Official Review: UFC Series 2

Controversy Aside, How Do the Figures Measure Up? PdW2kX and MMAFigs.com Finds Out!

Before I begin this review, I’d like to once and for all give a definitive statement on what I think about the unfortunate turn of events that led to the Jakks Pacific UFC action figures’ Series 2 assortment having only three figures. For those that haven’t heard the news (and there can’t be many of you left), numerous errors in production caused the UFC action figure line to come to a screeching halt, which in turn led to a radical change in the Series 2 line-up, which was changed from many all-new figures to three new figures and a series of re-releases virtually identical to their Series 0 and Series 1 counterparts.

To summarize my feelings: it could’ve been a whole lot worse.

As I’ve said numerous times on several online message boards, problems like these have killed toy companies before. And not just small upstart companies trying to find a foothold in the market…worst-case scenarios such as the one Jakks Pacific recently faced has put an end to both middle-of-the-road companies beginning to ascend to the upper echelon as well as famous companies nobody thought would ever fold, in addition to the ever-present newbie companies. I commend Jakks Pacific for their ability to roll with the punches and put out any new UFC figures, period.

But as a consumer and action figure collector, I know that it’s not easy to forgive or forget when a company faces and even surpasses a stumbling block. Simply overcoming adversity is no longer enough to bring back the faith to the fanbase. Until they are able to continue timely production of new action figures in several assortments, featuring a varied cast of characters from all spectrums of the MMA landscape, many lingering questions will haunt Jakks Pacific. Now that all is said and done, I think it’s going to be an understatement when people refer to Series 2 as the black sheep of the Jakks Pacific line.

The interesting thing about that is that I believe that stigma will be entirely unwarranted.

The “Series 2 Debacle”, as I’ve continued to call it, will most likely hound the Jakks Pacific UFC line for the foreseeable future, at least until Jakks establishes a history of timely releases, good exclusives, and fresh faces in a variety of styles. Say what you will about the debacle itself, but I think that the three new figures of Series 2 are all actually three of the best UFC action figures Jakks Pacific has ever made.

So, surrounded by so much controversy and derision, what makes the Series 2 figures so special? Let’s find out. PdW2kX and MMAFigs.com are proud to present this exclusive review of the Jakks Pacific “UFC Series 2” action figure assortment.

I’ll start off with Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira, simply because Big Nog is one of my favorite heavyweight Mixed Martial Artists. Nogueira is in his UFC 73 attire, which saw Big Nog debut in the promotion with a tough but unanimous decision victory over Heath Herring in a fight that showcased Nogueira’s now-famous ability to absorb damage.

The only problem is that the packaging says that the figure is based off of Big Nog’s UFC 81 attire, which it isn’t. For any doubting this assertion, simply look up pictures of the events in question. Realistically, this is a small mistake that has nothing to do with the figure itself, which I think is excellent. The fight shorts are picture-perfectly recreated, a small triangle on the back waistline is all that’s missing. Everything else from that night of fights is captured on this figure very well. The gray and black tones are an exact match and every logo (five in total) is placed correctly. But what really makes this figure a must-buy for UFC action figure fans in general and fans of Big Nog in particular is one of the most accurate facial scans Jakks Pacific has ever released in their line of UFC-branded action figures. Saying it looks like him is an understatement, for my money I consider it an exact match. Jakks Pacific continues to set impressive benchmarks when it comes to attention-to-detail, and I think the Big Nog figure will be the new measuring stick when it comes to accurately recreating a fighter’s face.

Nate Marquardt is also an excellent addition to Series 2, as he features a great facial scan as well, and also sports some very intricate fight shorts. Nate “The Great” is seen here in his UFC 88 attire, an event that saw him TKO Martin Kampmann early in Round 1. In addition to a very well-recreated arm tattoo, the Marquardt figure boasts an impressive 11 official logos, and based on pictures from the actual event, Marquardt isn’t missing a single sponsor. The face is another remarkable likeness, especially with the hair and beard. Overall this figure really impressed me, and as a moderate Nate Marquardt fan I’m very pleased that this figure is part of my growing MMA collection.

If Series 2 didn’t include Big Nog, then the Mike Brown action figure would most likely be my favorite of Series 2. Like the Marquardt figure, this figure features extensive attention-to-detail in all areas: hair, face, tattoos, and attire. Brown is featured in his WEC 36 attire, an event that saw him shock the world when he KO’d heavy favorite Urijah Faber in the first round to become the WEC Featherweight Champion. The figure sports three tattoos, all of which look excellent, and his famous chest tattoo stands out as one of my favorite recreations I’ve seen so far in the Jakks UFC line. His two legs tattoos are very detailed as well. He has a total of seven official logos, ranging from American Top Team to TapouT to MMAOverload.com. I would have liked the figure even more had it come with a WEC championship accessory, but as it stands, this is an excellent addition to anyone’s MMA collection and further proves that Jakks Pacific is willing to take the time to make all of their figures look great, not just the heavy hitters of the UFC.

In the end, I think Series 2 will most likely always be in the shadow of the debacle that led to its release. It’s unfortunate that this will likely overshadow the simple fact that, while Series 2 is limited to three new figures, those three figures are three of the best Jakks Pacific has produced so far for the UFC line. I’m very glad that all three are in my collection, and as a three-figure set I think Series 2 is an excellent jumping-on point for those thinking about picking up these figures. These three figures may not be the most popular fighters of all time (Big Nog gets tons of respect from the hardcore MMA community but so far seems unable to really find a home with the casual UFC audience), but their extensive attention-to-detail is a factor that can’t be ignored when you’re in the toy aisle trying to decide whether or not to bolster or in some cases start your UFC action figure collection.

So there you have it, fans and friends: the problems with Series 2 will likely continue to overshadow the figures themselves, but stripped away of any controversy, Series 2 is an excellent three-figure assortment and a great way to both start and continue a UFC collection. Fans interested in purchasing UFC Series 2 can do so by clicking here. As a special bonus exclusive to MMAFigs.com, MMAFigs.com readers get to take 10% off of their order! Just use the code “MMAFIGS”.

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