Review of UFC: 31 & 32

Introduction

FightDVD`s chronicling of past UFC events presses on again with this release, this time a look at UFC events 31 and 32.

"UFC 31: Locked and Loaded" took place on 4th May 2001, from the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Aside from the main event of Randy Couture vs. Pedro Rizzo, the event was particularly notable for the adoption of the current UFC weight classes. Weight classes had been around in the promotion since February 1997, but the changes seen here were those based on the recommendations of the Nevada State Athletic Commission , the front-runner in regulating the sport.

"UFC 32: Showdown in the Meadowlands" took place on 29th June 2001, from the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The main event featured Tito Ortiz defending his Light-Heavyweight Title (which, under the previous rules, had been billed as the Middleweight Title) against the Australian Elvis Sinosic.

Video

Video is presented in 4:3 fullscreen PAL, and is very good for a DVD of this genre. Although it is obvious that the production values of the show had not hit their peak (where they remain today), the lighting of the show is excellent, which is the main thing to consider from these type of live-to-tape sporting events.

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

Audio

Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0, and is very good for a DVD of this genre. The sound is well-mixed, so that ring introductions, in-Octagon action, and commentary can all easily be heard around one another. Commentary is provided by Mike Goldberg and Jeff Blatnick, the latter performing on his final UFC show at UFC 32. Former Middleweight champion Frank Shamrock also contributes.

Features

There are no extras on this set.

Conclusion

UFC 31: Locked and Loaded opened up with an extremely odd Light-Heavyweight bout, as former Olympic silver medallist in Greco-Roman wrestling, Matt Lindland, faced Ricardo Almeida. There wasn`t a great deal of action in this one, and it concluded dreadfully indecisively.

Much better was the Heavyweight bout between the towering Semmy Schilt, and Pete Williams. The first round was boring in the extreme, but both men made up for in the second.

The famous Shonie Carter vs. Matt Serra bout was next, the match that no highlight reel is complete without documenting. Both men were very impressive here, and the bout seemed to be won on several occasions, before a stunning knockout finished it.

Chuck Liddell and Kevin Randleman then contested a bizarre bout, with the crowd very disappointed in its one-sided nature. In the penultimate bout, Welterweight champion Pat Miletich defended against Carlos Newton in a very entertaining contest, which was surprisingly fought mostly from a standing position.

The Heavyweight championship main event between Randy Couture and Pedro Rizzo, was a long, attritional affair. It was also brutal, and both men displayed incredible fortitude to continue to compete for as long as they did. From an entertainment standpoint, this wasn`t exactly a classic, but you had to greatly admire each man nonetheless.

On to UFC 32, then, the opening bout of which was Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Yuji Kondo, in a Light-Heavyweight bout. Unfortunately, this wasn`t a good way to start the show (though still better than the previous event`s Lindland vs. Almeida), with little in the way of action, although the opening flurries in each round promised more.

A short, fun bout then saw Caol Uno face Fabiano Iha, before Pat Miletich returned to face Shonie Carter. This was a highly tactical fight, which nonetheless featured some superb striking, and a great finish.

The 6ft 3", 260lb Josh Barnett appeared positively tiny in the next encounter, as he squared off against 6ft 11", 265lb Semmy Schilt. With Schilt a noted kickboxer, Barnett was keen to have this match fought on the ground, and even though he achieved that goal, the striking in this bout remained punishing.

That same adjective could be applied to BJ Penn vs. Din Thomas, which was short, but featured a masterclass performance from the eventual winner. The main event of Tito Ortiz vs. Elvis Sinosic for the Light-Heavyweight Title was almost as quick, though not quite as spectacular.

Overall, UFC 31 & 32 had its ups and downs, but moreso than that, had lots in the middle. Of the twelve bouts presented here, only the two opening contests disappointed, and only Shonie Carter vs. Matt Serra is a must-see encounter. Outside of that, there are interesting bouts in Miletich vs. Newton, Couture vs. Rizzo, and Penn vs. Thomas.

Mixed martial arts was still evolving at this point, and it took the sport until 2007 to truly broach the mainstream press. UFC 31 & 32 is worth a look, if you want to witness just how the UFC came to be where it is today.