The 6 Best UFC and MMA Video Games You Should Play

Hey there fellow fight fan! If you love mixed martial arts, I‘ve got the perfect guide for you. We‘re counting down the absolute best UFC and MMA video games that have ever stepped into the virtual octagon.

Whether you game on cutting-edge consoles, old-school classics, or even mobile devices, I‘ve picked my top recommendations to let you experience the closest thing to real MMA action from the comfort of your couch. Read on for the titles every fan should play!

Overview: The State of MMA Gaming

Before we get to the games, let‘s quickly set the scene on MMA gaming so you know what to expect.

The first true MMA/UFC games emerged around 2000 as the sports popularity boomed. We‘ve since seen a handful of prominent franchises take up the mantle, most notably:

• UFC Undisputed (THQ/Yuke‘s) – Considered the gold standard MMA simulation
• EA Sports UFC (EA) – Official UFC-licensed games post-Undisputed era
• Pride FC – Cult classic tribute to Japanese MMA glory days

These landmark series set milestones across consoles and PCs, but no game has matched undisputed 3‘s blend of authentic gameplay and content richness.

With the genre maturing and technology advancing, the visuals and mechanics continue improving. But modern mobile versions can now also capture the MMA spirit with simplified controls for on-the-go action.

Let‘s look at the 6 must-play experiences every self-respecting MMA gaming fan should try! I‘ll be recommending across modern consoles, legacy platforms, and mobile so all gamers can join in.

Now let‘s break down each of these legendary virtual MMA battlegrounds.

1. UFC Undisputed 3

Where better to start this list than the undisputed greatest MMA video game produced so far? UFC Undisputed 3 stands as a love letter to the first true simulation-style MMA series.

Combining slick gameplay with staggering depth, it set the blueprint for balancing approachability with fighting legitimacy. Dazzling visuals and fluid animations hold up superbly even today for peak next-gen immersion back in 2012.

But it‘s Undisputed 3‘s sheer wealth of content that cements its GOAT status. With 150 playable fighters spanning UFC greats to legends like Bruce Lee, virtual matchmaking possibilities feel endless. The expansive career mode captures all the trials of working your way into Dana White‘s good graces. Mini-game training drills will push your thumbstick skills before pay-per-view showdowns.

There‘s also a remarkably robust create-a-character system for crafting your own cage warrior. And online modes let you take custom fighters into ranked competition for serious bragging rights against the Undisputed community. Fan-favorite Pride promotion even makes a guest appearance with full PRIDE presentation and rulesets for diversity.

Simply put, no MMA game combines more ways to play with an authentic fighting engine than UFC Undisputed 3. Every virtual mixed martial artist deserves to experience this masterpiece.

Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Metascore: 84

Playable Fighters: 150+ real UFC athletes plus Bruce Lee

Main Features:

• Polished MMA gameplay with Technical and Simplified control options
• Massive UFC roster spanning 5 weight classes
• In-depth career mode from amateur leagues to UFC stardom
• Custom character creation for unique movesets and looks
• Bonus PRIDE Mode with authentic Japanese MMA rules
• Online ranked multiplayer competitions

UFC Undisputed 3 perfected MMA gaming with slick mechanics and plentiful modes. [Image: Amazon]

2. EA Sports MMA

Before inheriting the coveted UFC brand rights, Electronic Arts tested the MMA gaming waters themselves in 2010 with EA Sports MMA. And despite lacking official fighter names and graphics, it quickly won over fans and critics for getting the action right.

With combat sports pedigree from the Fight Night boxing series, EA adapted their realistic gameplay formula for MMA‘s more complex realm. Grappling, submissions, transitions, and diverse attack locations all made the jump intact for 3D fisticuffs grounded in real techniques.

Speaking of grounded attacks, EA Sports MMA notably lets you adjust rulesets for both strikes and submissions. You can toggle elbow and knee attacks against downed opponents as permitted in Japan‘s PRIDE league. Referee intervention and damage effects also respond to settings for total customization.

This freeform style carries into other areas too. Career mode adopts a less linear path having you travel to various gyms in Japan, Brazil, and beyond training in unique disciplines. Affiliation perks, personality traits, and rivalries keep progression engaging long-term.

Outside madcap YAMMA Pit arenas, standard cages and rings host contests between genuine mixed martial artists. Notables like Fedor Emelianenko, Randy Couture, Nick Diaz and Fabricio Werdum featured at the height of fame alongside up-and-comers like current UFC champ Israel Adesanya.

With the true building blocks of MMA in place but enough leeway for wacky "what if?" scenarios, EA Sports MMA probably deserves more mainstream credit for its innovations. It‘s well worth seeking out for fans who want more freedom to play by their own rules.

Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Metascore: 80

Playable Fighters: 60+ athletes and legends

Main Features:

• Customizable rulesets and regulatory settings
• Global gyms provide distinct camps for unique training
• Develop unique fighter traits that impact performance
• Takedowns, submissions and ground game replicated nicely
• Enjoyable arcade-sim balance welcoming to most players

EA Sports MMA built strong foundations later leveraged for the UFC games [Image: Amazon]

3. EA Sports UFC 3

Jumping forward to modern times, EA Sports UFC 3 marks the pinnacle of the publisher‘s UFC-licensed series thus far. It strides closer to a fine balance between Undisputed‘s technical rigor and accessible thrills for mainstream players.

Fluid "Real Player Motion" technology introduces over 5000 new animations for the smoothest striking and grappling so far. Exchanges really sell the visual impact from rattling head kicks to forceful slams. It still leans more to arcade spectacle than gritty simulation, but extra locomotion and variation make bouts exciting.

Career mode adopts an almost RPG-like progression letting you chase fame across weight divisions. Starting from humble beginnings, you‘ll strategically select matchups working up the ranks towards title glory. Taking down luminaries at multiple weight classes helps secure the coveted "G.O.A.T" status. It‘s a structured path, but with enough big promos and training variety to keep the journey stimulating as you slowly build abilities.

One of UFC 3‘s biggest assets however is its bulging roster, with big names old and new alike. From pioneers like Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin to today‘s talent pool, it‘s a nostalgic collection made more surreal by adding "mystic" fighters like Brock Lesnar and Bruce Lee. Even women‘s divisions feature prominently including Ronda Rousey and Cris Cyborg battles.

With enhanced graphics and extra polish helping sell the spectacle, UFC 3 brings EA‘s UFC franchise far closer to filling Undisputed‘s void. For modern console owners, this remains your go-to home for living out MMA championship dreams.

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Metascore: 83

Playable Fighters: 250+ athletes

Main Features:

• "Real Player Motion" animation tech enhances fluidity
• Greatest of All Time career mode chasing multi-division glory
• Huge UFC roster from early eras through present roster
• Numerous customization and creation suite options
• High quality visuals and smooth 60FPS gameplay

UFC 3 brought better animations and career mode depth [Image: Amazon]

4. Pride Fighting Championships (PS2)

Let‘s take a detour from the Octagon now and travel back to a wilder era of MMA – the fan-favorite Japanese promotion PRIDE Fighting Championships. At its violent peak around 2005 before tragedy and scandals, PRIDE captured imaginations by infusing wrestling bombast with MMA excitement during events like the epic Pride Grand Prix tournaments.

Bringing back all that explosive pageantry in virtual form, developer Anchor Inc. and publisher THQ delivered a startlingly polished PS2 title in Pride Fighting Championships. It adopted gorgeous TV-style presentation mimicking real pay-per-views with authentic announcers Bas Rutten and Stephen Quadros on vivid commentary that still holds historical significance documenting talents later lost.

That voice work explosively accentuates the in-ring (or ring I should say) combat too with signature Pride mannerisms like epic ring entrances and posturing. Choose from 23 larger-than life personalities like Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko Cro Cop and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson each sporting signature moves, strengths and fighting flair.

Unique mechanics like mid-air grapples or soccer kick knockouts reinforce that this plays by wilder rules than UFC games, while retaining intuitive controls anyone can grasp. Modes like Grand Prix and Survival Challenge let you recreate events etched into MMA lore during the Japanese promotion‘s vibrant heyday. For a nostalgic trip to turbulent times, Pride FC remains a forgotten gem.

Platform: PlayStation 2

Metascore: 76

Notable Fighters: Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko Cro Cop, Hidehiko Yoshida, Quinton Jackson

Main Features:

• Arcade-style controls simple to pickup
• Signature Pride presentation and eccentricity
• Includes legendary Grand Prix mode
• Commentary from Bas Rutten & Stephen Quadros
• True-to-life fighter entrances

Pride FC Fighting Championships wonderfully recreated the spectacle [Image: Amazon]

5. UFC Tapout (Xbox)

Let‘s dial back clocks even further now to the inception of MMA gaming. Dipping into the retro well, 2002‘s UFC Tapout for the original Xbox was first to pioneer virtual fisticuffs in the Octagon.

What immediately stands out is the throwback roster of burgeoning UFC names. Alongside forgotten scrappers are future greats like Chuck Liddell and Matt Hughes who‘d rise to fame in following years. Randy Couture even features during his actual reign as light heavyweight champion in an cool piece of history.

This early pioneer status does mean somewhat clunky gameplay though. Striking and grappling mechanics feel understandably basic versus today‘s efforts, lending a choppy almost turn-based feel. Environments and fighter models also reek of early 3D experiments.

Yet charmingly janky mechanics don‘t prevent some redeeming moments of greatness either. Submissions include a memorable tug-of-war minigame for escaping danger. UFC Tapout pulls off rudimentary versions of staple modes like Tournament also. There‘s even extensive fighter creation and stat management adding early franchise roleplaying ambition.

While rough around the edges, Tapout earns credit for daring to attempt virtualizing the UFC when it remained MMA‘s hidden secret. It‘s a formative piece of history for seeing legends in the making throwing digital leather when the "Octagon" seemed alien to outsiders.

Platform: Xbox

Metascore: 71

Notable Fighters: Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes, Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture

Main Features:

• One of first ever UFC/MMA video games
• Cool piece of retro history and roster
• Good creation tools for custom fighters
• Novel submission tug-of-war mechanic
• Solid suite of exhibition match types

The pioneering UFC Tapout deserves recognition for kicking off MMA gaming [Image: Amazon]

6. EA Sports UFC 2 (Mobile)

Our last entry swerves into surprising territory – the humble mobile phone. Considering the limited touchscreen controls, EA Sports UFC 2 pulls off a remarkable balancing act bringing reasonably intricate MMA action to iOS and Android devices.

Make no mistake, concessions clearly accommodate pocket power limits. Strikes and grappling are simplified into swipes, taps and time-sensitive prompts during openings, resembling rhythm action more than a full-fledged simulator.

But solid fundamentals survive the translation. All core phases and positions remain from standing to the mat. Stamina forces you to consider strategy balancing attacks and counters. And knockout physics deliver bone-crunching force when well-timed combinations pay dividends.

Expected free-to-play trappings penetrate as you’d expect also. Multiple currencies, wait timers, random rewards and resources meter progress everywhere. However it‘s generous enough providing ample daily content hitting nostalgic marks. One day you may be battling Andrei Arlovski, another rescuing Matt Hughes from kidnappers in camp hijinks.

Could we ask much more from a mobile fighting adaptation? For capturing MMA‘s essence on the go, EA Sports UFC 2 handily impresses.

Platform: iOS, Android

Main Features:

• Remarkably robust mobile fighting controls
• All core MMA battle phases represented
• Encyclopedia of UFC stars to collect
• Typical F2P resource grinding loop
• Quick pick-up-and-play rounds

EA Sports UFC 2 is shockingly good fun for phones and tablets [Image: EA]

Cage Match: Which is the Best MMA Game?

I‘ve just covered the cream of the MMA gaming crop spanning over 20 years of virtual fisticuffs evolution. But which comes out on top?

Despite some strong contenders, UFC Undisputed 3 stands firmly as GOAT to me for nailing that authentic simulation feel while remaining fun. The animation, mechanics and vast content push it over the top.

However, EA Sports UFC 3 and even EA Sports MMA deserve honorable mentions for their risks that paid off nicely. Pride FC also can‘t be forgotten for traveling back to recreate MMA’s wilder early days.

In closing, I hope this guide helps you experience the best MMA gaming moments possible from any era. Just bring your ice packs because the action gets brutal!

Let me know your favorite MMA games on Facebook or in the comments below!