UFC 84: Ill Will

Introduction

There were several big stories coming into "UFC 84: Ill Will", none more so than concerning the Lightweight Title main event pitting champion BJ Penn vs Sean Sherk. Penn claimed the title from Joe Stevenson in January, after Sherk, the previous champion, was stripped of the title after a positive test for nandrolone. The former champion was furious at the decision, a fact that was only made worse by Penn decrying the use of drugs in sport.

Also causing controversy on the card was the final UFC bout of Tito Ortiz, who was not handed an easy contest, as he faced Lyoto Machida. Machida's unconventional and defensive style had yet to be conquered in four UFC fights, while UFC President Dana White had made clear his belief that Ortiz was past his peak.

UFC 84: Ill Will was held on 24th May 2008, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Video

Video is presented in 4:3 fullscreen PAL, and is excellent for a DVD of this genre. It's a typical UFC production, meaning the camerawork and lighting of the Octagon - the most important things - are tremendous.

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

Audio

Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0, and is also very good. Audience noise, in-Octagon action, and commentary (provided by Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan) can all be easily heard alongside the other.

There is another 2.0 also available, in French.

Extras

The second disc here is choc full of superb extras, that really complete the UFC event experience. First of all, there's a long "Behind The Scenes" documentary, which doesn't fit the standard on the UFC single-disc sets. Here, the main event of Sean Sherk vs BJ Penn is highlighted by giving a long video history of both fighters, with lots of interview footage from the participants, as well as the likes of UFC commentators Mike Goldberg Joe Rogan, and matchmaker Joe Silva. But true to form, there is also the usual post-fight footage, which also makes for excellent viewing.

We've also got the pre-fight press conference and the weigh-ins here, which serve as excellent build-ups in their own right, as well as the post-fight press conference, during which we get to hear the thoughts of the various fighters, after the battles have taken place.

Main feature

The opening contest of UFC 84 occurred in the Heavyweight division, as top prospect Shane Carwin faced Christian Wellisch. This was a short and spectacular contest, with a finish that will no doubt appear on the next UFC highlight-reel DVD.

Two of the next three bouts saw fighters from Liverpool compete, as Jason Tan faced Dong Hyun Kim (Welterweight) and Terry Etim battled Rich Clementi (Lightweight). The latter bout was the more competitive of the two, though Tan vs Kim did deliver some brutal strikes. Sandwiched in between was Ultimate Fighter winner Jon Koppenhaver vs Yoshiyuki Yoshida (Welterweight), which was another short contest which featured an excellent finish.

Coming off a disappointing performance in his UFC debut, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou then faced fellow former PRIDE fighter Kazuhiro Nakamura in a Light Heavyweight contest. There was some explosive striking in this bout, particularly in the form of body kicks. On the opposite end of the technical scale, the proceeding bout between Brazilian Rousimar Palhares and Ivan Salverry (Middleweight) was not a bout based on striking, but on fascinating submission technique.

Thiago Alves vs Antonio Mendes began a night of Light Heavyweight fights on the main pay-per-view card, in what was a short but quite exciting bout. Then came what may prove to be Tito Ortiz' final UFC match, as he faced Lyoto Machida. A fascinating bout without being edge-of-the-seat material, this lived up to expectations.

Goran Rejlic showed off some incredible kicks - reminiscent of the heyday of compatriot Mirko CroCop - in the next bout, as he faced Wilson Gouveia (Light Heavyweight), before PRIDE legend Wanderlei Silva faced Keith Jardine (also Light Heavyweight) in an exceptionally short but phenomenally explosive contest. Blink, and you'll miss it.

The evening's main event was the grudge match that everyone expected, as champion BJ Penn faced Sean Sherk for the Lightweight Title. In those circumstances, it was not surprising that this was a brutal bout, but it was an exciting and dramatic one at that.





Overall, UFC 84 was a very enjoyable event, highlighted - as every card theoretically should be - be an excellent, dramatic main event. The undercard was well above average as well, and with the bonus disc an excellent compliment, this is one to look out for on the shelves.