Plot
Former collegiate wrestler Scott Voss (Kevin James) is a 42-year-old bored and disillusioned biology teacher at the failing Wilkinson High School. Budget cutbacks at the school jeopardize the continuation of its music program, which would result in its teacher, Marty (Henry Winkler), being laid off. Concerned for both his colleague and his students, Scott attempts to raise the $48,000 necessary to keep the music program alive. At first, he works as a night instructor for a citizenship class. One of his students, Niko (Bas Rutten), approaches him to get some outside tutoring and Scott reluctantly agrees. When Scott arrives at Niko's apartment, he realizes that Niko was a former mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. While watching the UFC at Niko's apartment, Scott learns that the loser of the fight receives $10,000, which gives him the idea of raising the money by fighting in MMA himself. Niko begins training him defense, and later brings him to another trainer, Mark (Mark DellaGrotte), to train for offense. While Mark trains with Scott, Malia De La Cruz (Charice Pempengco), one of Scott's students and a band member, helps Niko study for his citizenship test by putting the information into songs. Scott then begins fighting in small MMA fights and gradually gaining higher amounts of money for the school.
Scott eventually gets a dinner date with the school nurse, Bella (Salma Hayek), and they share many moments together showing much affection for each other, while Scott's passion for teaching is rekindled. Mark meets with Scott and tells him that he was offered a fight in the UFC for the $10,000 lose, but it was denied by Niko. When Scott angrily confronts Niko, Niko apologizes and that the only reason he turned it down was because he was jealous. Niko himself was asked to fight at the UFC and eagerly accepted, but while he was training, he injured his leg and his career ended. Scott and Niko accept the offer. Scott and his crew travel to the MGM Grand Las Vegas for the UFC event. Once he arrives, he learns that the teacher entrusted with the musical program funds has been embezzling both from the winnings and the school, meaning all his effort so far has been lost. Knowing he can get $50,000 if he wins the fight, he attempts to win rather than lose and earn the $10,000.
The publicity of Scott's slow rise to fame has grown, and the school has come to support him. The musical program plays his representative song, and Marty reminds Scott that even if he does not win, he has inspired the students, which is their real purpose. Scott at first is no competition to his dangerous opponent, Ken Deitrich, who is angered that his original opponent canceled and that he is stuck with a man that "does not deserve" to be at the UFC fight. After finding inspiration from the students after being disoriented, Scott manages to win the UFC fight, earning $50,000 for his victory. Scott and Bella kiss through the chain link fence of the octagon.
A side plot involves Scott's brother Eric, an unhappily-married unhappily-employed painter, Malia, and her father. Eric has a large family and both he and his wife have low paying jobs; Eric enjoys cooking. Meanwhile, Malia's father has a resturaunt that is failing because of a chef that quit. Malia's father wants her to stop music and focus less on school so that she can help with the resturaunt, but she has a passion for music, because it helped her learn English when she first came to America. Scott encourages Malia to pursue her musical talent, which drives hostility from her father to Scott for "causing his daughter to disobey him". Eric becomes the chef for her father's resturaunt, which improves the business, so Malia's father is thankful to Scott. Once Malia sings at the UFC fight to represent Scott on TV, her father realizes that music is her true passion and is proud of her.
In the closing scene, Niko and all of the students in Scott's citizenship class are awarded American citizenship at the citizenship ceremony.
