For the first time ever, this pioneering reality TV series pits nation against nation as fighters from the United States go head to head with fighters from the United Kingdom in a bid to find out who is “The Ultimate Fighter”. Under the expert guidance of coaches, Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping, every contender takes to the Octagon not only for national pride, but to win a coveted 6-figure UFC contract.

Starting with 32 fighters, season 9 features both lightweight and welterweight fighters all competing in the first episodes for the chance to travel to Los Angeles to live and train in The Ultimate Fighter house. With the likes of Alex Reid, Andre Winner, Cameron Shane Dollar and Richard Shay Whitson determined to prove their worth, it’s left up to the two coaches to pick who goes on to fight for their nation.

The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom boasts some of the fiercest fighting seen on any season of the show to date and is full of upsets, knockouts and difficult decisions.  Across 5 DVDs, fans can see every episode, the full season finale fight card as well as all the preliminary fights and footage not previously seen on TV.

The Ultimate Fighter - USA vs UK DVD Boxset Review
Review by Dean Parr

For those who don't know, 'The Ultimate Fighter' is as close the UFC comes to 'Big Brother'. It's a reality show where sixteen fighters stay in a house with each other, with no internet, not TV or any communication with the outside world; all they can do is train. Fighters being fighters, this leads to rivalries emerging, alliances forming and much more depending on the characters involved. It isn't all bad for the competitors involved though. Every season, they are split into two teams, and are put under the guidance of two of the UFC's elite.

The format for season nine was that there would be two 'Ultimate Fighters'; one at lightweight and one at welterweight, and the teams are split via nationality as Team UK went up against Team USA. This is a fantastic idea, and one that made the season all the more enticing for viewers from those countries.

The contrast in personality of the coaches is also very interesting. Michael Bisping, the UK coach is a brash and arrogant person, not afraid to tell what he thinks and get problems off his chest. This irritates American coach, Pride veteran Dan Henderson, who is a quieter type and never gets stressed over anything. Their clash over training times is particularly consuming.

Unfortunately, none of the fights from their time in the house stand out, although Ross Pearson's bout with Jason Dent is gripping, as is Damarques Johnson's against 'Slick' Nick Osipscak. However, all the fights involving people of the show are overshadowed with arguably what was 2009's 'fight of the year' on the TUF 9 Finale (also included in the box set), when lightweights Clay Guida and Diego Sanchez engage in a memorable war. There is a reasonably case for saying that this fight alone makes the DVD set worth buying.

As far as antics in the house go, Rob Browning's (Junie Browning's brother) appearance is eventful, although credit has to go to Team UK, in particular Dave Faulkner and Jeff 'Ippon' Lawson for providing the humour with their practical jokes and general buffoonery. Team USA can be criticised for being slightly dour, although their expulsion of one of their makes for good viewing.

The DVD extras are very good on this set. Here, highlights of all the fighters from their time in the house are shown, as well as behind the scenes snippets from the TUF 9 Finale, and a look into the lives of the TUF finalists.

All in all, this is a pretty good buy for UFC fans, and 'The Ultimate Fighter' isn't a show that can be criticised for having a dull moment. As always, the UFC have got things spot on with regards to DVD menus and the quality, so this is a decent buy for hardcore fans, and a similarly good purchase as a present to introduce fans (particularly from the UK) to the sport of mixed martial arts.

Rating: 7.5/10