UFC: Ultimate Matt Hughes Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

UFC: Ultimate Matt Hughes Blu-ray Movie Review

Another release, another strong program from UFC and Anchor Bay.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 6, 2011

You either are, or you aren't, and Matt Hughes is.

Matt Hughes: UFC fighter, UFC superstar, UFC champion, UFC hall-of-famer. It's an impressive resumé for a small midwestern kid who lacks the flash and popular culture appeal of some of his bigger, more flamboyant contemporaries, but that's just how he likes it. As humble outside the sport as he is smart, electric, and nearly unstoppable inside the octagon, Hughes' career has been one for the record books, a career that's brought him fame and fortune and victories but, perhaps just as important, has earned him the respect of his peers, all of which has made him a better mixed martial artist but not at the expense of his core, his soul. UFC: Ultimate Matt Hughes is a Documentary-style record of the fighter's rise to stardom in the UFC universe, but it's also a chronicle of the man behind the gloves, sweat, and blood, a man from a simpler place and time who's just as comfortable on the tractor and in the arms of his wife as he is on the ground, grappling with some of the UFC's finest combatants, most of whom have fallen to his incredible skills that have made him a longtime UFC champion.

The Welterweight.

Born in Hillsboro, Illinois and one half of a set of twins, Matt Hughes grew up a farm boy, roughhousing with his brother while earning his keep and learning a trade working the land, all the while finding himself sometimes in trouble but nevertheless growing into a prototypical Midwestern kid. He and his brother wrestled in high school; Matt shined over brother Mark, and earned his way onto a college team where he found additional success on the mat and was first introduced to the world of mixed martial arts, a world he saw as an opportunity not towards fame and fortune, but instead as an on-the-side hobby to fill his time and hone his skills. As he had throughout his athletic career, Hughes impressed off the bat to the tune of an invitation to the distinguished Iowa-based Miletich Camp where he would learn the ins-and-outs of UFC combat from Pat Miletich, himself a UFC welterweight champion, the same class in which Hughes would blossom into superstardom. UFC: Ultimate Matt Hughes follows Hughes' rise to prominence in the UFC, the ups and downs of his early career -- being released by UFC during the sport's struggling pre-Dana White days -- all the way through some of his most important bouts, including his unforgettable title victory over Carlos Newton at UFC 34, a devastating loss to BJ Penn, a stunning upset over fellow hall-of-famer Royce Gracie, and his fight to recapture the welterweight title at UFC 50 against an up-and-coming superstar named Geroges St-Pierre.

Many call Matt Hughes "the best 170-pounder ever to live." A bold statement to be sure but one that's almost universally accepted, and the UFC superstar certainly has the credentials to back it up. A pleasure to watch and a nightmare to face, Hughes is the epitome of the UFC fighter, a fighter who commands his style and relies as much on his wrestling background and smarts as he does the raw power he possesses, raw power epitomized in his classic title match with Carlos Newton at UFC 34. UFC: Ultimate Matt Hughes is a film that's as much about a fighter's journey as it is a fighter's successes in the octagon. It's as much about his victories outside the octagon as it is his classic battles and wins inside of it. This is an enthralling and strongly-produced video that does what the best UFC films do, which is to introduce viewers to the man and not simply recount his exploits in the sport. The narrative is well-paced, the interviewees well-spoken, and the picture's story a pleasure to watch unfold. With a few exceptions, UFC has always been about people and sportsmanship, both of which Hughes personifies, making him a true American success story and role model as much for who he is as for what he does.

UFC: Ultimate Matt Hughes nicely tells the fighter's story, from his roots as an humble country boy all the way to his success under the bright lights and with the big money that comes with being a UFC champion. The film is as much about Hughes the husband, father, brother, and son as it is Hughes the UFC champion, and it's watching his story unfold as he takes advantage of every opportunity to better himself as a fighter and, later, as a man that makes this such an enthralling recount of the life and times of a true UFC champion. Aside from an examination of Hughes' growing relationship with God and his family life, the program also serves as a veritable history lesson of in the ins-and-outs of the UFC, no surprise considering that Hughes' career has had such a powerful impact on the sport. He's been a centerpiece of the UFC for years, and the film follows the fighter's training regimen and dedication to honing body, mind, and soul alike, a trifecta that's seen Hughes rapidly ascend to the top of the UFC food chain and, just as important, to the peak of his personal life.

UFC: Ultimate Matt Hughes Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

UFC: Ultimate Matt Hughes features a 1080i, 1.78:1-framed transfer. It's representative of the average UFC release. It's relatively clean and clear, yielding some good details and colors, but it's far from polished. The newly-minted HD footage looks quite good; clarity is strong, and viewers will be pleased with the amount of detail to be seen in facial close-ups or the wear and tear on farm equipment that's sporadically seen throughout the film. Color balance is accurate, whether in bright outdoor farm footage or under the bright lights of the octagon. The image is typically glossy as are most HD video images. It's neither ultra-flat nor appreciably deep. For whatever reason, interview shots with Frank Trigg look like the camera has been placed behind a dirty piece of glass; static black speckles cover the fighter's face. The image does offer fair blacks and balanced flesh tones. Unfortunately, light banding, noise, and aliasing are all evident throughout, with blocky backgrounds a distracting norm in some shots. Still, this is a fair transfer, on par with the usual UFC Blu-ray release. It's a classic case of "seen one, seen 'em all."

UFC: Ultimate Matt Hughes Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Much like its video counterpart, UFC: Ultimate Matt Hughes' soundtrack offers no surprises. Like most UFC titles before it, this release features a sonically bland, but nevertheless effective, Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. Music delivery manages to stretch far off to the sides, yielding adequate clarity along the way. There are a few sonic surprises along the way that will shake the listener out of the lossy two-channel lull, but the track is only sparsely populated by anything outside of basic UFC sound effects, music, and dialogue. Narration is crisp and center-focused, and interview clips and sportscaster commentary during the fight segments come as expected, clear and focused with nothing getting in the way. Fortunately, the material doesn't really need anything more complex than this. While a lossless soundtrack -- of any variety -- would have offered greater clarity and a more natural feel, there's nothing wrong, per se, with Anchor Bay's skimpy Dolby Digital 2.0 offering.

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

UFC: Ultimate Matt Hughes contains a plethora of full-length bonus fights (and Hughes' hall-of-fame induction), all of which may be found on the second disc of this two-disc set.

• UFC Hall of Fame Induction (1080i, 1.78:1, 3:01).
• Matt Hughes vs. Marcelo Aguiar (1080i, 4:3, 6:52).
• Matt Hughes vs. Carlos Newton (1080i, 4:3 10:50).
• Matt Hughes vs. Hayato Sakurai (1080i, 4:3, 24:01).
• Matt Hughes vs. Carlos Newton (1080i, 4:3, 25:18).
• Matt Hughes vs. Gil Castillo (1080i, 4:3, 8:46).
• Matt Hughes vs. Sean Sherk (1080i, 4:3, 33:22).
• Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg (1080i, 1.78:1, 6:47).
• Matt Hughes vs. Georges St-Pierre (1080i, 1.78:1, 7:28).
• Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg (1080i, 1.78:1, 7:00).
• Matt Hughes vs. Joe Riggs (1080i, 4:3, 5:17).
• Matt Hughes vs. Royce Gracie (1080i, 1.78:1, 7:23).
• Matt Hughes vs. BJ Penn (1080i, 1.78:1, 19:56).
• Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra (1080i, 1.78:1, 19:44).
• Matt Hughes vs. Renzo Gracie (1080i, 1.78:1, 18:29).
• Matt Hughes vs. Ricardo Almedia (1080i, 1.78:1, 5:08).

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

UFC: Ultimate Matt Hughes is a rewarding viewing experience. UFC fans will love the intimate portrait of one of the sport's biggest names and the authenticity he exudes. Newcomers will appreciate the film's thoroughness and balance. It's a wonderful look at a man -- not just a fighter -- and the importance of finding success both at home and in the octagon, both compliments, both larger pieces to a puzzle that reveals what it truly takes to become a UFC champion. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of UFC: Ultimate Matt Hughes delivers a quality 1080i transfer, a passable and UFC-typical lossy two-channel soundtrack, and a plenty of full-length Matt Hughes fights on disc two. Highly recommended.