Balance of Power (1996)

Martial arts action star, Billy Blanks stars as Niko, a peaceful karate instructor propelled into the bloody, underworld kick-boxing circuit by the murder of a close friend. The man ultimately responsible is Hastishita, an Asian crime lord with a passion for gambling on the city's underground street fights. But, as the date of a multimillion dollar death match approaches, Hastishita's champion has run out of worthy opponents. If Niko can win a series of preliminary matches, he will be allowed into an ancient, subterranean area... where he confronts his friend's killer face to face, fist to fist.