go toe-to-toe
To engage in direct conflict (with someone or each other), possibly in close quarters. Adam and Joe are going toe-to-toe out in the schoolyard! I almost got hit with a punch as I walked by! The literary magazine and the science club are going toe-to-toe for extra funding this year.
go toe to ˈtoe
(American English) fight or compete with somebody directly: I am not sure we could go toe to toe with them and win.