I still remember the first time I saw UFC. I was in my sophomore year of high school and one of those cringe-worthy news magazine shows had a feature story on it, showcasing the growing sport as a deplorable death match that only takes place in the seediest bars for only the most unsavory audiences. As a teenager - -I was more than interested.

Of course, the modern day Ultimate Fighting Championship is just the opposite. With a high amount of spectacle and production, the sport once thought to be too barbaric is now one of the fastest growing phenomenon’s in the world. Part of that growth has been the company’s re-emergence into the video game market (what, you already forgot about 2002’s dreadful UFC Throwdown?). Last year’s UFC Undisputed was released to a positive yet flawed reaction, but thanks to a series of changes (some major and some minor), this year’s game is miles ahead.

Undoubtedly, UFC: Undisputed 2010 makes it’s true mark where it should – inside the Octagon. Throwing down with opponents and strategically taking them out is incredibly fun and surprisingly deep. As I’ve played the original Undisputed more than I’d like to admit, I just jumped directly into my first fight and was promptly taken care of.  See, the thing about Undisputed is that there’s really no single tell-tale strategy to get you through fights, and unlike most wrestling games, merely punching and kicking away won’t get you very far either. Each of your four limbs is controlled by a face button and you block with the shoulder buttons; these mixed with your directional sticks are your keys to victory.  It’s also important to know your fighter’s strengths and weaknesses as each fighter controls and feels extremely unique. As such, there’s a pretty steep learning curve here, but it’s incredibly rewarding at the same time.

"I’ve never played a fighting game that felt as rewarding as UFC 2010."

To be blunt, I’ve never played a fighting game that felt as rewarding as UFC 2010. Each time I landed a punch, or locked in a submission, I got a real feeling of accomplishment. The game’s production values and effects add to this feeling quite well, as when you’re close to a knockout, the action slows down for a brief second and you can’t help but feel energized as you go in for the victory shot.

New to this year’s game is the ability to use the Octagon itself as a weapon. By backing your opponent into the cage like walls, it becomes harder for them to defend themselves, but it also seemed easier to perform counters and reversals in these areas. This risk VS reward scenario is very apparent through most of Undisputed 2010, especially when you have a fairly balanced match.  This is of course both positive and negative as it’ll keep you interested, but at the same time takes away from some of skill aspect of the gameplay. There’s nothing worse than controlling the majority of a match, only to lose it due to a poorly timed strike.

The career mode in UFC 2010 has been drastically improved from that of its predecessor. First, you’ll start off your career in the minor leagues, rather than being thrust into the big show right away. Sure, the fighters you’re put up against in the bush leagues aren’t much competition, but they serve as a decent introduction to the rest of the mode. After about five fights, you’re asked to join the UFC – and you’d think you’re going to spend your time kicking ass and taking names right? Nope! You’re going to be micro-managing and navigating menus! In between the actual events you fight in, you improve your fighter’s skills by training and visiting other camps. The menu-driven mini games are quite boring and tend to grind the game to a complete halt. Yes, I imagine training is an integral part of any cage fighter’s career, but there’s got to be a better way to incorporate them than this. Also, if you bank skill points for long enough, you’ll lose them, just as your skills will begin to deteriorate if you don’t practice them frequently enough.

"The fighter’s faces are remarkably realistic..."

There’s a ton of cool modes here, chief among them gives you the opportunity to relive or rewrite some of the sport’s most famous bouts. It’s here that you really get an appreciation for the spectacle of the UFC thanks to the game’s much improved animations and attention to detail.  The fighter’s faces are remarkably realistic and the event locales also look just like they were plucked out of the real world.

There may not be much competition in the Ultimate Fighting Genre yet, but thanks to a series of improvements, EA’s upcoming MMA fighter has a lot of catch up work to do. Problems aside, UFC fans are sure to swoon over the most realistic and fun digital recreation of their sport to date.