by Charles Jay, BETUS.COM – BET NOW!

If anticipation and fan reaction for the official release of the new UFC: Undisputed video game is anything like the demo’s release, developer THQ has a lot to look forward to in the next couple months.

The long-awaited mixed martial arts video game demo hit Xbox Live and Playstation Network last Thursday and UFC fans are downloading it in droves to check out the revolutionary MMA game play.

The demo of UFC: Undisputed features Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in a bout that gives fans the chance to replicate their UFC 97 clash when Liddell was TKO’d by Rua.

So far, reaction of the game demo has been overwhelmingly positive. The developers THQ have been working on the game for around two years in anticipation of UFC: Undisputed’s Mat 19, 2009 release date and so far that hard work has paid off.

The intricacies of the UFC are well-represented in the game, especially the ground game which uses analog-stick based controls. Even on the easiest difficulty and despite Rua’s excellent submission skills, getting Liddell to “tap out” can still be very difficult. That’s because transitioning between each move requires a lot of practice and patience as well as some luck in order to finish off each submission.

The voices of Bruce Buffer, the Octagon-side announcer, and the well-liked announcing team of Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg are all present and the same overlays and music from UFC events are also present in the game, adding up to an authentic UFC experience. That might be the best part of the UFC: Undisputed demo so far is just the incredible job it does of recreating a true UFC atmosphere. Even the Octagon Girls Arianny and Edith (props to the UFC marketing people for actually getting the fans to remember their names) look like faithful copies and don’t have that freaky plastic look that sports game cheerleaders usually have.

The stand-up fighting action in UFC: Undisputed is much like in a standard boxing game such as EA Sports’ Fight Night series, but knockouts and big shots are much more commonplace as they are in the real UFC and MMA fights. Once you stun a fighter the screen will go black and white giving you a chance to move in for the kill while the other fighter desperately tries to cover up or circle away to regain their bearings.

When a fighter is downed you can go in for the kill with some ground and pound as well. Both Liddell and Rua have signature moves like Liddell’s wild haymakers and Rua’s flying knee among others, and their likenesses are extremely lifelike.

Overall, the UFC: Undisputed demo hints at future greatness and should be one of the best-selling games of the year when it’s released in mid-May. It finally does what the previous UFC games from over three years ago couldn’t as it faithfully recreates all the main aspects of the UFC and MMA.

THQ, Dana White and company set out to make a blueprint for a video game that could be Madden-like in terms of the respect people hold for it as well as having a foundation for making new games every year, and judging by the demo, they’ve done that with UFC: Undisputed. Download it now and see what all the hype is about first-hand.