Customer Reviews

UFC 52 - Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The feature fight was short unfortunately but really good. I've waited to see the rematch of Liddell and Couture fight for awhile. The Matt Hughes fight was unbelieveable!!! Great finish in that title fight. Quite a few tap outs on this DVD. As soon as I saw it on pay per view I couldn't wait to order the DVD and watch it again.

This is yet another solid UFC event. I don't want to give too much away, but there are some things that should be obvious at this point. As I've said before, George St. Pierre is indeed dangerous. At this event, St. Pierre takes on Jason "Mayhem" Miller. Miller is certainly up to the challenge, but St. Pierre is just too much for most fighters to handle. He's on his way to MMA greatness as one of the most well-rounded fighters I've ever seen.

In another moment of note, Matt Hughes shows the spirit of a true champion in his rematch with Frank Trigg. Hughes experiences a scary moment in the octagon, but collects himself and gets right back into the bout, making for an inspirational performance. This is a must-see.

The Couture/Lidell fight is a shocker! We again are treated to seeing two of the greatest MMA fighters of all time square off again. In their first meeting a few years earlier, Couture dominated Liddell during one of the most amazing late-career victory runs in UFC history (defeating Liddell, Ortiz & Belfort). By this time, Liddell is a different fighter- and the battle bears little resemblance to their first meeting. Regardless of the result, these are the absolute cream of the crop in the light heavyweight division and I love watching them fight...

There isn't a poor fight on the DVD. This should be required viewing for fans of mixed martial arts. The DVD also includes the usual UFC behind the scenes snippets that are also definitely worth watching.

I don't know why I waited forever to come and put up a review for this event, but I guess I got lost in the moment of how good, if not great, this event was.

I'm a hardcore MMA fan and I loved the idea of the returns of Mike Van Arsdale, Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Travis Wiuff, Joe Doerkson, and Ivan Salaverry. also, the fight of the night on paper was George St. Pierre vs. Jasan Miller....GSP never disappoints.

the main event was definately overshadowed on how great the card unfolded before we got to the last fight. I was incredibly pumped throughout the Cote/Doerkson fight, which was easily the fight of the night. these guys worked and entertained. Cote was nearly flawless in his submission defense while Doerkson kept with the pressure. there were no holes during this match that was boring....all action from these 2 well deserving fighters to be in the UFC....rating: 10/10

Ivan Salaverry made a great impression to the fans and the UFC with his performance against Riggs. hardcore fans know that Salaverry is a defensive fighter, but when a fighter brings it to him, that's when he shines and proved that against a very aggressive Riggs....rating: 7.5/10

Miller/GSP did not disappoint one bit. Miller was game, but GSP was just too strong. my favorite moment from that fight was when Miller tried to kip-up from the bottom, only to be met by GSP's right roundhouse that sent him right back down to the mat on his back....rating: 8/10

Lindland was very aggressive against Lutter. this may have been the only time Lindland was entertaining other than the 2 fights against Baroni. Lindland was definately on a mission and wanted to make a statement and claim that he was prime and ready for a MW title shot....which, if you hardcore fans know, that just may not happen....rating: 7/10

the WW championship match was unbelievable....talk about overcoming adversity. Hughes came in as the favorite, but Trigg was the first to act and nearly defeated Hughes. there was definately a low blow, but the ref let the fight continue. Trigg was controlling Hughes on the ground and nearly had the rear naked choke (RNC). Hughes definately battled back and a repeat of UFC 45 unfolded....rating: 9.5/10

one of my favorite fighters, coming off a string of wins in Cage Rage events in England and winning the IFC:Global Domination 8-man tournament (defeated Trevor Prangley, Shogun Rua, and Jeremy Horn), Renato "Babalu" Sobral, was making his much anticipated return to the octagon. facing him is another returning fighter, Travis Wiuff (competed against Vladdy at UFC 40), who as well put on a terrific string of victories before getting called back to the octagon. Wiuff moved down from HW, and a very large HW he was, to take this fight and came in great shape. Babalu, looked to be in the best shape of his entire career. in the end, Babalu was just too much for the younger and could be debated, more experienced (due to the amount of fights) Wiuff....rating: 8/10

Babalu is definately in line for a future LHW title shot against the winner of.........

Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture (C). this fight lived up to the hype as Couture tried to execute the same similar gameplan from UFC 43. this time, Chuck wasn't coming in with looping haymakers, he too worked on his strategy and used more jabs and punches down the pipe to rip through Coutures defense. in the end, a new champion was crowned and Randy Couture was knocked out for the first time in his entire career....in devastating fashion....rating: 9/10

the long road for Chuck Liddell has ended, but again, started for the Iceman. new challenges and opponents await on the horizon....UFC 54, being Jeremy Horn

overall: 8.5/10

I ordered this on PPV, and it was worth the price. Overall, the fights were great to anyone who is a fan of MMA. If you say it sucked, then you are just someone who wants to see a brawl.

I would offer more insight on the matches, but I watched this a while back and can't remember details. It isn't going to be the only DVD out, King Of The Cage has over 13 hours of fights for just about the same price or lower.

If you are a fan of MMA, I recommend this.

i dont wanna spoil what happens. But it includes the best fight i have ever seen.

Somehow, 'Captain America' Couture seems like the good guy in these battles, and this rematch with Lidell. Maybe because Lidell comes across as a thug, and lacks the presumed intellect of the older thoughtful Couture. Randy on another dvd, said he found the knockout fascination 'being morbid'. Doubtful Lidell knows the use of this word.

The bout is pitched as a battle of a striker vs a grappler, though that dichotomy is moot at this level, as both fighters have strong skills in each area. Nonetheless, great grappling 'should' defeat great striking, not so much the case here. The undercard is listed elsewhere, and was excellent. Officiating here is very weak, whereas it is usually right on the money (you will see what I mean).

The organization UFC still is guttoral and classless, regardless of what you think about its BJJ/Gracie roots. Do we really need audience shots of celebrities. Are the rocket scientists behind UFC trying to tell us its ok to like UFC, the cool kids are doing it? The 'personality' of the fighters is preserved by UFC. This would be good except that for most fighters, you picture them out of the octagon circa Cell Block D.

Worth the price of admission to see Georges 'Rush' St. Pierre and Jason 'Mayhem' Miller go at it.

This was a good fight card put together by Zuffa. Most of the fights ended with submissions but there were a couple fights that went the distance and of course one KO. Unlike many MMA events only three of the eight fights ended in the first round and the Title fights were both very exciting. The only reason I didn't give this DVD five stars is because Couture lost.

The day this came in the mail, I wiped a tear of joy from my eye! Maybe some of the best UFC fights. Anytime Randy and Chuck face off is a must have. I have played many of these fights over and over. Great stuff. Must have for the UFC enthusiast.

With a successful realty cable TV series behind them, the UFC was ready to unleash the inevitable rematch between current Light-Heavyweight champion Randy Couture and number one contender Chuck Liddell. Both fighters graciously participated as coaches in the Ultimate Fighter (TUF) TV show and were now ready to face each other with an arsenal of new fans (and loyal ones too). Beyond the main event, a solid card was stacked featuring solid contenders and another championship rematch between Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg for the 170lb. crown.

The night began with a heavyweight battle between two specimens looking to establish themselves as contenders. John Marsh's MMA record was honestly not very impressive, but beyond the numbers Marsh was a very strong individual that just recently beat UFC veteran Wesley "Cabbage" Correira in Rumble in the Rock 5. His opponent was an exceptional wrestler making his UFC comeback after 7 years. In 1998, Mike Van Arsdale made his MMA debut by winning an 8-man tournament in Brazil . This impressive accomplishment earned him a fight in the UFC against Joe Pardo. After submitting Pardo via " Americana " armlock, Van Arsdale traveled back to Brazil to fight against a very young striker Wanderlei Silva. The young future Pride Middleweight champion upset Van Arsdale and his impressive run. Not much was heard from Van Arsdale in the MMA world until he made a comeback in 2002 in a smaller organization. Fast forward to 2005 and he is opening a UFC...quite the trip. The battle between these two fighters went the distance, but required the eventual winner to pull out a convincing third round.

In MMA there are the Brazilian, USA , and Japanese scenes that are prominent in both fighters and fan base. Just north of the USA though, Canadian MMA has really come to it's own and unleashed several respectful fighting organizations and impressive fighters. The UFC had already tasted some of the Canadian talent with Georges St. Pierre and David Louiseau, but the second fight would feature two Canadians facing each other with both having distinctive styles. Patrick Cote has an undefeated record and a killer right hand that earned him a shot at the Light-Heavyweight championship against ex-champion Tito Ortiz in 2004. Despite briefly stunning Ortiz, Cote was outmatched by the much more experienced Ortiz. In this his second UFC fight, he would be pitted against a fellow Canadian with a strong Jiu-Jitsu/submissions game. Joe Doerksen had high hopes in his debut against Joe Riggs, but Riggs overwhelmed a cautious Doerksen en route to a stunning TKO. Like Cote , Doerksen too was looking for redemption. Their battle would see the very best of each other's strengths and provide as a very entertaining fight with many transitions and escapes. In the end there was no escape for the unfortunate loser.

The aforementioned Joe "Diesel" Riggs has had an interesting career in MMA that has seen him fight as a 300lb heavyweight right down to his 185lb division fight against Ivan Salaverry. Riggs' nickname is fitting for the size and power he brings to the middleweight division. His debut in the UFC saw him live up to his billing by beating accomplished grappler Joe Doerksen into submission via strikes. Ivan Salaverry on the flip side is a fighter that is as scientific and cagey as they come. Being a fighter for 6 years and training with multiple camps, Salaverry truly has a well-rounded game. His most recent victory over tough Miletich-fighter Tony Fryklund earned him another fight against and up and comer in Riggs. Their fight would end in one of the best set ups to a triangle choke in recent memory.

Following a missed opportunity such as title shot can really diminish a fighter's spirit. With a chance to win the vacated 170lb. title against Matt Hughes in UFC 50, Georges St. Pierre had the ultimate opportunity only to fall short. Despite dominating the fight, St. Pierre would fall victim to briefly underestimating Hughes; thus suffering a loss via arm bar. His setback though would be put to the test against a fighter known equally for his fighting skills and eccentric behavior as well. Jason "Mayhem" Miller is a very good fighter; he is also a very odd character outside the ring. His recent success in the SuperBrawl shows in Hawaii against formidable opposition (Ronald Jhun and Enson Inoue) earned him a debut in the UFC. The battle of young guns was a riveting battle filled with great technique, escapes, and reversals. In the end though a well deserved unanimous decision was given.

The most dominant 185 lb fighter in the UFC not to wear a belt was featured next against a BJJ Blackbelt coming off a stunning one punch knockout. Lindland once upon a time did have a shot at the middleweight crown against then champion Murilo Bustamante at UFC 37. Lindland fought a game battle, but Bustamante was the better fighter that night. While racking up victories, he would suffer two setbacks in rather rare circumstances. His loss to Niko Vitale was a result of self knockout while attempting to take Vitale down, while his loss to David Terrell ended quickly after a quick barrage. After a lackluster first round against Marvin Freeman in his UFC debut, Travis Lutter decided to take it to the "Beastman". And with a quick straight on the button, he dropped Eastman in a knockout replayed in many highlight reels. The battle between Lindland and Lutter would be an intense one ending with a surprise of sorts.

In November of 2003, 170lb champion Matt Hughes fought contender Frank Trigg in the main event of UFC 45. Their fight was hyped pretty well with a lot of trash talking coming especially from Trigg. Their first encounter ended with Hughes submitting Trigg via a rear naked choke from a standing position. Since then Hughes lost and regained his 170 crown, while Trigg slowly but surely managed to regain his number one contender ranking. The result was a rematch and fight that stole the show with drama and skill. This fight alone is worth checking out this DVD.

Renato "Babalu" Sobral was once a Ruas Vale Tudo fighter that was best known for taking a kick to the face by Chuck Liddell. Since this unfortunate loss, Babalu racked up a mean winning streak of 7 victories, including a 8-man tournament victory at the IFC - Global Domination show. In that tournament he defeated fighters Trevor Prangley, Mauricio Rua, and Jeremy Horn all in one night. His recent success was credited to switching camps and training exclusively with the Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu team. He would need to exhibit his skills against another fighter that was as "on fire" as he. With 19 straight victories mostly in smaller shows, Travis Wiuff had grown accustomed to winning. Despite criticism regarding his opponents, a winning streak of that quantity still was very impressive. The battle of the streaking fighters would be even for a round, but would end at the beginning of the second round with a textbook submission.

The biggest main event in UFC history was next and both fighters were eager to perform well for themselves and the hungry crowd. Randy Couture is the UFC's most decorated champion. He is a former two time heavyweight champion and two time light heavyweight champion as well. In most of his fights he had been the underdog, mostly pointed to age. His first fight against Vitor Belfort was his first of these underdog roles he excelled. At the time Belfort was considered unbeatable, but not only did Couture win...but did so mostly on the feet. His reclaiming of the Heavyweight championship in UFC 28 against Kevin Randleman also saw him overcome his critics. Of course, his route to winning the Light-Heavyweight crown; besting both Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz in convincing fashion. It was interesting that he was clearly a favorite in this fight against Liddell. Chuck Liddell was a patient man, maybe not by his own choosing, but wait he did as Tito Ortiz stretched out his title reign. Once Tito was beaten by Randy Couture, his opportunity of the limelight was only one win away; little did he know that the old guy he was to face would shock the world (again) and beat him so convincingly. A dejected Liddell then traveled to Japan to enter Pride's 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix as the UFC representative. He made the top brass proud by reaching the semi-finals before being beaten by a game Quentin Jackson. After his Japan experience, Liddell focused on a grudge match against Ortiz; it was to be a pivotal match for him as he finally got Tito and Ko'd him in the process. With his victory over Vernon "Tiger" White, Liddell positioned himself for a rematch against Couture. The UFC decided to use their inevitable match up as backing story to their reality TV Cable show The Ultimate Fighter. The result was a surge in popularity for both fighters and their clash. Once they touched gloves their roles of coaches ceased and a historic fight ensued.