UFC: Ultimate Heavyweights Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

UFC: Ultimate Heavyweights Blu-ray Movie Review

"Big guys, small gloves, somebody's gonna fall."

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 19, 2011

It is the heavyweights who routinely deliver the most spectacular battles and the most devastating finishes.

"Heavyweight." There are few terms in sports that garner so much nostalgia, respect, and anticipation. Whether the glory days of boxing or, now, the heyday of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the Heavyweight division is the Big Kahuna, the one that attracts all the attention and brings the victor the most glory. Sure, the UFC is home to any number of world-class fighters from all weight divisions, but that Heavyweight moniker still carries with it the weight of a sport and the adoration of fans. UFC is home to some of the biggest of the big-name heavyweights ever to grace an octagon, square ring, or wrestling mat. Brock Lesnar, Frank Mir, Shane Carwin, Mirko Cro Cop, and Randy Couture have become household names, ESPN sensations, and the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, fighters whose toughness is as big as their biceps, whose fists are as powerful as a truck, whose weights tip the top end of the scale, and whose legends are bigger than life.

Big boys.

UFC: Ultimate Heavyweights proves that there's more than sheer force of size and brute strength involved in becoming a heavyweight champion in the world of Mixed Martial Arts or, indeed, in any sport in which such a classification exists. When watching the fights included in this set -- both the contemporary fights from the past few years or a few of the vintage fights included in the bonus features -- viewers will see the fighters using their brains as much as their brawn, flexing their intelligence as much as their muscle in hopes of outmaneuvering, outthinking, and outclassing their opponent both while on their feet and while grappling on the mat. It's clear the good fighters come into the octagon with a game plan to go along with their strength, banking on their mental preparation as much as their physical preparedness to win the fight. Most fighters demonstrate both artistry and skill to go along with their physical mass, and each fight has a unique and ever-evolving rhythm that can make the biggest fighter a graceful bulldozer or a defeated and dazed mound of flesh and muscle that didn't even see it coming. Still, it's the brute force fans want to see, and UFC: Ultimate Heavyweights certainly doesn't disappoint in that regard. Whether watching Frank Mir's rise to power in the UFC, the debut fight of the hulking Brock Lesnar, or the power of a Randy Couture, UFC: Ultimate Heavyweights shows the strength of the fighters alongside the grace of the fight that work in harmony and give the battles of mixed martial arts such an incredible allure.

Fans familiar with previous UFC compilation titles -- like Ultimate Knockouts 7 and Ultimate Submissions, for instance -- will know what to expect in Ultimate Heavyweights . The program begins with a narratively poetic but forcefully-delivered introduction to the particular subject of interest -- heavyweight fighters here, of course -- and goes on to provide brief backgrounds on the fights and the fighters participating in them before cutting to the uncut fight that might last a few seconds or may hang around for a few rounds, complete with some bone-breaking and blood-splattering replays in the process. It's good stuff, and these Anchor Bay/Zuffa productions continue to impress in how effective they are simply by taking the direct approach. Outside of the introductions, this is a hardcore fighting compilation presentation that enjoys the grace and artistry of a well-assembled production and the hard-hitting power of UFC.

The following fights appear in UFC: Ultimate Heavyweights:

UFC 48: Tim Sylvia vs. Frank Mir
UFC 70: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
UFC 81: Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir
UFC 84: Christian Wellisch vs. Shane Carwin
UFC 90: Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior Dos Santos
UFC 91: Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar
UFC 92: Minotauro Nogueira vs. Frank Mir
UFC 96: Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shane Carwin
UFC 100: Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir
UFC 102: Tim Hague vs. Todd Duffee
UFC 102: Randy Couture vs. Minotauro Nogueira
Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale: Roy Nelson vs. Brendan Schaub
UFC 107: Frank Mir vs. Cheick Kongo
UFC 108: Junior Dos Santos vs. Gilbert Yvel
UFC 110: Minotauro Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez
UFC on Versus: Junior Dos Santos vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
UFC 111: Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin
UFC Fight Night: Roy Nelson vs. Stefan Struve
UFC 115: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Pat Barry
UFC 116: Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin.

UFC: Ultimate Heavyweights Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

UFC: Ultimate Heavyweights features a fair 1080i transfer that's of about the same quality as the average UFC compilation Blu-ray release. The image looks fairly identical to a typical over-the-air HD UFC broadcast, too, if not a bit more stable here. Details are sharp; viewers will enjoy the ability to make out both good facial textures -- critical for viewing the various wounds that are apt to appear during a particularly grueling fight -- and the clarity of the graphics plastered on the mat. Colors tend to waver from fight to fight, no surprise given the various shooting times, places, and maybe even equipment. Some fights appear warmer and more stable than others, while a few look a bit too bright or faded. Generally, though, the image isn't plagued by too many anomalies such as banding or aliasing. This is a steady, sharp, and accurate presentation that should satisfy fans who crave their heavyweights in HD.

UFC: Ultimate Heavyweights Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

UFC: Ultimate Heavyweights comes to Blu-ray with a minimalistic Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. Dialogue is crystal-clear and focused straight up the middle, whether the voiceover pre-fight narrations or the in-fight play-by-play and color commentary. Background music -- heard primarily between fights -- is fairly delivered and enjoys a good sense of space across the front. Crowd atmospherics and other niceties -- whistling, cheering, and in the quieter moments and less-attended fights, coaching calls from outside the ring -- may be heard off to the sides of the soundstage. There's nothing special about this track; it gets the job done and is just fine for the material is supports.

UFC: Ultimate Heavyweights Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Aside from a few promos for additional UFC-themed releases (1080p, 3:31), UFC: Ultimate Heavyweights contains only the following fights under the "Bonus" tab, the fights listed under either "Bonus Fights" or "Heavyweights From the Vault."

10 Full Bonus Fights:

UFC 65: Frank Mir vs. Brandon Vera
UFC 74: Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
UFC 74: Frank Mir vs. Antoni Hardonk
UFC 81: Tim Sylvia vs. Minotauro Nogueira
UFC 86: Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Justin McCully
UFC Fight Night: Cain Velasquez vs. Jake O'Brien
UFC 89: Shane Carwin vs. Neil Wain
UFC 99: Denis Stojnic vs. Stefan Struve
UFC 104: Antoni Hardonk vs. Pat Barry
UFC on Versus: Brendan Schaub vs. Chase Gormley

10 Full Classic Fights ("From the Vault"):

UFC 6: Tank Abbot vs. John Matua
Ultimate Ultimate 95: Dan Severin vs. Paul Varelans
UFC 8: Don Frye vs. Thomas Ramirez
UFC 10: Mark Coleman vs. Moti Horenstein
UFC 12: Mark Coleman vs. Dan Severen
UFC 13: Randy Couture vs. Tony Halme
UFC 13: Vitor Belfort vs. Tank Abbott
UFC 13: Randy Couture vs. Steven Graham
UFC 15: Mark Kerr vs. Greg Stott
UFC 17: Tank Abbott vs. Hugo Durate

UFC: Ultimate Heavyweights Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

UFC: Ultimate Heavyweights is another fine compilation release from Anchor Bay/Zuffa. Fans should know what to expect with these discs by now; they offer exactly what's promised, no more and no less. In this case, it's a few dozen fights of the heavyweight variety. All of the favorite fighters in that division are included, and while there's some fights here that repeat from other recent Blu-ray UFC releases, fans should nevertheless be satisfied with the overall package. This Anchor Bay Blu-ray is, quality-wise, typical of the average UFC release. It sports fair video and audio while including "bonus fights" as the only extra feature. Recommended for UFC fans.