UFC 39: The Warriors Return
Review by Andrew Garvey

UFC 39 is Zuffa’s first two disc DVD release and is definitely recommended. A very good, though not great UFC has been enhanced with a number of insightful extras. This release should serve as a blueprint for future UFC DVDs.

DISC ONE
This contains the five fights which formed the core of the original pay-per-view.

In the opener Phil Baroni unleashed awesome speed and power to destroy former UFC Middleweight Champion Dave Menne in 18 furious seconds.

Gan McGee beat Pedro Rizzo by TKO in an intriguing match when a perfect straight right by ‘The Giant’ sent Rizzo sprawling and smashed his nose.

Caol Uno then progressed to the final of the UFC Lightweight tournament with a clear decision victory over the very talented Din Thomas.

BJ Penn entered a disappointing performance against Matt Serra, winning a close decision in a good match which failed to live up to very high prefight expectations.

Ricco Rodriguez won the vacant UFC Heavyweight title in an emotional fight with Randy Couture. Couture dominated early but Ricco’s skills, heart and weight advantage saw him batter the UFC legend into submission in the fifth and final round of an action filled main event.

DISC TWO
The second disc features a wide range of bonus material including three preliminary fights, the first two of which did not air on pay-per-view.

PRELIMINARY FIGHTS:
Sean Sherk battered Benji Radach with his excellent ground and pound technique, forcing a stoppage due to a cut.

An unusually aggressive Matt Lindland dominated an overwhelmed Ivan Salaverry, winning a unanimous decision.

Tim Sylvia battered the iron-chinned Wesley ‘Cabbage’ Correira all over the Octagon in a brutally one-sided match before Correira’s corner finally threw in the towel.

BONUS MATERIAL:
A Day in the Life: Ricco Rodriguez is the best of the extras and contains some very revealing moments. The title is somewhat misleading since there is also plenty of footage of Randy Couture but it is a very revealing and well put together montage of clips.

It opens with clips of Ricco’s fights, comments from training partner Tito Ortiz and film from Team Punishment’s training sessions. Ricco then talks convincingly about his new-found dedication to the sport and of his admiration and respect for Couture.

Rodriguez’ boxing trainer Don House then discusses both participants and emphasises Ricco’s vastly improved conditioning. Randy Couture is interviewed next, discussing Ricco, the size difference between the two men and the preparations he has made to combat it. These two segments were particularly revealing since Ricco’s fitness and weight advantage were essential to his victory.

The scene then shifts to locker room footage and we see both men having their hands wrapped and warming up. This section too is telling as Ricco seems so much more relaxed and fluid than the much stiffer Couture. Following this is a selection of well chosen clips from the main event These do an excellent job of telling the story of the fight.

After the fight we see Ricco return to the locker room and we also take a trip to F-word city as Team Punishment celebrate and analyse the fight. The piece ends with Tito Ortiz and Ricco before what seems like a million of Ricco’s relatives express their joy at his achievement.

UFC 39 Weigh-in is next. The weigh-in for each of the fights, with the unexplained exception of Uno-Thomas, is shown and give some indications of what might happen during the actual fights. Rodriguez and Couture’s mutual respect is obvious as they both act in a dignified, easygoing manner, grinning at each other as they pose for photographs. Matt Serra is all business while Pedro Rizzo displays the negative charisma which helped stop him becoming the superstar Zuffa expected him to be. Phil Baroni clowns around a little but is pretty calm by his own hyperactive standards. Tim Sylvia looks monstrous, particularly next to the fleshy ‘Cabbage’ who looks as though he’s about to be massacred. And he was.

Phil Baroni works out prefight is fascinating. Shadow boxing, throwing knees, pad work, combinations, blocking, practising the guard, side mount and clinching are all featured during an intense warm up. Baroni’s team then get him even more wound up before he puts on some headphones and starts generally freaking out. After this its easy to see why ‘The New York Badass’ is so amped up when he fights.

BJ Penn postfight reactions takes us into a corridor as the Hilo Boys return to the locker room. Matt Serra and his corner follow them, still bitterly contesting the decision before Serra and Penn hug. The scene then switches to an interview with a dejected ‘Prodigy’ as he seeks reassurance from his team and explains why he was so disappointed in himself. Throughout this section BJ seems honest, laid bare and completely genuine.

BJ Penn and Matt Serra Pre-Fight Feature is a pretty generic but still effective video with highlights of their fights and both talking about their intentions to end the fight inside the distance.

On the Air : Inside the Production Truck gives us a glimpse of the tension and pressure involved in directing a live pay-per-view. A good idea, this goes on a little too long and starts to drag near the end.

Ricco Rodriguez on the Radio showcases a likeable, fun Ricco as he again talks about his deep respect for Randy and about the ‘Suave’ image. Nothing of any real consequence is said but as with the Day in the Life…and BJ Penn…segments the strength of these pieces is the way they reveal the fighters as much more than just two guys knocking the crap out of each other.

Directv “um” and Directv “sit still” are pretty funny, brief segments which exist purely raise a quick smile.

Fighter Bios are disappointing, as they offer nothing more than a photo and basic statistics like heights, weights, hometowns and records. Some have general throwaway quotes regarding their opponents but this feature would have been so much better if a few paragraphs of text about the fighters were included so they could be put into context.

Fighter Features are not strictly bonus material since most of them aired on the pay-per-view and can be found on disc one but they are good examples of the kind of pre-fight features that are a staple of major boxing and MMA broadcasts. Actually the WWE does these better than anyone and Randy Couture’s ‘Ageless Warrior’ feature is similar to one of those. In a good way. This video effectively portrays Couture as a legendary fighter and a genuine American hero. The other four videos, on Rodriguez, Serra, Thomas-Uno and Penn-Serra are all well produced pieces too.

The Music option just leads into an ordinary music video for Reveille’s ‘What You Got’, the theme for UFC 39.

CONCLUSION
Sometimes a DVD has enough special features to make it a ‘must have’ whatever the quality of the original material. UFC 39 is not one of these, but it is close. Besides a few minor omissions the bonus material is well selected and relevant. The Sherk and Lindland bouts are certainly not classics but they are both good fights. When added to an already quality event the bonus material makes UFC 39 a very appealing package.

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