Search - UFC 60 - MATT HUGHES VS ROYCEGRACIE on DVD

UFC 60: Hughes vs. Gracie

Matt | NJ | 06/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"UFC 60: Hughes v. Gracie
05/27/2006
Staples Center, California


For the history-making UFC 60, it is only fitting that "The Natural", Randy Couture be on guest commentary. It was great to hear from Randy, as always, but especially so now that he is retired. This is the most hyped UFC event I can recall since UFC 40: Vendetta, where Tito first fought Ken Shamrock a few years back. It promised to be an exciting night...

Mike "Quick" Swick v. Joe "Deisel" Riggs:
Swick comes into this fight off of 2 wins in his first 2 fights in the UFC. Both fights ended quickly and Swick is gaining popularity, beginning to leave his print on the division. Riggs, who was once believed to be a promising contender in the welterweight division, is coming in off of a loss to Matt Hughes and a win over Nick Diaz. This fight ends quickly.

Brandon "The Truth" Vera v. Assuerio Silva:
Vera comes in with a lot of confidence and positive momentum behind him. He had called out Chuck Liddell after his first win in the octagon and he is slowly making his way to the top of the heap. Silva had recently lost a decision in a frustrating fight against Tim "The Maine-iac" Sylvia. This fight also ends quickly in the first round.

Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez v. John Alessio:
Alessio proves to be very difficult for The Nightmare to take down in the first round. Alessio looks light on his feet and strong in striking and elusiveness. It appears early on that Sanchez is in for his first true test in the UFC. John Alessio has been around for years, doing very well in the smaller fighting circuits. He had also made a single appearance in the UFC years back, losing to Pat Miletich- so he is no slouch. Alessio appears (to me) to win the first 2 rounds, although he does no real damage to Sanchez. Actually, neither man is truly hurt in this fight. In a strange occurrance, Sanchez gets Alessio's back in the 3rd round and Alessio carries him around for half of the round, trying not to get submitted and also trying to submit Sanchez in awkward positions. This fight goes to a decision. This is Sanchez's most difficult fight to date. People may begin to question how he would fair against those at the top of the division after a fight and a decision this close.

Alessio Sakara v. Dean "The Boogeyman" Lister:
Sakara is getting a good deal of attention prior to this fight for his past few performances in the UFC. Dean Lister is making his UFC debut, right after having acted as an assistant coach to Tito Ortiz on The Ultimate Fighter 3. Lister shows great ground skills in this fight that ends rather quickly.

Matt Hughes v. Royce Gracie:
There is obviously a huge buildup to this fight... It is almost surreal for a long-time mixed martial arts fan to see Matt Hughes and Royce Gracie walk the walk to step into the octagon together for their introductions. More than enough has been made of this matchup in the media, so I will get to the action. Right away, you can tell that something is very wrong. Gracie does not have the "killer look" that he used to have when he began in the UFC back in 1993. He used to stand across from his opponent with an intimidating look on his face. Even after submitting his opponent and being pulled off of him, the same look would remain on Gracie's face. Before this fight, Gracie looks indifferent. He looks calm, yes, but a bit too calm, perhaps. After they feel each other out for a moment, the fight goes to the ground courtesy of Matt Hughes. Hughes secures a kimura and hyperextends Gracie's arm into a very nasty-looking position. Gracie escapes it, but never has a chance against Hughes, who eventually gets his back and brings the night to an end for Gracie, the fans and ultimately the chapter that Gracie, Shamrock and so many others opened back in 93'.

This was indeed a historic event for the UFC. For the first time, a UFC event was held at the Staples Center in California. The crowd was littered with Hollywood personalities (some of whom apparently know nothing about the sport, which is alright, I suppose) and the excitement is awesome. The main event went as most expected it to go, but the night was a huge success and marked another important step for mixed martial arts.

Highly recommended."

A Solid Card

Ron | Jersey | 02/07/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This was a good card. I don't know why the people who love Pride like to come on and give all the UFC stuff 1 star. It would be great if you could support both organizations and help the sport grow overall. A lot of old fans were drawn back to the UFC with Royce coming back for this fight. Many are disappointed now that there are rules and regulations to make this a legitamite sport now rather than a street fight in a cage. A lot of people were also upset at how easily Royce was pounded by a modern fighter. If you are a Royce fan, then you might want to skip this. Overall the card is full of knockouts and submissions, with only 1 very competative fight going the distance. The only thing I wish is that the UFC had not taken out all the post fight interviews save for the main event. The entire running time is less than 2 hours, so they had plenty of room. I would have also liked some bonus material. Weigh in's, back stage stuff, etc. All 9 fights from the event are included, and I certainly think this is a good purchase."