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All Rise...Judge Ian Visser fights under the name "The Shelter Valley Madman." His "little piggy toe hold" is legendary. The ChargeIsn't 52 sequels some kind of record? The CaseInitially relegated to cheap ballrooms and hotel stages, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has become big business, attracting sponsors, birthing a reality show, and making stars out of its fighters. As a pay-per-view staple UFC attracts millions of viewers to its no-holds-barred combat inside the caged octagon. UFC53—Heavy Hittersis recorded from a live 2005 broadcast from inside the Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall in New Jersey. In contrast to early UFC matches, current fights now feature many restrictions which limit such anti-social activities as: • Butting with the head While the UFC has refined its policy of acceptable techniques (and gotten itself sanctioned by several states' athletic commissions) the fighters have grown increasingly well-trained and dangerous. Early UFC fighters were often out-of-shape brawlers or untested tough-talkers as likely to run for cover as pummel it out. By contrast, there's nobody featured in UFC53—Heavy Hittersthat you'd like to meet in an alley behind your local watering hole. Eight fights are featured in UFC53—Heavy Hitters: • Koji Oishi vs. Nick Diaz The featured championship fights each have a limit of five rounds of five minutes, and the remaining matches a maximum of three rounds. Although the majority of fights end in the first round, several extend for 3 or 4 rounds and get increasingly bloody. Between matches we get short pre-fight interviews and summaries of the fighters and their histories. Chapter stops are plentiful on the DVD so viewers can skip the interview sessions and head straight to the next fight. UFC production values are much higher today than in the infancy of the sport. Live broadcasts feature advanced light and music displays coupled with slick graphics and promotion to give the events a professional wrestling-type feel. Actor Joe Rogan (News Radio) is a constant presence at UFC events, providing color commentary for the matches. Although I find Rogan's frat-boy shtick a little tiresome, he knows his UFC facts and is clearly a fan. The special features included on the disc are a limited batch. Aside from a highlight reel from the show itself, the majority of the extras are backstage vignettes of the fighters and their warm-up routines. There's not much here for anyone except die-hard fans, although I did enjoy watching the fighters try and sweat off any remaining ounces before weigh-in to make it into their respective weight classes. UFC53—Heavy Hittersis presented in 1.78:1 widescreen and features a solid image with minimum graininess. As is expected from a recent release, there are few issues with color balance and there are no significant defects. The audio is nice and aggressive, even with a 2-channel Dolby Digital mix. Better production values make UFC53—Heavy Hittersa more satisfying viewing experience over their earlier efforts, but the main difference is that the current UFC contestants are better fighters than their early counterparts. Fans of the UFC will find that UFC53—Heavy Hittersdelivers the action as they have come to expect. Give us your feedback!Did we give Ultimate Fighting Championship 53: Heavy Hitters a fair trial? yes / no Other Reviews You Might Enjoy
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Review content copyright © 2006 Ian Visser; Site design and review layout copyright © 2013 Verdict Partners LLC. All rights reserved.
