Review of UFC: Ultimate Iceman

Introduction

Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell is the current UFC Light-Heavyweight (205lbs) champion, and is one of the most popular fighters on the entire roster, famed for his all-action approach to MMA, and for his consistently exciting matches.

Liddell has been a integral part of driving the sport to its current heights, with his December 2006 bout noted as the largest pay-per-view buy-rate in the history of UFC. On that occasion, 1.1 million people paid $40 (£20.10) each to watch him battle Tito Ortiz, making UFC 66 one of the most-watched PPVs of all-time.

"Ultimate Iceman", then, is a profile of Liddell, and a look at the story of his UFC career.

Video

Video is presented in 4:3 fullscreen PAL, and is very good. The new interview footage (with the likes of Liddell, Dana White, and Randy Couture) looks excellent, and even the earlier bouts of Liddell`s UFC career are well presented here. The production values of this feature are also very high, maintaining the standards set by the superb UFC Countdown shows, and The Ultimate Fighter television show.

Audio

Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, and is very good for a DVD of this genre. It was just a little surprising to see this feature receive a 5.1 mix, simply because documentaries so rarely require one. But whilst the surround action is limited to just a few effects, it does add a slight warmth that would be absent in regular 2.0.

The rock soundtrack that provides background for the feature will not be to everyone`s palette, but it is in-keeping with the type of music used by UFC in their live shows. In any case, it is hardly an annoyance, and the interview material is always easily audible.

For international viewers, there is a German Dolby Digital 2.0 track available, and there are subtitles in French and Dutch.

Features

There are no extras on this disc.

Conclusion

With a running time of just under sixty minutes, "Ultimate Iceman" is divided into several different chapters, which are broken down chronologically. We get a look at Liddell`s childhood, how he grew up as an athlete, how he progressed into professional fighting, and how he found success in the UFC both as a challenger, and a champion.

The profile may be a little on the short side for someone of Liddell`s renown, but the swift pace, much like the choice of background music, is in keeping with the UFC`s television style, and it is probably fair to say that their primary demographic, 18-34, wouldn`t have it any other way. But even with the fast pace, this is a reasonably in-depth feature, which will leave viewers feeling like they know Liddell much more than they did before. Much of that is down to the fact that we get to follow the steps of Liddell`s childhood, and his development as an excellent all-round athlete. That is again furthered by looking at his UFC training methods, which include working with his long-time friend John Hackleman.

The feature, of course, would not be complete without in-depth coverage his UFC career, and this is done superbly. We get to see highlights of almost all of The Iceman`s UFC bouts, with the three exceptions being the Paul Jones bout from UFC 22, the contest with Amar Suloev from UFC 35, and the Vernon White bout from UFC 49. Brief clips of these may have been nice, but the profile benefited from that extra time being allotted to the stories behind Liddell`s most famous matches, with Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz.

In particular, the story of Liddell vs. Ortiz is fascinatingly presented for those unaware of the convoluted background to it. The only downside to it is that Ortiz does not get the chance to rebuke the accusations of his detractors, Dana White in particular.

The feature finishes with a look at the Liddell vs. Couture rubber match, which is the perfect way to end the profile. His bout with Ortiz in April 2004 may have captured the imagination more because of Ortiz`s heel-ish antics, but there is no question that the bouts with Couture stand up as the greatest series of matches that the UFC has ever had.

Overall, "Ultimate Iceman" is an excellent look at Liddell, covering everything that most fans would want to know about the man. The pace is quick, but there is still a tremendous amount of information available here, and even those familiar with Liddell will enjoy the insight. Along the way there is some excellent footage, particularly of Liddell as a youngster, and of course, of him as a MMA exponent.

"Ultimate Liddell" is retailing at £12.99, although it is already available for much less than that from many online shops. There may be no extras, nor any complete bouts available on the disc, but with this great documentary containing lots of clips of Liddell`s fifteen UFC bouts (up until February 2006) available at near-budget price, this is very much recommended.