Review of UFC 60: Hughes vs. Gracie

Introduction

Held at the famous Staples Centre in Los Angeles, California on 27th May 2006, UFC 61: Hughes vs Gracie was a battle of two different UFC generations. Matt Hughes, 33, the current UFC Welterweight champion, is known as one of the very best all-rounders in the MMA world. Royce Gracie, 39, dominated the early UFC competitions held in the mid-90s, not because he was a great striker, but because he was a ju-jitsu specialist, seemingly capable of making anyone submit.

There was much conjecture over who would win the fight; would it be the current title-holder Hughes, or the expert Gracie. Going in, many observers believed that even after an eleven year UFC hiatus (he had competed sparingly in other promotions), Gracie was the favourite. The event certainly captured the public`s attention, as 600,000 people paid $40 each to watch the event on American pay-per-view.

Video

Video is presented in 4:3 fullscreen PAL. I seem to wheel out the same phrases for every UFC DVD, but this is a fantastic transfer that is light years ahead of the broadcast that TV viewers got on Bravo. Live-to-tape sports events do not look any better than this.

Audio

Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 and is very good for a DVD of this genre. Everything from music, to commentary, to in-Octagon action is clear. Commentary is superbly provided by Mike Goldberg, Joe Rogan, and UFC Hall-of-Famer Randy Couture.

For international viewers, there are German, French and Dutch language tracks.

Features

As has become their staple, this UFC DVD has but one extra, a thirty-minute look at the Hughes vs Gracie contest. In the days leading up to the match, the feature spends time with both participants, seeing how they prepare, and getting their thoughts on tactics to beat the other. There is also some post-fight locker room footage, which really brings home how much each match means to a fighter.

This is an excellent feature, and is a must-see accompaniment to the event itself.

Conclusion

The card began with a short bout between Melvin Guillard (famous from appearing on the UFC`s reality TV show, The Ultimate Fighter) and Rick Davis. It may have been short, but it was explosive, and an excellent knockout finished it.

Gabriel Gonzaga and Fabiano Scherner were up next in another attacking bout, which had a nice mix of both stand-up and wrestling action, before Spencer Fisher and Matt Wiman engaged in a superb contest, which in my view was the match of the night. The attacking verve of the fighters was heightened by a little acrimony between the two - most noticeable at the end of the first round - as well as a fantastic finish.

After the striking showcase that was Fisher vs Wiman, Jeremy Horn and Chael Sonnen took things to the ground, in a match which involved some good ground-and-pound striking, but also a beautiful submission finish.

Mick Swick and Joe Riggs then contested a short match that involved little of note until the excellent finish, and Assuerio Silva and Brandon Vera offered more of the same in the next bout, which featured some good kicking, and had an equally nice conclusion.

The bout between John Alessio and Diego Sanchez was an extremely odd one given the overly-defensive tactics of Alessio, and this was yet another contest that had a great finish, and one I`d never seen before at that. Then, in the penultimate match, Alessio Sakara faced Dean Lister in a contest which had little to it, but showcased great technique on the part of the eventual winner.

If you were to watch the Hughes vs Gracie main event with the sound down, with no understanding of who the fighters were, you could make an argument for saying that in fact, it was the poorest match on UFC 61. The match was horribly one-sided, but the amazing crowd intensity, and the fact that this match was such a battle of styles, deflected from its shortcomings and made it seem like a great match. And even though it was not, it was rather climatic.

Overall, UFC 60 was an excellent event, which had one truly outstanding match in Fisher vs Wiman, and nothing that made this reviewer reach for the fast-forward button. The main event was by no means a classic, but is a must-see for MMA fans.

Highly recommended.