Mixed martial arts has exploded in recent years thanks in large part to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), with names like Lyoto Machida, Rampage Jackson and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira becoming well-known throughout the globe.

Aiming to capitalise on the resurgence of the sport, THQ and Yukes stepped up to the plate.

With almost all WWE games in the last decade under its belt, as well as the critically-acclaimed PrideFC (UFC's former competitor) game, Yukes was the ideal candidate for a new UFC title.

As with any sports/fighting title, the roster plays a huge role — and with over 80 combatants to choose from, 'UFC 2009 Undisputed' has outdone itself. From the heavyweights such as Heath Herring, Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar, to the lightweights such as Tyson Griffin, BJ Penn and Sean Sherk, there is no shortage of fighters to choose from.

There are, however, two notable fighters missing in the game, namely MMA legend Randy Couture and rising star Clay Guida.

Starting a fight between Nogueira and Frank Mir, the level of graphical detail is astounding — with every little detail being captured, right down to the scar on Nogueira's back following a childhood accident.

Ringside personalities, such as announcer Bruce Buffer, ring-girls and cornermen are also all well-rendered.

During the game, cuts and bruises appear in real-time, with cutmen attending to them between rounds. Bloodied fighters will bleed onto their opponents as well as onto the mat. Though still brutal, it is, however, a far cry from PrideFC's generous spilling of crimson onto the screen during particularly hard punches.

Collision detection is an important, though oft-overlooked part of any fighting game — and 'UFC 2009' has nailed it. Almost every single punch realistically bounces and collides off an opponent, which is a nice change from hands disappearing through heads in other 3D fighting games.

It's a pity then that, while everything in the octagon is recreated beautifully, the arenas and audience in general could do with some work — such as the plain crowds and multiple character models.

The sound in 'Undisputed' is fortunately well done for the most part — that is, apart from the generic rock soundtrack that seems to be a staple for THQ games. Special mention needs to go out to the top-notch commentary from Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg though. While there is repetition, it occurs to a far less extent than in various other sports games.

Knockouts have been featured in previous fighting games, but 'Undisputed' takes the cake. Playing as Mirko Cro Cop and delivering his signature left high kick to an opponent's jaw is an eerily beautiful moment. TKOs, however, are just plain brutal, with the dominant fighter crouching over a grounded opponent and mercilessly beating him up until the ref intervenes. 'Fight Night' this is not...

The control scheme, though complicated at first, works incredibly well. The stand-up fighting is easily accessible, with face buttons controlling strikes and various shoulder buttons assigned to blocking, special attacks and low attacks. The ground game, however, is a whole different story...

You can't call yourself an MMA-fighter without being a master in both striking and the ground game — and it is in the latter that many players falter. Fighting on the ground is all about trying to gain the ideal position for a victory. The right control stick becomes your best friend in these situations, with 'Street Fighter'-like quarter and half-circle motions allowing you to change up your position. From here there are many options available, such as punches, knees and, of course, submissions.

The career mode is well realised, allowing you to tackle a few years with a created fighter. When you're not fighting, you're sparring, training and making media appearances, with each action depleting your stamina. Playing with a created character can be a daunting task if you haven't learned the basics, so playing through the tutorial is definitely recommended.

Another interesting mode is the Classic Fights feature, which allows you to recreate the end to a well-known UFC fight, such as Anderson Silva vs. Rich Franklin. Once completed, you're rewarded with a music video of the actual fight, providing you with ample incentive to finish them all.

When the single player modes are over it's the multiplayer that will keep you coming back for more. After spending a whole Saturday playing UFC with friends, it became clear that we are looking at the new multiplayer fighting game favourite. Online multiplayer is also supported, though there have been reports of lag.

'UFC 2009 Undisputed' has succeeded in almost every way, providing gamers with the definitive mixed martial arts game. Whether you're a casual viewer that sniggers as your fighter transitions into the North South position, or a hardcore follower of the sport; you owe it to yourself to pick this title up.

8.6/10

Buy this game: PS3 | Xbox 360

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