Ultimate Fighting Championship Classics, Vol. 1
The booming popularity of "Ultimate Fighting" and all the attendant superstar DVD compilations in constant release has sparked a lot of interest for new fans to work their way backwards in the history of the "sport." The tagline on the box is, "In the Beginning There Were No Rules." Not much has changed in Ultimate Fighting since these bouts were documented in 1994--there are still no rules, and the hits, chops, body blows and blood are more real than anything that tame-in-comparison professional wrestling has to offer. Ultimate Fighting usually involves matches that pit fighters with two completely different styles in an octagonal cage. There's no corner to escape to -- no escape at all, in fact. Legends in this collection include Royce Gracie who demonstrates his own brand of Jiu-Jitsu, and Ken Shamrock, whose specialty is something called Submission Fighting. This is raw, brutal stuff, which is exactly what makes it so exciting for hardcore UFC devotees.--Ted Fry