Cert: 15

Length: 12hrs 32 mins

Discs: 5

Fighters include:

• Dan Barrera
• Blake Bowman
• Mac Danzi
• Paul Georgieff
• Billy Miles
• Dorian Price
• Jared Rollins
• Tommy Speer
• Matt Arroyo
• Richie Hightower
• John Kolosci
• Troy Mandaloniz
• Roman Mitichyan
• Ben Saunders
• Joe Scarola
• George Sotiropoulos

DVD Extras

• The Ultimate Finale Behind The Scenes
• Clay Guida At Home
• Roger Huerta At Home
• Deleted Scenes
• Matt Serra Profile
• Matt Hughes Profile
• Tommy Speer Profile
• Mac Danzig Profile
• Casting Tapes
• Fighter Auditions
  

Having heard much about The Ultimate Fighter 6 series before watching it, I was half expecting this year's search for new talent, which has almost single-handedly catapulted the UFC into American mainstream and the very reason the Fertitta's and White can churn out series after series, to take a back seat to the Serra - Hughes pantomime.

I was not reassured otherwise from the outset when UFC President, Dana White introduced the coaches to each other in the UFC Training Centre in Las Vegas before making a blatantly obvious exit. A cheap attempt at awkward television. Unfortunately the series will probably be remembered for Serra's now legendary impersonation of his coaching counterpart and indeed Hughes' estimation of himself as the Queenly figure in the Book of Esther.

For those of you who don't know, the self-publicised bible-bashing Hughes makes his team read a book from the Old Testament before asking them 'Who am I in the story?' That's right, the series also choreographed the demise of perhaps the greatest welterweight to ever fight in the UFC in the opinion of many once-loyal fans.

Again MMA's premier organisation used the reality show as a 12-week long advertisement for an upcoming title fight, this time between Serra, the first The Ultimate Fighter alumni to win a UFC title, and Hughes, a former UFC Champion. Unfortunately this does nothing more than make the relevant division sit stale for three months as the reality show unfolds.

Aside from the Punch and Judy (Serra and Hughes) show, the sixth instalment of the hugely popular and lucrative reality show employed only minor changes to the already successful format - well if it's not broken, don't fix it.
Coaches again take it in turn to pick between MMA hopefuls after a gruelling 'surprise' evaluation session, which surely can't still be a surprise to anyone who has actually watched the show.

This time round though there was no fight control to be won, fight selection was simply taken in turn, with the most successful team after the preliminary bouts picking the quarterfinal match-ups.

Oh the twist.

Also true to previous series was the customary demolition of the house by non-starters, proving once more that alcohol and hard training don't mix, and the coaches competition, rivalled only by the Ortiz – Shamrock pool game of The Ultimate Fighter 3.

But rising from ruins of a destroyed house and from the shadow of series' gone before, the Messiah of The Ultimate Fighter 6 if you will (Matt Hughes will be screaming sacrilege, god bless him) was Mac Danzig. Danzig was notably head and shoulders above the competition, and stamped his authority in the very first episode submitting Team Serra contestant Joe Scarola, who just happened to be Serra's best man at his wedding just weeks previous. Don't expect to see Scarola turning up in a prelim fight anytime soon though. He too added to the repetition of the The Ultimate Fighter shows, subsequently moping about the million dollar luxury house complaining about missing his girlfriend. Well, there's always one.

Even Serra, undeniable red-faced by the situation, offered sound advice, 'Don't be that guy.' But Danzig, who boasts more fights than some supposed UFC veterans, used to his well rounded technique, his experience and heart to dominate everyone he fought. He even made the Finale bout against farm boy, Tommy Speer (Matt Hughes version 2.0), look like a walk in the park. What Mr White will be more enthused over is Danzig's character. Basically a fighter, a star and a poster boy (albeit a Vegan poster boy) is born. And that sells seats, DVDs and God knows what else.

Danzig's love for all creatures great and small, except fellow contestants (ref Blake Bowman), provided much of the underlying story line, outside the aforementioned pantomime.

The DVD also features the The Ultimate Fighter 6 Finale, which wait for it, once again features all of the losing contestants (with the exception of love-sick Scarola). Some do put on fantastic performances, Koppenhaver and Rollins surely earned some brownie points with the boss after their blood bath, but the stand out bout is the main card between lightweight contenders Roger Huerta v Clay Guida, neither of whom have been near a The Ultimate Fighter series. If you have never understood the fascination with the lightweight division, then watch this and prepare to be enlightened.

Bonus features include an All Access-style Behind the Scenes with Huerta and Clay, Deleted Scenes, Profiles, Casting Tapes and Fighter Auditions. The Behind the Scenes feature follows the two lightweights from one month before their fight right to their dressing room after the contest, providing a voyeuristic window into the life of a UFC fighter.

Although critical of the repetitive and formulaic nature of the shows you cannot deny their entertainment value. They are vastly gripping and impossible to tear yourself away from and for that reason worth spending your hard-earned cash on, if you're a die-hard fan. They also provide those very fanatics added interest at future UFC prelim bouts where the majority of the contestants linger until they either start climbing the ladder or get shown the door, which often coincides with the Finale of the following The Ultimate Fighter show. Funny that.

Points: 6 / 10

Ian Allen

Buy It:

UK: DVD

USA: DVD