especially that of Hardy and Nolte. The scene where Nolte's character relapses is just astonishing.
the Fight scenes are (for the most part) brilliant. Apart from a few unrealistic moves by "Koba" and the lack of blood, must be the most realistic MMA film

-having actual MMA trained fighters involved in the film really worked
-the premise is very good and does succeed, again for the most part, in making a convoluted plot somewhat realistic.
Negatives:

Joel Edgertons character is a bit of a rip off of Walter White from Breaking Bad
Why did Koba wear Soviet Union apparel when it's set in present day? That's just lazy fan service and took me right out of the film.
did Tommy Conlin get arrested after the fight; why would he after all his friends were killed by friendly fire?
that military story was not delved into nearly enough
that it came out that they were brothers minutes before their fight is just stupid

Overall, a good film that will be remembered for some very memorable sequences and some even more memorable acting.
Let down by some poor, lazy choices and I can't help but feel like it was so close to being so much better, with just some minor changes