UFC: Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights Blu-ray delivers great video and solid audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
Relive the best mixed martial arts beatdowns the Octagon has ever seen in this collection of fan favorites drawn from more than a decade of Ultimate Fighting Championship history.
The UFC Octagon: it is no place for the weak of mind, body, or spirit.
Built by fans, powered by UFC. UFC: Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights showcases nothing
but
the best fights -- in their entirety -- from the short but storied history of the Ultimate Fighting
Championship as voted on by the sport's most ardent and knowledgeable fans. Originally
debuting
as a five-part special on SpikeTV that counted down the top 100 fights, this Blu-ray release
covers
fights from the inaugural UFC held on
November 12, 1993 in Denver, Colorado through UFC 98 held on May 23, 2009 in Las Vegas,
Nevada. From Royce Gracie to Chuck Liddell, from Ken Shamrock to Georges St-Pierre, from
Randy Couture to Forrest Griffin, the sport has seen an incredible range of talent with varied
backgrounds and styles but with the singular goal of proving themselves the best of the best in
the world of Mixed Martial Arts (or MMA), and their -- and other's -- best fights are all here in one
incredible package to enjoy time and again.
The Iceman winneth!
The Ultimate Fighting Championship showcases the best fighters from around the globe, each
with their own signature or preferred style of fighting. One of the sport's most fascinating assets
comes not from marquee name-driven match-ups but the confrontation of styles and fighter
backgrounds that make for a consistently alluring component to each fight. UFC 1 champion
Royce Gracie is best known for his dominance inside the Octagon through the mesmerizing
implementation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu; Georges St-Pierre's varied background with an emphasis in
boxing and Muay Thai have served him well as he's risen through the ranks to become a
dominant force inside the Octagon; Matt Hughes' collegiate wrestling background has propelled
the superstar to a record 16 UFC wins; and fan favorite and UFC Hall-of-Famer Randy
Couture -- who is, at the age of 46, preparing to fight the 32-year-old Brandon Vera at UFC 105
-- has built his success on a foundation in Greco-Roman wrestling. UFC lives true to its name;
each fight is a brutal
work
of art in and of itself, though each fighter brings to the Octagon not only powerful punches and a
well-sculpted body but also mental toughness, an iron will, and a plan of action to counter his
opponent's strengths. UFC's fights are the real deal; the fighters tire and bleed, and by the end
of any long match, they rely more on heart, courage, stamina, and a solid foundation in
technique
rather than brute force to earn the win -- and the respect of the fans.
What makes UFC: Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights so special is that, from fight 100 and
onward, the set only gets better. Even fight 100, a preliminary welterweight bout between Paul
Kelly and Paul Taylor -- two fighters who are never again seen in any of the remaining 99
fights -- put on a fantastic show that's exciting, bloody, and goes all three rounds (title fights go
five rounds), and even as the lowest-rated fight in the set, Kelly vs. Taylor represents UFC at its
best. The combatants -- like many of their UFC brethren -- show a respect for one another and
the sport, and for either longtime UFC fans or newcomers using this set as a primer for the best
UFC has to offer, it's a great choice for number 100 but, more importantly, the first fight in the
set. One fight in and UFC: Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights makes a big impression, but
things only get better. This collection offers plenty of historically important match-ups, superstar
confrontations, and fighter debuts. The set doesn't chronicle any one fighter, though it does offer
13 of Chuck Liddell's fights, almost half of his MMA career. For UFC historians, this set does
bookend the storied career of UFC 1 champion and Hall-of-Famer Royce Gracie; two of his UFC 1
wins -- his semifinal win versus the legendary Ken Shamrock and his victory in the finals over
Gerard Gordeau -- and his final UFC fight, a loss to Matt Hughes at UFC 60, are all included in this
set at numbers 24, 75, and 96, respectively. In addition, UFC: Ultimate 100 Greatest
Fights sees the debut bouts for superstars Georges St-Pierre and Brock Lesnar; fights
between superstars Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar and Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz; a pair of
undefeated fighters (Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans) battling for the title at UFC 98; a highly
controversial
fight between Frank Mir and Tim Sylvia; and even Randy Couture's return from retirement to
defeat
Sylvia at UFC 68 and recapture the Heavyweight championship.
Aside from classic match-ups and historically important fights, UFC: Ultimate 100 Greatest
Fights contains a broad array of finishes that prove the diverse style and organic nature of
every UFC fight. Many fights are won on the ground as fighters either jockey for position or
beat their opponents into submission before the referee calls the fight, though
many -- including the set's number-one-ranked fight between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar
-- see the combatants finish the fight on their feet through three or five breathless,
heart-pounding, and
bruising rounds. Though many of the best fights see the fighters last for the entire 15 or 25
minute bout, a fight need not go the distance to be memorable; B.J. Penn, for example, defeated
Caol Uno eleven seconds into their fight at UFC 34. Through the grueling rounds, heavy hits,
spilled blood, and physical intimidation, MMA fighters can see a fight -- or a career -- take a turn
with one false move; Ken Shamrock's infamous slip cost him the championship at "Ultimate
Fighter 1" when he lost the finale to Rich Franklin. UFC's unpredictable nature, flair for the
dramatic, and courageous collection of athletes truly sets the sport apart from all others of its
kind, and with its raw tone and exciting nature, it's no wonder that the sport has enjoyed so
many classic fights between so many legendary combatants in but a few short years.
The following fights comprise UFC: Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights:
Disc One
100. UFC 80: Kelly vs. Taylor (1.78:1)
99. UFC 31: Newton vs. Miletich (4:3)
98. UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Lauzon (1.78:1)
97. UFC Fight Night: Evans vs. Salmon (1.78:1)
96. UFC 60: Hughes vs. Gracie (4:3)
95. UFC 90: Sherk vs. Griffin (1.78:1)
94. UFC 32: Penn vs. Thomas (4:3)
93. UFC 78: Alves vs. Lytle (1.78:1)
92. UFC 39: Penn vs. Serra (4:3)
91. The Ultimate Fighter: Franklin vs. Shamrock (4:3)
90. UFC 41: Penn vs. Uno (4:3)
89. UFC 66: Jardine vs. Griffin (1.78:1)
88. UFC 67: Edgar vs. Griffin (1.78:1)
87. UFC 54: Liddell vs. Horn (4:3)
86. UFC 45: Tanner vs. Baroni (1.78:1)
85. UFC 49: Parisyan vs. Diaz (1.78:1)
84. UFC 30: Rizzo vs. Barnett (4:3)
83. UFC 49: Liddell vs. White (1.78:1)
82. UFC 54: St-Pierre vs. Trigg (1.78:1)
81. The Ultimate Fighter: Koppenhaver vs. Rollins (1.78:1)
Disc Two
80. UFC 42: Franklin vs. Tanner (4:3)
79. UFC 69: Serra vs. St-Pierre (1.78:1)
78. UFC 76: Jardine vs. Liddell
77. UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Irvin (1.78:1)
76. UFC 42: Hughes vs. Sherk (4:3)
75. UFC 1: Gracie vs. Gordeau (4:3)
74. UFC 58: Franklin vs. Loiseau (4:3)
73. UFC 52: St-Pierre vs. Miller (4:3)
72. UFC 92: Mir vs. Nogueira (1.78:1)
71. Ultimate Ultimate 96: Frye vs. Abbott (4:3)
70. UFC 17: Williams vs. Coleman (4:3)
69. UFC 34: Penn vs. Uno (4:3)
68. UFC 84: Machida vs. Ortiz (1.78:1)
67. UFC 31: Carter vs. Serra (4:3)
66. UFC 94: St-Pierre vs. Penn (1.78:1)
65. UFC Fight Night: Fisher vs. Stout (1.78:1)
64. UFC 62: Liddell vs. Sobral (1.78:1)
63. UFC 50: Hughes vs. St-Pierre (4:3)
62. UFC 72: Griffin vs. Guida (1.78:1)
Disc Three
61. UFC 80: Penn vs. Stevenson (1.78:1)
60. UFC 46: St-Pierre vs. Parisyan (4:3)
59. UFC 91: Lesnar vs. Couture (1.78:1)
58. UFC 38: Hughes vs. Newton (4:3)
57. UFC 69: Huerta vs. Garcia (1.78:1)
56. UFC 53: Franklin vs. Tanner (1.78:1)
55. UFC 92: Evans vs. Griffin (1.78:1)
54. UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Leben (1.78:1)
53. UFC 64: Sherk vs. Florian (1.78:1)
52. UFC 40: Liddell vs. Sorbal (4:3)
51. UFC 88: Evans vs. Liddell (1.78:1)
50. UFC 92: Jackson vs. Silva (1.78:1)
49. UFC 71: Alexander vs. Jardine (1.78:1)
48. UFC 35: Pulver vs. Penn (4:3)
47. UFC 31: Liddell vs. Randleman (4:3)
46. UFC 71: Jackson vs. Liddell (1.78:1)
45. The Ultimate Fighter: Smith vs. Sell (1.78:1)
44. UFC 83: St-Pierre vs. Serra (1.78:1)
43. UFC 45: Hughes vs. Trigg (1.78:1)
42. UFC 56: St-Pierre vs. Sherk (4:3)
Disc Four
41. UFC 81: Nogueira vs. Sylvia (1.78:1)
40. UFC 15: Couture vs. Belfort (4:3)
39. UFC 84: Silva vs. Jardine (1.78:1)
38. UFC 31: Couture vs. Rizzo (4:3)
37. UFC 3: Gracie vs. Leopoldo (4:3)
36. UFC 52: Liddell vs. Couture (4:3)
35. UFC 48: Mir vs. Sylvia (4:3)
34. UFC 84: Penn vs. Sherk (1.78:1)
33. UFC 63: Hughes vs. Penn (1.78:1)
32. UFC 74: Couture vs. Gonzaga (1.78:1)
31. UFC 75: Jackson vs. Henderson (1.78:1)
30. UFC 46: Penn vs. Hughes (4:3)
29. UFC 98: Machida vs. Evans (1.78:1)
28. UFC 66: Liddell vs. Ortiz (1.78:1)
27. UFC 44: Couture vs. Ortiz (4:3)
26. UFC 87: St-Pierre vs. Fitch (1.78:1)
25. UFC 57: Liddell vs. Couture (1.78:1)
Disc Five
24. UFC 1: Gracie vs. Shamrock (4:3)
23. UFC 65: St-Pierre vs. Hughes (1.78:1)
22. The Ultimate Fighter: Huerta vs. Guida (1.78:1)
21. UFC 43: Couture vs. Liddell (4:3)
20. UFC 79: St-Pierre vs. Hughes (1.78:1)
19. UFC 82: Silva vs. Henderson (1.78:1)
18. UFC 47: Liddell vs. Ortiz (1.78:1)
17. UFC 68: Couture vs. Sylvia (1.78:1)
16. UFC 58: Stout vs. Fisher (4:3)
15. UFC 85: Alves vs. Hughes (1.78:1)
14. UFC 34: Hughes vs. Newton (4:3)
13. The Ultimate Fighter: Sanchez vs. Guida (1.78:1)
12. The Ultimate Fighter: Sanchez vs. Diaz (4:3)
11. UFC 86: Griffin vs. Jackson (1.78:1)
10. UFC 76: Griffin vs. Rua (1.78:1)
9. UFC 70: Gonzaga vs. Cro Cop (1.78:1)
8. UFC Fight Night: Sanchez vs. Parisyan (1.78:1)
7. UFC 77: Silva vs. Franklin (1.78:1)
Disc Six
6. UFC 64: Silva vs. Franklin (1.78:1)
5. UFC 81: Mir vs. Lesnar (1.78:1)
4. UFC 58: St-Pierre vs. Penn (4:3)
3. UFC 52: Hughes vs. Trigg (4:3)
2. UFC 79: Liddell vs. Silva (1.78:1)
1. The Ultimate Fighter: Griffin vs. Bonnar (4:3)
UFC: Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights knocks its way onto Blu-ray with a transfer that
combines both standard definition 4:3 and high definition 1.78:1-imagery, each a reflection of
the original broadcast aspect ratio
that
accompanied each individual fight. As the fights are not in a chronological order but rather listed
in
terms of popularity as voted by UFC's fans, both the aspect ratio and the picture quality varies --
sometimes from fight to fight -- throughout this 1080i-encoded six-disc set. The majority of the
programming does feature high definition imagery and a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, and it is in these
fights that
the
Blu-ray presentation truly shows what it's made of. Fine detail is strong in every HD fight,
beginning with Kelly vs. Taylor; some of the best shots are those birds-eye views above the
Octagon, and from the first such shot and through the entirety of the series, viewers will note
plenty of scuffs, seams, debris, and streaks of sweat and blood on the mat. Likewise, the fighters
themselves look good; each tattoo, bead of sweat, scar, and freckle seem clearly visible
in appropriately up-tight and generally static imagery that allows for the camera to capture the
finer nuances of the fighters and their environment. The image remains sharp as the crowd
outside the Octagon disappears into darkness, but those first few rows sport generally clear faces
and good color reproduction as seen in their clothing. Speaking of colors, fans will enjoy the
plethora of hues to be seen inside
the ring; whether Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell's icy blue shorts or the various corporate logos on
the mat (the Harley-Davidson logo and advertisements for Xyience supplements spring
immediately to mind), this Blu-ray release simply delivers the goods. It's certainly not as
gorgeous
as a top-notch transfer taken from a pristine 35mm print of a brand new movie, but for a
reproduction of a high definition broadcast image, this is impressive stuff. The 4:3 standard
definition material, obviously, doesn't fare as well, but it is what it is and looks fine in that regard,
and it would be unfair to criticize either the material or the set as a whole based on original
elements that look as good as they're ever going to look. Even through some obvious haloing,
cross coloration, lessened detail, and duller colors, the 4:3 material isn't necessarily a distraction
in this case, particularly considering that the high quality of the fights more than cancel out the
mediocre quality of the inherent source material. All said, UFC: Ultimate 100 Greatest
Fights looks great across every fight, and fans need only understand the basic reasons
behind the shift in quality to enjoy everything the transfer has to offer. Please note that the
screenshots accompanying this review were necessarily downgraded to 720p due to the 1080i
nature of the source material; they are not wholly representative of the quality of the high
definition
presentations.
Much like the video presentation, UFC: Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights' soundtrack is limited
to its source material, and this Dolby Digital 2.0 sound mix gets the job done in a blue-collar sort of
way. Taken from original broadcast elements, the mix is, of course, heard only across the front and
is dominated by the voices of the various announcers that call each fight, but also supported by
various pre-fight, behind-the-scenes, ring announcer, and referee chatter. Dialogue delivery is
consistently intelligible and strong throughout. Background crowd noise adds a nice bit of
atmosphere, though by definition the two-channel presentation doesn't allow for a more immersive
environment due to the lack of back-channel support. The fights of a more recent vintage seem to
deliver something of a more open presentation; crowd noise spreads out across the front of the
soundstage rather than being confined to the center channel. All in all, this is a most basic
soundtrack that won't put any system to the test, but like the video quality, it's just fine for what it
is.
UFC: Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights contains all five episodes of the "Ultimate 100
Countdown Show," hosted by UFC play-by-play announcer Mike Goldberg, as originally aired on
SpikeTV in July 2009. Each episode is presented in 1080i high definition with Dolby Digital 2.0
sound, and each runs for approximately 41 minutes. The shows feature highlights from the
fights
and interview clips with various UFC personalities sharing their thoughts on the fights. Also of
note
is that many of the full-length fights throughout the set feature pre-fight smack talk (the
Hughes-Penn banter preceding their
fight at UFC 46 being, perhaps, the best) and fighter introductions that provide place of birth,
age,
height, weight, and reach. UFC: Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights also works in conjunction
with BDTouch, an application that allows users to control
playback on
select
Blu-ray players, including the PlayStation 3, with either an iPhone or iPod Touch. Users need only
download the free software from the App Store via iPhone or iPod Touch to utilize this feature.
UFC: Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights supports, via BDTouch, basic functions to navigate
the menu, stop
and
resume playback, and skip chapters, though fast-forwarding and rewinding don't seem to work
with
this set. The packaging also features a built-in 11-page, full-color booklet that lists each fight
and offers several photographs of fighters and events.
UFC has grown immensely in popularity and gained a significant following with plenty of
famous confrontations and household names that promise to make it the dominant one-on-one
combative sport of the 21st century, and there is simply no better collection than UFC: Ultimate
100 Greatest Fights for both hardcore UFC fans eager to relive the best the sport has to offer or
newcomers eager to see what the sport is all about and discover its many stars, both past and
present. This fantastic Blu-ray release from Starz/Anchor Bay and Zuffa, LLC is a must-own for
dedicated UFC fans, and for sports enthusiasts eager to familiarize themselves with what the sport
has to offer, they don't come any better than this. The picture and sound quality of the set may
not match that of a new big-budget Hollywood release, but they reflect the original broadcast
presentation and translate well to high definition. Though the only substantive extras in this set
are the five
episodes of the "Ultimate 100 Countdown Show" as originally aired on SpikeTV, they make for a
solid companion to the full-length fights that comprise the bulk of this collection. UFC: Ultimate
100 Greatest Fights is an excellent production from top to bottom, and it comes highly
recommended.
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