Review of UFC: The Ultimate Fighter - Season 3 (5 Discs)

Introduction

Season 3 of The Ultimate Fighter - the UFC`s version of a reality TV contest - is perhaps the most important thing that the company has produced, since its debut back in 1993. Not only did it help to engineer a huge pay-per-view buy rate for the UFC 61 bout between coaches Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock, but the subsequent rematch of that fight became the most watched mixed martial arts contest ever on television.

In terms of importance, the only competition for the accolade is the first season of show, which was a ratings hit on American TV channel Spike, and brought the company out of a slump in which it had been for several years.

For those new to The Ultimate Fighter, the concept is simple. Up-and-coming MMA fighters are trained by UFC coaches, whilst living in the same house together. The combatants go on to compete against each other for the title of The Ultimate Fighter. The winners - in this instance, one from the Light-Heavyweight division and another from the Middleweight division - of the competition is guaranteed an impressive contract with the UFC.

Although the show is also geared into creating new competitors for the UFC, the main focus of this season of the show was on feuding coaches Ortiz and Shamrock. Their disagreements, to put it mildly, stem from Ortiz`s disrespect of Guy Mezger, a member of Shamrock`s training group. Shamrock, never one to tolerate disrespect, reacted furiously, and even though he was defeated by Ortiz at UFC 40, the spat was never forgotten.

TUF 3 is presented here on five discs, and includes The Ultimate Fighter finale program, and a wealth of extras.

Video

Video is presented in 4:3 fullscreen PAL, and is very good for a DVD of this genre. The production values of each episode are very solid, but shy away from glitz and glamour to give the show a slightly more realistic feel. Editing is tight, but well-paced.

The transfer to DVD is uncomplicated, and free of digital errors.

Audio

Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0, and is also very good for a DVD of this genre. Once again, it is solid, with few frills, but that`s a plus in this case, and not a minus.

Everything is mixed well, so dialogue is always easily heard. At moments where words are inaudible, or difficult to make out, subtitles are provided.

Regular subtitles are available in Dutch and French.

Features

There are almost three hours of extras available here, most of which are very much worthy of your attention.

The extended version (around fifteen minutes of extra footage) of Episode 1 of the series, is quite good, but in truth, the unused footage is put to much better use in the profiles of Michael Bisping, Kendall Grove, Josh Haynes, and Ed Herman. Each of these is around 25 minutes in length, and tells the story of the fighters` stay in the house. All four of these are excellent productions, and serve to enhance your knowledge of each fighter.

The Cast Audition featurette has footage of the interviews conducted by the UFC, prior to the choosing of the Season 3 participants. With hindsight of what takes place during the series proper, there is much comedy in some of the fighters` comments. Some, on the other hand, make you simply want to wince.

Speaking of comedy and wincing, there is plenty of that to be done, too, with the videos from the unsuccessful fighter candidates, which are also included here.

Conclusion

By Season Three of the The Ultimate Fighter, the UFC had well-honed the style of reality TV show that they wanted. This is a slick, fast-moving production, though its pacing is thoughtful enough that all of the major events that occur are given time to become memorable.

I won`t spoil what actually occurs during the series, but it should be no surprise that there consistently appears to be a threat of tensions exploding between Shamrock and Ortiz, which, with Shamrock`s fiery personality, always makes for good television. The fighters have their inevitable differences too, and while there is much humour in the up-tight antics of Rory Singer, for example, more serious issues develop revolving around the deaf athlete Matt Hamill.

If you find yourself forming an opinion of some of the personalities in the house - something which, with the quality of production here, is difficult not to do - you will undoubtedly find yourself on the edge of your seat when it comes to the elimination bouts. Even those who are not a fan of the UFC, or fighting in general, will find themselves intrigued, at the very least, by what occurs inside the Octagon. For those who are fans already, the contests are all the better.

Rounding off the season, which runs for twelve episodes, is the Ultimate Fighter finale, which includes the finals match-ups, as well as several other contests, including a main event of Kenny Florian vs Sam Stout. Shown here in full, the finale features a truly outstanding bout in the Middleweight final.

To conclude, it would be easy to blow off The Ultimate Fighter as a reality TV show that is only for fans of the sport. But the make-up of the actual show, regardless of the fights, is often gripping viewing, especially once you begin to get a feel for the various characters.

Therefore, if you are a fan of reality TV, but have perhaps not yet discovered the UFC, this DVD release is certainly worth your time and money. Those who are already UFC fans, simply must make the effort to view this.