UFC 80: Rapid Fire

Introduction

UFC 80: Rapid Fire was another trans-Atlantic venture for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, as they landed in Newcastle, England for the first time in company history. And there was plenty for Tyneside UFC fans to talk about in the lead-up to the show, as what had been announced as a battle for the Interim Lightweight Title was changed to a bout for the vacant title, as champion Sean Sherk had to relinquish the belt after testing positive for nandrolone. Though fiercely contested, the California State Athletic Commission was not an opponent Sherk could defeat.

That left BJ Penn and Joe Stevenson to pick up the pieces in the main event, on top of the all-British affair between Paul Taylor and Paul Kelly, and Gabriel Gonzaga vs Fabricio Werdum, in match which would likely declare the No.1 contender to the UFC Heavyweight Title.

UFC 80: Rapid Fire took place on 19th January 2008, from the Metro Radio Arena, in Newcastle, England.

Video

Video is presented in 4:3 fullscreen PAL, and is very good for a DVD of this genre. The production is a typical UFC setup, which means the important things, such as the lighting, are done well.

The transfer to DVD is very good, with no digital artefacts noticeable.

Audio

Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0, and is also very good. The mix of the live crowd, the commentary, and the in-Octagon action is excellent, so that all are well heard alongside the other.

For international viewers, there is a further 2.0 track available in French.

Extras

The UFC DVD standard "Behind The Scenes" featurette is available here, which also means that it is of the usual high standard. There is much interview footage available, which makes the Penn vs Stevenson main event in particular more interesting, although the post-match footage is possibly even more so, considering it has not been available elsewhere.

Main feature

UFC 80: Rapid Fire did not begin as the Geordie fans - nor the company themselves - had hoped, as while Lightweight bout between Sam Stout and Per Ecklund did begin promisingly, Ecklund's desire to contest the bout on the ground dragged it down - almost literally. Unfortunately, the second match wasn't a great deal better - although an injury did have a hand - as Alessio Sakara faced James Lee.

Thankfully, the all-English bout between Paul Taylor and Paul Kelly was an excellent, pacey fight in the Lightweight division, which featured good work both standing, and on the ground, although things came crashing back down to earth in the Heavyweight contest between Colin Robinson and Antoni Hardonk, although injury was a major factor in that one, too.

The main pay-per-view card began with an Ultimate Fighter winner, Kendall Grove, as he came up against the MMA veteran Jorge Rivera. This was another short match, which featured some devastating striking, even from a grounded position. A Light Heavyweight bout between Jason Lambert and Wilson Gouveia was next, in a bout which was fought mostly on the ground, but ended with a highlight-reel knockout. A similar conclusion was the case in a lightning-fast Welterweight bout between "The Irish Hand Grenade" Marcus Davis, and Jess Liaudin.

The penultimate contest, in the Heavyweight division, between Fabricio Werdum and Gabriel Gonzaga was a rematch from a bout between the two in 2003, which Werdum won. This was a little slow-paced, especially when compared to the great Taylor vs Kelly fight, but at least it did not drag out for an entire 15 minutes.

The main event for the Lightweight Title was one of the most punishing bouts in recent UFC memory, at least judging by the disgusting blood-loss suffered by one of the competitors. It should be noted that a doctor, unaffiliated to UFC, sanctioned the bout to continue, even though it certainly did not seem safe to do so. In any case, while the fight was a little one-sided, it told a fine story, and set up the first defence of the title for the eventual winner, too.

Conclusion

Overall, UFC 80: Rapid Fire is a mixed bag. Taylor vs Kelly is excellent, and is a must-see for any serious UFC fan. But even looking past the somewhat-boring Werdum vs Gonzaga, there are too many bouts that conclude either too early, or end due to injury. It's a hazard of the environment, of course, but one that means that there are much better UFC titles out there.