Review of UFC: 27 & 28

Introduction

With the latest release from FightDVD, we go back to the UFC "Dark Ages" for "UFC 27: Ultimate Bad Boyz" and "UFC 28: High Stakes", here presented in a lovely two-disc set.

UFC 27 was held on 22nd September 2000, from the Lake Front Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. The main event of the evening saw champion Pedro Rizzo defend his title against a bona-fide UFC legend, Dan "The Beast" Severn.

UFC 28 was held on 17th November 2000, from the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey. This was the first event to be regulated by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, giving the company more legitimacy than perhaps it had ever had, up to this point. The main event of the evening was a battle of the amateur wrestlers, as Kevin Randleman defended his Heavyweight Title against Randy "The Natural" Couture.

Video

Video is presented in 4:3 fullscreen PAL, and is very good for a DVD of this genre. Do not expect the production values of WWE or PRIDE FC here, but whilst things are a little more minimalist, the arena is well-lit at all times.

The DVD transfer is excellent, with no compression artefacts noticeable whatsoever.

Audio

Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0, and is also very good for a DVD of this genre. Everything is mixed well, from in-Octagon action, to corner-man instructions, to commentary, which is provided by Mike Goldberg and Frank Shamrock on UFC 27, and by Goldberg and Jeff Blatnick on UFC 28.

Features

There are no extras on this set.

Conclusion

It was rather odd that a Sunderland boy kicked off UFC 27, but that is exactly what happened when our own Ian Freeman faced Tedd Williams in a Heavyweight contest. Not a great deal transpired in the bout, although there was some very solid striking from the eventual winner.

In what ended up as probably the best fight of the entire evening, Yuki Kondo then faced Alexandre Dantas in a long match, which had a superb third round. Some of the striking was brutal here, too.

In what was a short bout with a great finish, Fabiano Iha then squared off against LaVerne Clark, before the Jeremy Horn - famous for being one of the few people to have beaten Chuck Liddell - tackled Eugene Jackson in another brief contest, in which some great technique was employed. The semi-main event of Maurice Smith vs. Bobby Hoffman was then up, in a bout which unfortunately played host to a lot of clinching, though there were some good strikes in there as well.

The main event of Pedro Rizzo vs. Dan Severn was an incredibly odd match, for a number of different reasons. Firstly, because UFC matchmaker John Peretti appeared on camera before the match to basically state that Heavyweight Title challenger Dan Severn is a poor fighter (!), and secondly because of the unique - and that is putting it kindly - finish to the bout. Sadly, UFC 27 thus ended on a highly anti-climatic note.

On to UFC 28, then, which began in explosive fashion, as The Ultimate Fighter 5 coach, Jens Pulver, faced John Lewis in a remarkably short match, which is a true highlight-reel bout. Following this, in an encounter which lasts only a little longer than Pulver vs. Lewis, debutants Andrei Arlovski and Aaron Brink engage in a match where great skill is displayed by the eventual winner.

The only Super-Heavyweight fight in UFC history then occurred, as Josh Barnett faced Gan McGee. This was a very good fight considering the athletic limitations of the weight class, and involved some big shots in the ground-and-pound position. In a Middleweight contest, Alex Steibling then faced Mark Hughes, twin brother of Matt, in a very ground-based affair, which was more about control and position than actual attempts to win. Hughes, by the way, is so like his brother that it is hilarious.

Renato "Babalu" Sobral and Maurice Smith then squared off in another bout that was far too much about control and position, before the eagerly-anticipated main event of Kevin Randleman vs. Randy Couture largely lived up to its billing, producing a great strategic match from both men. Unlike Rizzo vs. Severn, this one truly felt like a main event, and had an exciting finish to back up the build of the beginning of the match.

Overall, UFC 27 & 28 is an above average set, although there are no real standout matches here, that I would call must-see. That said, I did particularly enjoy Kondo vs. Dantas, Horn vs. Jackson, Barnett vs. McGee, and Randleman vs. Couture, with really only Rizzo vs. Severn really disappointing me.

As usual, with the increased production values and the higher level of skill involved, newer UFC events are the first that fans should be looking to. But those interested in the history of the company, or those looking for something "new" to watch, would be well advised to keep this in mind.