Brawler seems like what you want.
Fighter(Brawler). Get Cestus* or Brass Knuckles.
If you can get the Agile Enchantment you can go DEX based and get the TWF tree.
*My recommendation*
Armour Spikes & Cestus. Perfect combo for an "Unarmed" Fighter.
You could mix ranger and brawler fighter or unarmed fighter for a pure strength guy (two levels ranger are enough).
I will most likely never play him but I made a build for a human with racial heritage catfolk and catfolk exemplar for claws but with a racial bonus to strength. I planned him to level 10. Her had five levels unarmed fighter, four levels ranger (two weapon combat style) and a single level master of many styles.
I like the unarmed fighter better because he gets weapon training and thus can use gloves of duelling.
For heavy armor you would need to take the feat but for a build with that much bonus feats (counting the one you can't select freely) that shouldn't be too much of an issue.
If you want to go one pure class then brawler is quite cool.
Maneuver master monk, to get a free maneuver every full attack, even in armor, and a prereq free maneuver feat.
Brawler fighter if you want a variety of close combat options, like 2 weapon shield slams and cestus. Straight fighter if you want to use a bow well too, and have enough dex to benefit from the armor training. Focus on pure unarmed or maneuvers means go back to maneuver master once you have the desired fighter feats and training, otherwise stick with the fighter.
But, really, if you want to fight unarmed stick to mithral medium armor and enchant it with brawling.
Hobgoblin would be a good race if allowed, one of their alternate racial traits grants a natural armor bonus, and you can always bump that up with a feat.
Doesn't Mithril Medium Armour still get enchanted as Medium Armour not Light?
@Umbranus: Why the levels of ranger?
Rangers can get the Two-Weapon Fighting feats without needing the Dex prerequisites.
Dragon Style + Dragon Ferocity: Depending on the interpretation it either lets you deal 1.5x Str with all of your hits (i.e. effectively makes your fists work like Two-Handers), or lets you add 2x Str to the first hit (Dragon Style says 1.5x Str to the first hit, Ferocity says add half the Str bonus again to ALL hits) and 1.5x to all subsequent hits. Eitehr way it's awesome.
Power Attack: A given.
Amulet of Mighty Fists: Also a given, as it's your equivalent of an enchanted weapon (if you're using a Cestus just enchant that, but then Dragon Style/Ferocity doesn't work I think).
Brawler Archetype Fighter: +1 Atk, +3 damage to Close weapons (Cestus and Unarmed Strike included in that) at 3rd level (instead of 5), increases with level to +3/+7 at 17.
I know there's more but that's all I've got off the top of my head.
Rynjin has about it all.
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@Bearded Ben: Cheers.
@Rynjin: I like the way that looks as it plays very close to the type of character I want to build.
@blackcloodtroll: I also like the look of that. How would you suggest building such a character?
I'm also curious as to weather gauntlets included in a suit of armour count as unarmed combat?
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So far I'm liking the Brawler archtype with the following feats:
1 - Power Attack, Improved Unarmed Strike
2 - Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike)
3 - Dragon Style
4 - Improved Grapple
5 - Weapon Specialisation (Unarmed Strike)
6 - Greater Grapple
7 - Body Sheild
8 - Stunning Fist
9 - DragonnFerocity
10 - Elemental Fist
I know that the build is not completely optimised but it allows for the kind of flavour that I want from the character. That said I will definately be looking at the armoured hulk build that blackbloodtroll suggested
I recommend taking 1 level of Master of Many Styles Monk at level 3 with the Brawler. Even wearing armor, it gets you 1d6 damage for your fists, a big bump to your saves, free stunning fist, and, if you take it at level 3, you can use your normal feat to get Dragon Style and your MOMS feat to take Dragon Ferocity. Now you have 1.5x str damage on your fists at level 3. The cost is 1 point of BAB and delaying Close Combatant by 1 level.
I think it's worth it.
Do you keep the increased damage while wearing armour?
Yarp.
The only things you lose are Fast Movement, Flurry of Blows, and the AC Bonus.
I thought you lost everything but their Proficiencies...
Armor and Shield Proficiency: Monks are not proficient with any armor or shields. When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a monk loses his AC bonus, as well as his fast movement and flurry of blows abilities.
There ya go. Now check with your GM because MOMS loses Flurry of Blows to get Fuse Style. Your GM may rule that you lose Fuse Style while in armor. Not too terrible since you really only want Dragon Style, but if he let's you keep it, then you could take something like Boar Style later and become really terrifying.
So potentially all you lose is Fast Movement since your AC will be offset by the armor anyway. Heck, use a Dwarf with Steel Soul/Glory of Old, and you've got a Dwarven Brawler with +7 a base save vs. any magic too.
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As a GM I once made a cohort for a player who had 1 level of Unbreakable Fighter and the rest in Monk (Master of Many Styles/Sacred Mountain/Ki Mystic). He ran around in full plate with a temple sword with Dragon and Panther styles up. His shtick was to saunter over to his target to whack with the sword but provoke as many attacks along the way so he could retaliate with unarmed strikes. Worked out pretty well.