Review of UFC: The Ultimate Fighter - Season 2 (5 Discs)

Introduction

"Reality" television. I used to think you either loved it or hated it, but now I`m not so sure.

I will admit to enjoying the first series of Big Brother, when "Nasty" Nick Bateman was a great reason to tune in, just to see what he`d get up to next. Even the second series had some redeeming factors, although right now I`m struggling to remember exactly what they were.

Since then however, things have gone way downhill. The organic feuding of relatively-normal people has been replaced by something that looks much more contrived. Maybe I`m in the distinct minority, but I find it much more interesting to see how quasi-normal people react to the Big Brother stage, rather than some weirdo who is figuratively screaming "Look at me!" every few minutes.

So for me, reality television has been something to be avoided for the last five years. That was until I came across The Ultimate Fighter, a reality show that sought to find a new star for The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

The concept was simple. Eighteen unsigned fighters (nine heavyweights and nine welterweights) entered a Big Brother-style house, where they were divided into two teams, coached by UFC veterans Matt Hughes and Rich Franklin. A series of challenges was instigated, where the winning team would get the chance to match one of their fighters against an opponent of their choice. The fighter who lost, went home.

The series would culminate with The Ultimate Fighter finale, where the remaining four fighters (two heavyweights, two welterweights) battled for a six-figure contract with the UFC. But in between all of this was the drama of living and training with a future opponent, the injuries, the pain, and the heartbreak of loss.

This was true reality television. How better to settle a feud than by knocking the other guy out? You don`t see that on Big Brother!

Video

Video is presented in 4:3 fullscreen PAL, and is excellent. The image is a tad soft due to its NTSC origins, but away from that, is virtually flawless for a TV DVD. This looks even better than on its UK digital TV airings.

Audio

Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 and is also very good indeed. This is a slick television production, and the audio reflects that.

For international viewers, there is a French 2.0 track, as well as subtitles in German and Dutch.

Features

The extras in this set begin on Disc Four, with a behind-the-scenes look at the fighters as they prepare for the Ultimate Fighter finale. This is a very interesting twenty minute feature, particularly so for the footage of the fighters drastically cutting weight before the weigh-ins.

Next is the Finale itself, a tightly-edited 1 ¾hr version of American television event. I don`t want to give away who reached the finals, but I will say that each of the six fights here were extremely hard-fought, especially the Ultimate Fighter Heavyweight final. The main event of the card was also very good, as Ultimate Fighter 1 winner Diego Sanchez faced Nick Diaz in a particularly gruelling contest.

Also on Disc Four is one hour`s worth of fighter profiles, but as these also spoil who made it to the finals, I`ll not say who they feature. They are however, very well put together.

The extras continue on Disc Five, with a compilation of audition tapes that were used to choose the fighters for this series. This is quite a humourous extra, especially with the additional commentary track by Ultimate Fighter 1 finalists Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin.

Conclusion

The Ultimate Fighter Season 2 is a fascinating television series, that has made an excellent transfer to DVD. The series is obviously aimed at UFC fans, but anyone with an interest in reality TV is encouraged to take a look.

Like Big Brother, viewers get to learn about the characters involved, and inevitably you`ll find yourself fascinated by the fights as you cheer on your particular favourite. You will also find yourself cringing at some of the challenges that the fighters have to endure, and the pain of both injuries and defeat as someone inevitably is sent home.

The series is also presented superbly on DVD, with a virtually flawless transfer, which is even better than the original digital TV broadcast. The extras, which include the Finale, are excellent, and round off the series perfectly.

Seen only in the UK on Bravo TV, this series will have been missed by many who would truly enjoy it. If this review has caught your intrigue, put this five-disc set on your next "want" list.