BlurayMMA.com

It was December 16th, 1995. Over a two year period the Ultimate Fighting Championship had held seven events, events featuring some of the most brutal and the most impressive performances in the fledgling sport of mixed martial arts.

Then they wanted to find out who was the best by putting together former champions and runners-up in a one night tournament for the first Ultimate Ultimate.

The show began with the quarter-finals, with Tank Abbott taking on UFC 3 Champion Steve Jennum.

Abbott scored the early take down in this one, and showed some good skill by moving Jennum up against the fence. Jennum managed to get the big guy out of his guard, but it wasn’t long before Abbott was soon back in.

Seconds later, and with his neck looking cranked against the cage Jennum, his head squeezed up against the fence and realising there was nothing he could do, tapped out, giving Abbott the victory.

Quarter-final #2 saw Paul Varelans facing UFC 5 Champion Dan Severn.

Like Abbott before him Severn took his man early, dominating the fight by tying Varelans up like a pretzel before locking in an arm choke for the submission win.

Quarter-final #3 saw Dave Beneteau taking on UFC 6 Champion Oleg Taktarov.

Another fight that barely lasted past the minute mark saw both men grappling for position early on, but when Beneteau looked like he was getting the upper hand Taktarov countered by taking the Canadian’s leg and taking the fight to the ground, synching in an Achilles lock for the submission win.

Quarter-final #4 saw Keith Hackney going up against UFC 7 Champion Marco Ruas.

The longest fight of the round saw a lengthy feeling out period at the beginning, with both men testing the waters with kicks, but when Ruas took the fight to the ground it was all over bar the shouting. Ruas quickly took Hackney’s back and flattened him out before synching in the rear naked choke for the submission win.

Semi-final #1 saw Tank Abbott taking on Dan Severn.

Abbott began by defending Severn’s take down attempt, but from that moment on it was all Severn as the Beast dominated the fight on the ground. Severn overwhelmed Abbott on the ground, taking his back and delivering forearms, elbows, knees and punches while looking for that elusive finishing move.

With Abbott all but failing to defend himself this fight would have been stopped early under today’s unified rules, but with Severn failing to get that finisher and Abbott’s only other great moment being when he managed to get to his feet late on the fight went to the 18 minute time limit.

Which meant that for the first time in UFC history the newly-installed judges came into play, with all three giving the fight to Severn.

Semi-final #2 saw Oleg Taktarov facing Marco Ruas.

This looked a mouth watering prospect on paper, and was certainly a more even fight than the first semi-final.

Both men put in some good work on the ground, especially Taktarov, who went for a guillotine choke and had the hold on for what seemed like an age, with Ruas content just to stay in position.

But when referee John McCarthy stood the fighters up for inactivity the action kind of stalled as they spent the remainder of the fight circling each other and delivering the odd blow. It didn’t make for exciting viewing as both men seemed unwilling to commit to anything, and as the clock ran down to the 18 minute time limit the crowd began to chant “fight, fight”.

So the judges came into play again, with Taktarov taking the unanimous decision.

Then it was on to the final between Dan Severn and Oleg Taktarov.

This proved to be an intriguing battle. Severn began by slapping Taktarov’s forehead, hoping to open up the cuts and scar tissue before the fight went to the ground, and when it got there the Beast did a good job of controlling the fight in the guard, using the head butt to good effect and opening Taktarov up and swelling his forehead and cheek bones.

But it wasn’t all Severn here. Taktarov did a good job in the defensive department, holding onto Severn and stopping him from going for any sort of finishing move.

The only problem that both fighters had though was that they were both exhausted, and this came into play big time, with neither man able to put the other away before the 27 minute time limit or in the 3 minute overtime period.

So once again the judges came into play as all three gave their decision to Severn, and rightfully so, crowning him the first Ultimate Ultimate Champion.

In conclusion – this was a really enjoyable show. All the fights were pretty good, and it was interesting to watch the drama unfold as the show went on as the better fighters basically negated each other.

However, although this was a good tournament I couldn’t help but wonder how things would have played out if the UFC’s best tournament champion, Royce Gracie, had been a part of this event. But then again that’s something we as armchair fans can only speculate on.

So in all the first Ultimate Ultimate tournament gets the thumbs up from me as another interesting slice of mixed martial arts history.

Don’t forget to check out my website at twoshedsreview.blogspot.com.

It was the event that introduced Brazilian Vale Tudo to the world as Marco Ruas made his bow in the 7th Ultimate Fighting Championship, The Brawl in Buffalo.

The show began with the tournament quarter-finals, beginning with karate fighter Gerry Harris facing trap fighter Paul Varelans.

This battle of the big men saw Varelans scored with the quick take down. From there he overwhelmed Harris, whose lack of ground fighting experience showed as Varelans took his back. Harris tapped after a series of elbows to the top of his head.

The next fight saw multi-black belt holder Mark Hall taking on the mullet man himself, Harold Howard.

These two were like statues at the beginning before Howard took the fight to the ground while he was trying a one handed choke.

But as Howard fell to his back Hall took control and bloodied Howard’s nose, and as Hall continued his assault Howard gave up, making a cross sign with his hands before tapping.

The third quarter saw jiu-jitsu fighter Remco Pardoel taking on karate man Ryan Parker.

These two gi-wearing fighters put on an interesting contest. Parker had no ground fighting experience and looked lost when Pardoel took the fight down.

Pardoel locked in a head lock, delivering a few punches before taking the mount and getting the tap out with a lapel choke.

The final quarter final saw the aforementioned Marco Ruas taking on kickboxer Larry Cureton.

This was the one I really wanted to see, mainly because I’d seen Ruas in action before when I reviewed his instructional DVD a few years ago.

This was by far the best fight of the round. Cureton went for a guillotine straight away, with Ruas countering with a big slam.

Then, surprisingly, Cureton reversed positions so he could take the guard. From there he went to work with the ground and pound, dominating for a couple of minutes.

Ruas then regained control, locking up Cureton’s leg and getting the submission win with a knee bar.

Then it was on to the semi-finals, beginning with Paul Varelans against Mark Hall.

Varelans had a massive size advantage in this one, using it to good effect as he took Hall down with a headlock before taking the mount and synching in a key lock for the submission win in just 61 seconds.

The second semi saw Remco Pardoel against Marco Ruas.

This was a war of attrition. Pardoel went for a guillotine attempt early on, keeping the hold applied for several minutes. The only problem was that he also had Rua’s right arm trapped as well, which negated the effect of the choke.

Ruas eventually took the fight to the ground, and the Brazilian soon took control, using Pardoel’s own gi against him as he went for a heel hook.

Then, as the fight neared the 13 minute mark, Ruas took the mount, and just as it looked as if Ruas was about to unload with the ground and pound Pardoel strangely tapped out, even though he still looked in good condition, with the announcers speculating that the Dutchman knew he was in for a beating.

The big title fight followed as UFC 6 tournament winner Oleg Taktarov challenged Ken Shamrock for the Superfight title.

Now this really was a war of attrition. Most of the bout was contested on the ground, with Shamrock in the guard position, controlling Taktarov with blows and head butts.

And that was how the action played out for the majority of the fight. Referee John McCarthy stood them up twice, but they soon returned to the ground, and by the time they were brought back up with three minutes left Taktarov had two cuts by his left eye and a swelling by his right.

Then they engaged in a striking battle, with Taktarov bloodying Shamrock’s nose. But there was still no finish as the 30 minute time limit expired.

So it was on to the three minute (down from the original five) overtime period, where we saw more striking before they went back down to the ground as the fight ended.

After all that the fight was declared a draw, with Shamrock retaining his title. It was a dominating performance from Shamrock, and it was also the fight that prompted the UFC to appoint judges from the next show.

Last up was the tournament final between Paul Varelans and Marco Ruas.

Varelans, as is his custom, came out of the traps immediately, only for Ruas to meet him with a series of right kicks that softened up his left leg.

Ruas then got his man up against the cage, surviving a brief guillotine attempt before taking the big man’s back. Varelans would surely have been taken down had he not held on to the fence.

When the referee broke them up because of inactivity Ruas went back to work with the leg kicks as Varelans began to limp quite badly. Eventually Ruas was able to cut him down, and after the Brazilian followed him down for some ground and pound the referee quickly stepped in to give Ruas the TKO win and the tournament victory.

In conclusion – my trip into the history of MMA was certainly interesting before, but this time I was in for a slight revelation.

Up until this point those entering the tournaments had been either strikers or grapplers, with those returning to the Octagon beginning to learn a little more about other fighting disciplines.

But Marco Ruas seemed to change all that, showing that he was gifted in both departments. He really was an all round fighter, perhaps even more so than Ken Shamrock at the time, and it certainly would have been interesting to see Ruas challenging Shamrock for the Superfight title. Sadly, the first Ultimate Ultimate tournament got in the way.

So in all UFC 7 gets the thumbs up as another great piece of MMA history, and the performance of the King of the Streets.

Don’t forget to check out my website at twoshedsreview.blogspot.com.

mIt featured the second Superfight, the debut of the pit fighter, the introduction of new rules, and a controversial semi-final as the Ultimate Fighting Championship presented their sixth show, Clash of the Titans, in July 1995.

The show began with the tournament quarter-finals, beginning with pit fighter Tank Abbott taking on Hawaiian bone breaker John Matua.

This was a wild and quick affair. Abbott caught Matua with some lunging blows as Matua staggered around like a baby learning to walk until he fell to the ground. Abbott got in another punch before referee “Big” John McCarthy stepped in to give Abbott the knockout win after just 18 seconds.

Next up was tae kwon do fighter Cal Worsham against trap fighter Paul Varelans.

These two came out swinging, with Worsham wobbling his bigger opponent. But Varelans worked his way back, and a left elbow to the back of the head sent Worsham crashing, with the referee stopping the fight as Varelans took the knockout win.

Then it was on to kenpo karate fighter Rudyard Moncayo against kickboxer and former tournament finalist Pat Smith.

Smith ran across the cage at the start, knocking Moncayo down with a front kick. He then showed how much he’d improved in the grapping game, going for a standing guillotine before getting the take down, taking Moncayo’s back and synching in a rear naked choke for the submission win.

The final-quarter final saw wrestler and UFC finalist Dave Beneteau taking on sambo expert Oleg Taktarov.

A fast paced fight saw Beneteau score with the early take down. But the Russian quickly got his feet, and after Beneteau went for some strikes Taktarov got a take down of his own, locking8 in a guillotine for the impressive submission win.

The semi-finals began with Tank Abbott taking on Paul Varelans.

Abbott put in another big punching display here, taking the big man down and unloading with the ground and pound.

At one point Abbott grabbed the cage as he kneed Varelans in the face, smiling to the crowd as he went.

With his left knee on Varelans’ face Abbott connected with a series of lefts. It wasn’t long before the referee intervened to give Abbott the TKO win.

The second semi-final was a controversial affair as Oleg Taktarov faced muay thai boxer Anthony Macias, who had replaced the injured Pat Smith.

Both fighters were managed by a guy called Buddy Alvin, who was also the manager of the other alternate, Guy Mezger. When Smith pulled out there was a slight delay. The story goes that neither Mezger or Macias wanted to fight their training partner, until Macias finally stepped up to the plate, with Alvin taking his place in Taktarov’s corner.

When the fight began Macias ran straight into a Taktarov guillotine, tapping out within seconds. The look on the Russian’s face afterwards said everything as the crowd and the commentators voice their displeasure. It was pretty obvious that Macias had taken a dive, and because of this it would prove to be his final UFC appearance.

After a brief interview with UFC 7 entrant Marco Ruas it was on to the bout for the Superfight title as Ken Shamrock faced Dan Severn.

This was a great display of grappling. Both men jockeyed for position at the start, and a few moments later Severn escaped from Shamrock’s initial guillotine attempt.

Seconds later Shamrock outwrestled Severn and went for the guillotine again. It wasn’t long before the Beast tapped out, giving Shamrock the win and the Superfight Championship.

Then it was on to the tournament final between Tank Abbott and Oleg Taktarov.

This was by far the longest fight on the show. Abbott began with his usual brawling but he soon began to visibly tire.

The fight soon went to the ground, with Abbott taking Taktarov’s guard, accessional going for a few blows while the Russian looked for an arm bar a couple of times.

It was basically a war of attrition, very much in the Royce Gracie style, with the referee eventually exercising his new authority and standing the fighters up.

Abbott managed to connect with a big left against the cage before Taktarov came back with a standing guillotine. Abbott slumped to the ground as Taktarov took his back, eventually securing a rear naked choke for the tournament winning submission victory.

In conclusion – UFC 6 turned out to be a pretty good show. Okay, the early fights looked little more than a car part brawl, and the whole Macias affair left a nasty taste in the mouth, but on the whole the show delivered.

As for the rule changes they were really what the UFC needed. Giving the referee the power to stand fighters up due to inactivity certainly made the final a more enjoyable affair.

So in all UFC 6 gets the thumbs up as another interesting slice of MMA history, and one you should check out if you get the opportunity.

The Ultimate Fighter 8 is a season some UK fans may have missed, since the UFC had departed then Virgin Media channel – Bravo for Setanta. TUF 9 – UK vs USA gained further exposure for MMA airing on freeview channel FIVE USA. If like me you missed it, you are now fortunate enough to be able to purchase the 5 DVD box set.

This eighth series of the mixed martial arts reality TV show will be remembered aside from the bouts for the crazy out-of-control actions of wild southern-boy Junie Browning. It’s astounding his antics never got him thrown off the programme. You’ll see why he got kept in towards the end of the series.

Unlike many seasons of TUF, TUF 8 doesn’t feature much tension between the opposing coaches. Big Nog is a real gent, likewise here his opposite Frank Mir.

Both coaches known as world class grapplers, you get the impression Dana White and co purposely picked contestants boasting a great ground game. Look out for season stand-outs Krzysztof  Soszynski (former pro wrestler), Ryan Bader, Phillipe Nover and Efrain Escudero.

5 disc set contains 12 episodes over discs 1-3, Finale show on the fourth. DVD 5 rounds off the package jam-full of bonus footage, including fighter profiles, deleted and a peek behind the scenes.

The Ultimate Fighter Finale is loaded with fights featured during the series. “Crazy Cuban” Rolando Delgrado has an impressive outing, tapping out former Team Nog team-mate John Palakowski. A total one-sided affair.

Team Mir members collide – Shane Nelson against George Roop. This bout is a good back close fought contest, between 2 young lions.

Light-heavyweights Kyle Kingsbury and Tom Lawlor’s match-up lacks the excitement seen with the lighter fighters, it’s more a battle of wills, brawn versus brawn.

Eliot Marshall puts on a clinic, demolishing Jules Bruchez. Fantastic official debut, tapping out Bruchez in the first. Very impressive.

Next we see one of the season favourites, Krzysztof Soszynski paired up with Shane Primm. Krzysztof – former pro-wrestler, was taught the Kimura and Arm-bar submissions by Bad News Brown on a wrestling training camp in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. A persistent “Polish Experiment” sticks to what he knows best, snatching victory using his patented Kimura, finishing the fight.

Wanna be Ultimate Fighter Junie Browning, a TUF entrant who got himself noticed for all the wrong reasons puts in a very good performance in the octagon with David Kaplan. Browning looks great in the stand-up, outclassing Kaplan on the ground too, taking the win via Arm-bar, forcing his opponent to give up.

2 non TUF 8 bouts are included. Canadian Jason McDonald versus Wilson Gouveia. The Brazilian destroys the Canadian, decking him, then pounding from top position, raining down elbow strikes, causing the referee to the end it.

Second non TUF fight features hotly tipped rising welter-weight Anthony “Rumble” Johnson in a rematch with another fighter progressing the ladder Kevin Burns. Stylistically you have Rumble the wrestler vs grappler Burns. It’s pretty much even until round 3, when Johnson pulls out of nowhere a Cro Cop style KO head kick.

If you don’t want to know which fighters reach the finals then don’t read any further!

Light-heavyweight Ultimate Fighter decider sees Ryan “Darth” Bader collide in the cage with Vinicus Magalhaes. Ironically Nogueira’s man in the final is All American wrestler Bader facing American Mir’s Brazilian 4 time world BJJ champ Magalhaes. In theory this should be a clash of those 2 styles, but the difference maker unpredictably comes from Bader’s fists, knocking out his rival in round 1. Amazing performance.

Lightweight final: Phillpe Nover and Efrain Escudero, both from Big Nog’s team. Both exciting top rate competitors here, both very worthy of reaching the final. Efrain featured in both grudge matches in the series – Nelson and later Browning. Relentless wrestler Efrain puts on a great performance, gaining the prestigious title of The Ultimate Fighter, winning the final, however it’s not completely one-sided, Nover puts in a valiant effort attempting to submit Efrain from underneath.

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir is out now on DVD, available direct from www.fightdvd.co.uk and all good retailers.

Keep visiting BluRayMMA.com for more reviews of brand new UFC, related combat sport and martial arts DVD & Blu-ray releases.

UFC DVD review by Duane Farr

duane@bluraymma.com

No championship contests included on UFC 119, however this recent offering features 2 world class marquee match-ups, including a UFC vs PRIDE FC themed fight for the fans.

Countdown show (disc 2) features wicked footage of Mirko – Cro Cop dominating former UFC Heavyweight champ Josh Barnett in Pride, winning the Open Weight Grand Prix. Frank Mir – former UFC title holder declares he’s representing UFC honour in fighting Croatian Cro Cop.

Aside from the UFC vs Pride angle the featurette tells the story of Mir restrategising, following losses to hugely powerful wrestlers Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin.

We learn more about Ultimate Fighter winner Ryan ‘Darth’ Bader, who trains with former wrestling team-mates CB Dollaway and the reigning Heavyweight king Cain Velasquez. Countdown show clearly illustrates why Bader is a force to be reckoned with in the UFC Light-heavyweight division, Little Nog has his work cut out against the young fast-rising MMA star.

“Young lion” Evan Dunham vs Sean Sherk is hyped up here also, Dunham is clearly getting noticed as he climbs the lightweight rankings.

Having got hyped for those 3 fights you might want to make use of the menus, skipping forward to the top tier of the card.

Dunham vs Sherk: an exciting, close fought contest, won by Sherk, stalling Evan’s climb to the top. Sherk’s wrestling dominance in the clinch coupled with amazing submission defence pipped for the veteran.

Little Nog – Antonio Rogerio Nogueira against Ryan Bader is a fight where the action and suspense doesn’t pick up until round 3. Mostly neither fighter takes advantage throughout the bout. Less experienced Bader edges out the decision win, thanks to a take-down in the final round.

Main event – Pride FC vs UFC match-up pitting Crop Cop against Frank Mir is a much hyped cage-clash that disappoints, the fighters respecting each others abilities just don’t get stuck in. However if you’re prepared to sit through the dullness of the majority of the bout you’ll see Mir amaze, KO’ing the Croatian striker at 4:02 of round 3.

Former TUF coach Matt Serra makes an appearance at UFC 119, versus Chris ‘Lights Out’ Lyttle. You’ll enjoy this if you like a stand-up battle or a Lyttle fan, Serra fans won’t be so joyous. Serra disappoints not utilising his wicked Jiu- Jitsu skills, choosing to fight one dimensional, thus losing to Lytle.

The main card is lacking somewhat, disc 2 with prelims plus bonus features helps make for it. Prelims include fun squash match-ups: Mark Hunt tapped out by ‘Big Sexy’ Sean McCorkle, Thiago Tavares makes the debuting Pat Audinwood tap via guillotine choke plus CB Dolloway impresses on the mat submitting Joe Doerksen within the 1st round.

Matt Mitrione against Joey Beltran is a good scrap, Meat-head always entertains.

Bonus feature Behind The Scenes follows UFC commentator Mike Goldberg’s preparations pre fight night. Home-town hero Chris Lyttle treats us to a tour of the fire station he’s based at, giving us an insight to his life as a fire-fighter and cage-fighter. Charismatic Matt Serra is featured too, doing a video diary.

Not the best fight card match-up-wise but overall a great package.

UFC 119 Mir vs. Cro Cop is out now on DVD, available direct from www.fightdvd.co.uk and all good retailers.

Keep visiting BluRayMMA.com for more reviews of brand new UFC, related combat sport and martial arts DVD & Blu-ray releases.

UFC DVD review by Duane Farr

duane@bluraymma.com

UFC & FightDVD are spoiling us, yet another double DVD release boasting a championship showdown. Frankie ‘The Answer’ Edgar defends his lightweight title, giving former champ BJ ‘The Prodigy’ Penn a chance of redemption.

Penn v Edgar is for the purists, co-main eventing is the huge drawing freak-show fight of boxer versus wrestler, pitting former Heavyweight and Light-heavyweight Champion Randy ‘The Natural’ Couture against James ‘Lights Out’ Toney – former IBA and NABO Heavyweight boxing Champion.

As always I suggest watching the Countdown Show first (disc 2) , gotta be done to get yourself hyped up to view the main fights! This featurette superbly tells the story behind Penn v Edgar 2, complete with words from challenger and champ.

Talking of words heavyweight boxer James Toney is a man who talked his way into co-main eventing at UFC 118, selling himself to head honcho Dana White. Witness Toney transition to MMA, preparing to face legendary Hall of Famer – Couture. The question posed here is will Toney KO Couture or will Randy take-down the heavyweight slugger and tap him out?

Lightweight contenders Kenny Florian and Gray Maynard also receive the countdown treatment, indicating the importance of their match-up for a shot at the owner of the lightweight strap.

Popping in disc 1, skipping forward to the hotly anticipated freak show marquee match – boxer James Toney stepping into the octagon to face wrestler (and elite mixed martial artist) Randy Couture, demonstrates why a wrestler can beat a boxer. Couture immediately takes down the slugger, applying pressure on top, tapping out Toney via Arm-triangle within the first round. Not a long drawn out affair like Antonio Inoki’s tangle against the legendary boxer heavyweight Muhammed Ali decades earlier but still a freak show attraction none-the-less. Listen out for UFC chants.

Rubber match – BJ Penn v Frankie Edgar, for lightweight strap sees Edgar prove he’s the rightful wearer of the gold. You get a full 5 rounds of championship action, valiant warrior Penn doesn’t have the answer for Jersey Boy – Edgar.

Nate Diaz – a personal favourite fighter features in welterweight competition against Marcus ‘Irish Hand Grenade’ Davis. Street-tough Diaz, rarely in a unexciting bout delivers. The bad-ass Californian out boxes the boxer Davis, splitting his face open. Nate finishes the fight on the mat, putting the Boston native to sleep.

Lightweight number 1 contender decider – Kenny Florian facing Gray ‘The Bully’ Maynard, sees undefeated Maynard (excluding loss to Nate Diaz on The Ultimate Fighter) live up to his moniker, bullying his way to challenge Frankie Edgar.

You’ll find all the preliminary contests over on disc 2, including 2 Brits in octagon action: Andre Winner and Nick Osipczak.

Boston home-town favourite Joe Lauzon puts on a clinic, defeating Gabe Ruediger via Arm-bar submission. Lauzon never gives Ruediger a single inch. Total domination in the words of Mike Goldberg.

As to be expected from UFC DVD releases UFC 118 comes loaded with additional material on disc 2: Weigh In Show, Behind The Scenes plus Fighter Interviews. Another high quality value for money addition to your MMA DVD collection.

UFC 118 Edgar vs. Penn 2 is out now on DVD, available direct from www.fightdvd.co.uk and all good retailers.

Keep visiting BluRayMMA.com for more reviews of brand new UFC, related combat sport and martial arts DVD & Blu-ray releases.

UFC DVD review by Duane Farr

duane@bluraymma.com

Following in suit wth UFC 116, UFC 117 comes complete with another epic championship showdown of the ages.

UFC are brilliant at promoting their top tier fights, some fighters possess the gift-of-the-gab to promote themselves, helping propel their careers into the stratosphere.  Chael Sonnen, Anderson Silva’s challenger for his middleweight crown is one of those fitting into that category.

Sonnen is a talker who can back it up, check out the Countdown show (disc 2) to witness his ‘promo’ highlights plus all the build-up and comments from defending champ Silva. This bonus feature shows some great footage of Sonnen’s college wrestling career and what makes him the MMA contender he is today.

Heading over to disc 1, how did the plot pan out for the 185-pounders title tilt? Value for money is delivered, we are given a near full 25 minutes of championship calibre competition.

Like Lesnar’s title defence against Carwin we see a similar story, but told over more rounds. Silva is on the back-foot often defending against Sonnen’s superb wrestling throughout the majority of the match-up, making a last minute comeback snatching a round 5 tap-out win.

If Anderson didn’t pull out the triangle-choke victory, Chael would have clearly taken it on points. A gripping must see title defence.

UFC 117 DVD isn’t marketed as USA v Brazil, interestingly the supporting cast of bouts featured on disc 1 are all between those 2 nations. A great theme Dana White and co opted not to use, instead pushing the focus on Silva v Sonnen.

First off a personal favourite fighter steps in the cage – Roy ‘Big’ Country Nelson, stepping up to battle Junior Dos Santos. Lack of success here for Nelson, but an awesome performance from the Brazilian striker.

Welterweight legend Matt Hughes is featured, versus Renzo Gracie student Ricardo Almeida, who hoped for revenge for his trainer’s loss.  Hughes puts on a clinic putting the BJJ practitioner to sleep in a choke.

Ultimate Warrior minus the war paint Clay Guida next in the octagon, again it’s another USA v Brazil skirmish, battling Rafael Dos Anjos. Strange Guida’s cage entrance is omitted, it’s part of the hype and excitement of a live bout. Not the most entertaining scrap but a win for Guida due to Dos Anjos injured jaw.

Welterweight contenders collide next – American wrestler John Fitch against Brazilian Muay Thai fighter Thiago Alves. The bout is a decider at another shot for Georges ‘Rush’ St Pierre’s belt. So a lot at stake. Due to Alves struggling to reach 170lbs this fight lacks a little in the entertainment stakes plus Alves doesn’t match well with American wrestler Fitch. Ugly to watch but Fitch gets the job done.

UFC & FightDVD are reliable as ever for bonus material, this 2 disc release includes many extras – prelims, weigh-ins, interviews plus behind the scenes footage. Interviews and behind the scenes are fun for some great moments from Big Country – Nelson.

UFC 117 Silva vs. Sonnen is out now on DVD, available direct from www.fightdvd.co.uk and all good retailers.

Keep visiting BluRayMMA.com for more reviews of brand new UFC, related combat sport and martial arts DVD & Blu-ray releases.

UFC DVD review by Duane Farr

duane@bluraymma.com

2 Gorillas locked in a cage: Brock Lesnar versus Shane Carwin.

UFC 116, when Heavyweight champ Lesnar made the long awaited return to pay per view TV, following a nasty intestine illness, which the majority of us can’t pronounce, let alone spell correctly. Seeing as Lesnar was unable to defend the belt, Carwin fought Frank Mir to decide the Interim Heavyweight Champion, hence both fighters carrying gold straps over their shoulders on the front of the DVD.

Carwin was clearly the most formidable opponent yet for the former WWE superstar Brock. See the Countdown Show for all the low-down on the then unbeaten Carwin. It’s a great build-up, telling Lesnar’s story battling illness, getting back into champion condition ready to face his rival. The feature also showcases the training and ability of both competitors.

The “clash of the titans” epic main event bout alone is without a doubt worthy reason to purchase this double DVD release. Let’s take a closer look at this epic showdown:

In the pro-wrestling world Lesnar came from, the best wrestlers tell a story in the ring as opposed to just doing flashy moves. The plot here is of the then champ being pummelled by challenger Carwin in round 1, appearing to be down and out. Come round 2 we see Lesnar make the comeback overcoming adversity, thus earning the hearts of many fans in the process, who previously hated on the “heel” from the WWE.

Lesnar’s performance in the second stanza truly impresses, for the heart he shows coupled with pulling out a sidechoke submission win, for the first time, adding a new weapon to the ‘Next Big Things’ arsenal. Epic.

Another further value to UFC 116 is the world class middleweight clash between the always dangerous Ultimate Fighter alumini – Chris ‘The Crippler’ Leben and Japanese superstar Yoshihiro Akiyama. This global showdown will be remembered as a classic encounter, truly an adrenaline-fuelled fight, packed with thrills ‘n’ spills.

Leben v Sexyama (as he’s affectionately called by many fans) is a great example of what an MMA bout can be for the spectator, at it’s very best. A display of hearts and skills by both combatants that draws you in.

Leben’s triangle-choke in the latter half of round 3 is awesome. Following the win Chris calls out Pride legend Wanderlei Silva, the fighter originally penned in to face Akiyama. Leben has got to feature high in a top ten of exciting fighters, no doubt.

As you’d expect from FightDVD, UFC 116 comes complete with the full card of fights from the live event plus you are spoiled with stacks of extra footage, enjoy!

UFC 116 Lesnar vs Carwin is out now on DVD, available direct from www.fightdvd.co.uk and all good retailers.

Keep visiting BluRayMMA.com for more reviews of brand new UFC, related combat sport and martial arts DVD & Blu-ray releases.

UFC DVD review by Duane Farr

duane@bluraymma.com

It’s another of those strange occurrences….well….sort of. This time we’re taking a look at Strikeforce’s first ever DVD release, a two disc set that carries the inspired title of….Strikeforce. It features three shows, one of which we Brits didn’t get to see on television, and it begins with…..

Show 1: Heavy Artillery

The show began with light heavyweight action featuring Antwain Britt and Rafael Feijao.

Lots of feeling out at the beginning, including a lengthy clinch against the cage before the fight suddenly sprang into life when an overhand right from Feijao staggered Britt. Swift combinations followed before Britt slumped to the mat, with the referee stepping in to stop the punishment, Feijao earning the TKO win.

The light heavyweight action continued as Roger Gracie went up against Kevin Randleman.

Randleman went into this one looking to resurrect his career, and although he put in a good effort it just wasn’t enough.

After a somewhat even looking first round Gracie took control in the second after a knee from the clinch. Randleman tried to defend but it wasn’t long before Gracie took his back, with Randleman tapping to a rear naked choke. An impressive showing from Gracie in only his third fight.

It was down to the middleweight division for the next fight as Jacare Souza faced Joe Villasenor.

This was a very intriguing battle, a great example of the grappler versus the striker.

Souza was the grappler, putting on a great display of takedowns and ground fighting, while Villasenor played the part of the striker with some crisp shots, as well as some great defensive work at times. It was a highly entertaining three round affair, with all three judges scoring in favour of Souza.

Then it was on to the heavyweights as Andrei Arlovski took on Antonio Silva.

Arlovski was another fighter looking for a big win, but he found a formidable opponent in Bigfoot.

Silva, to the surprise of many, was the quicker striker of the two and clearly won the stand up battle, although Arlovski’s supposedly glass jaw took a few good shots.

Add several clinches against the cage and Silva scoring with a take down late on and you’ll get the idea how this one played out.

No surprise with the decision, with all three judges giving the fight to Silva and handing Arlovski his third loss in a row.

The main event saw Brett Rogers challenging Alistair Overeem for the Heavyweight title. This was Overeem’s first defence in three years, and Rogers earned his title shot by losing his last fight to Fedor Emelianenko.

The Dutchman put in a dominating performance. Rogers didn’t stand a chance as Overeem controlled the striking game before throwing his man down and unleashing with the ground and pound, and as the round neared it’s conclusion the referee stepped in to give Overeem the title retaining TKO win.

Show 2: The Los Angeles Event

This show began with the first of two catchweight bouts as K.J. Noons squared off against Conor Heun in a fight made at 160 pounds.

This was a great way to start the show, one of those balls to the wall encounters that you just couldn’t take your eyes off.

Both men went all out for victory. Their brief foray to the ground in the first saw Heun controlling the action until Noons managed to escape.

The rest of the fight was an outstanding back and forth striking battle, with some great blows and combinations from both fighters.

The judges came into play at the end of this one, with Noons getting the split decision.

Middleweight action followed as Tim Kennedy faced Trevor Prangley.

Some nice ground work by Kennedy here, who gained control of the action after a big take down. Prangley tried to escape by standing up with Kennedy still on his back, but a slight change of position and Kennedy synched in a rear naked choke, with the South African soon tapping out.

Then it was down to the welterweight division as Marius Zaromskis took on Evangelista Cyborg.

No ground work here, just plenty of great striking. Each man hurt the other with some nicely placed punches and kicks, but it was the heavily tattooed Brazilian who got the better of things, dropping Zaromskis with a right hand as he went for a flying knee. Nice work from the Cyborg here.

The main event was the second catchweight fight, made at 195 pounds, between Robbie Lawler and Renato “Babalu” Sobral.

Both fighters came into this one looking to get back into the title pictures of their respective weight divisions, and they put on a pretty good fight in doing so.

It was an enjoyable back and forth battle, a mainly striking affair that featured a brief trip to the ground. Each man had their moments, but as the fight progressed Sorel’s punches and kicks just seemed to be that much crisper.

With the fight going the distance the judges were called into action again, with all three giving the fight to Sobral.

Show 3: Fedor vs. Werdum

This was the show that we Brits never got to see on television, and it began with lightweight action as Josh Thomson faced Pat Healy.

Given the wrestling pedigree of these two it came as no surprise that they fought a mainly ground-based battle, with plenty of transitions, reversals, submission attempts, and even a suplex.

Then, just as it looked like it was going to go the distance Thomson took Healy’s back and synched in a rear naked choke. Healy held on for as long as he could, but with just over thirty seconds left he couldn’t hold out anymore and tapped, giving Thomson the submission win and ending a tremendous battle.

Then it was on to title action as Jan Finney challenged Cris Cyborg for the Women’s Middleweight title.

This was one of the most one-sided fights I’ve ever seen. Cyborg overwhelmed Finney from the start and literally beat the hell out of her. Finney managed to get in a couple of blows, but Cyborg’s assault was overwhelming, although it wasn’t without controversy as she was deducted a point for repeated blows to the back of Finney’s head.

This fight really should have ended towards the end of the first when Finney had no answer to Cyborg’s onslaught. The end finally came in the second when Finney was rocked by a muay thai knee. The referee finally stepped in, giving Cyborg the tremendous TKO win, although it should never have gone past the first round.

Middleweight action followed in the form of Scott Smith against Cung Le.

This was another of those intriguing battles. Both men got off some good shots, but things looked somewhat messy at times.

It was only in the second round that Le broke out his world famous kicks, and it was a second spinning back kick that doubled Smith up in pain. A few seconds of ground and pound followed before the referee called a halt to the proceedings, giving Le the TKO win.

The main event saw Fedor Emelianenko facing Fabricio Werdum in the heavyweight division.

The upset of the year. Fedor dropped Werdum within seconds and followed him down for the ground and pound.

But Werdum wasn’t out of it, and the Brazilian fought back. Seconds later he locked in an arm bar and leg triangle. Fedor tried to fight it, but soon tapped out, proving that he is human after all, and giving Werdum the win after just 69 seconds. Awesome stuff.

All three shows come with bonus features, including fights, weigh-ins, and the usual kind of stuff.

In conclusion – it took a while for them to finally release a DVD, but what they have release is an extremely good buy.

The three shows here proved that Strikeforce really is a viable alternative to the mighty UFC. There were no disappointing matches here, and quite a few good performances, especially Werdum’s upset over Fedor.

But that thing I really appreciated about this release was that each show was unedited from it’s original television broadcast. While the UFC heavily edit their releases, taking out things like entrances, Bruce Buffer’s introductions and pre and post-fight interviews Strikeforce have left all of that in, which is particularly handy if you’re unfamiliar with any of the fighters.

So in all Strikeforce’s first DVD release gets the big thumbs up.

With thanks to the powers that be for supplying a copy of this release. Visit www.strikeforce.com for more information on how to buy this release.

Being a pro wrestling to mixed martial arts convert this UFC showcase of submissions is right up my street. When the Ultimate Fighting Championships first caught my attention the submissions and grappling element is what drew me in.

The submission and ground game are key elements of a mixed martial artist’s skill set. Boxing is known as the “sweet science”, however Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a scientific chess-game in it’s own right. Within octagon competition the key to victory is to knock-out your opponent by kicking or punching your opponent or to force him to tap-out in submission. UFC Ultimate Submissions DVD is loaded with masters of the tap-out.

Let’s see what you get: Highlights here include many stars of the octagon, you’ll see submission master BJ Penn winning Lightweight gold from Joe ‘Daddy’ Stevenson via rear-naked-choke at UFC 80, Newcastle.

TUF generation bad-ass Nate Diaz versus Kurt Pellegrino. Caesar Gracie trained Diaz is a human highlight reel of tap-out victories. Witness Pellegrino tap, constricted by a world class triangle-choke, complete with a Diaz biscep flex, adding insult to injury, accompanied by a double display of the middle finger, I told you he’s a bad-ass!

Former UFC World Heavyweight champ Frank Mir, possibly THE best heavyweight submission artist shows us how to break a giant’s arm, bringing the pain to Tim Sylvia via Armbar.

So what else do you want? Damian Maia? Yes, he’s here too, putting Ed Herman to sleep in a nasty Triangle Choke.

Anderson ‘Spider’ Silva – Middleweight champ and arguably THE best pound for pound fighter on the planet shows you just why he’s called that, making 2 tap-out career highlights.

Georges ‘Rush’ St Pierre the other best pound for pounder, exhibits superb submission skills, submitting world class wrestler Matt Hughes in their  third encounter.

The finale of the main feature sees Frank Mir make another appearance, highlighting his leg-lock submission win over the debuting Brock Lesnar. A perfect example of technique overcoming power.

As well as the icons of the octagon, look out for Rousimar Palhares, Evan Dunham, Cole Miller and Dan Miller – true grappling wizards.

Bonus features: Along with the current fighters showcased, this special collector’s DVD boasts 10 classic submissions from the Zuffa vaults, featuring legends of the cage.

A must-see is Japanese MMA icon Kazushi Sakuraba, a submission wrestler and king of the Kimura, submits Brazilian Marcus Silveira at Ultimate Japan 1.

Going way back to UFC 1, pioneering BJJ master Royce Gracie shows us all how it’s supposed to be done, tapping-out ‘The Baddest Man On The Planet’ Ken Shamrock, himself a submission specialist.

Other legends featured are Marcus Ruas, Tank Abbott, Marc Coleman and ‘The Natural’ Randy Couture.

10 more bonus classic submissions are also included from the likes of Hughes, Penn, Mir and GSP.

Third added extra is a highlight reel of combatants such as our very on Dan Hardy – who just won’t tap!

It’s got to be said this collection is further enhanced by the commentating of Joe Rogan, a BJJ practitioner who’s knowledge comes to the fore explaining the holds and positions to the uninitiated. It’s too easy to take Joe’s knowledge for granted.

Make space for UFC Ultimate Submissions on your DVD shelf, a must have for all MMA fanatics.

UFC Ultimate Submissions is out now on DVD, available direct from www.fightdvd.co.uk and all good retailers.

Keep visiting BluRayMMA.com for more reviews of brand new UFC, related combat sport and martial arts DVD & Blu-ray releases.

UFC DVD review by Duane Farr

duane@bluraymma.com