Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

UFC: Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights Blu-ray Movie Review

Here we go!

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 13, 2009

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 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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.

UFC: Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

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: Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.