10 Best MMA Video Games (According To Metacritic)

Highlights

• MMA video games have been improving over the years, with recent titles focusing on realism and diverse gameplay styles.
• While some previous MMA games have been rated poorly, recent releases like EA Sports UFC have received higher ratings for their quality.
• UFC Undisputed 3 is widely regarded as the best MMA game ever made, with improvements in gameplay mechanics and features that set it apart.

While there are plenty of famous video game series that have been around for decades, the MMA genre of video games is relatively newer in comparison to most sports titles. As the world of MMA, and more specifically the UFC rose in prominence, so too did the need for various video games. What better way to fill in gaps between events than with a realistic simulation where someone can control themselves?

There have been many MMA video games over the years, but it is fair to say that the quality hasn’t always been the highest. Some MMA games have been rated in the low forties at times, but luckily, some of the best can rival some of the most famous gaming franchises in terms of overall quality.

UPDATE: 2024/04/15 15:16 EST BY ETHAN SCHLABAUGH

Over the years, there have been dozens of MMA-based video games by promotions like the UFC, PRIDE FC, and Strikeforce. With the UFC standing tall as the last one standing out of those historic promotions, it would make sense that a niche genre such as MMA video games would be dominated by the company, but are their games truly the best of the best? Well, let’s find out by taking a look at Metacritic.com and seeing what games are amazing and what titles players need to avoid playing.

Released On February 11th, 2003

Anchor Inc. had a relationship with the UFC from their Dreamcast title, Ultimate Fighting Championship, but they weren’t the only MMA promotion to work with the video game developers. Three years after the first UFC title, Anchor would help PRIDE FC in creating their very own video game released on the PlayStation 2.

PRIDE FC: Fighting Championships runs on the same engine and doesn’t look much different besides the PRIDE ring and roster. Speaking of the roster, names like Guy Mezger, Kazushi Sakuraba, Ken Shamrock, and Don Fyre were selectable and gave MMA fans a unique look at the Japanese company.

10 Ultimate Fighting Championship: Tapout Was Above Average

Released On February 19th, 2002

Developed by DreamFactory, a team behind games like Ehrgeiz: God Bless The Ring and The Bouncer for PlayStation consoles, were given the chance to create a fighting game based on the UFC for the original Xbox. Releasing February 19th, 2002 in North America, fans were treated to one of the better UFC games.

A lot of the top stars in the company around this time were included, like Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, and Matt Hughes. DreamFactory was able to make a sequel with UFC: Tapout 2, but that title received lesser reviews and was critiqued for being pretty much the same but with an updated roster.

9 EA Sports UFC 3 Was Much Of The Same

Released On February 2nd, 2018

The third attempt at an EA Sports UFC game seemed to have gone a bit better than the original iteration. Some common points of praise for the game seem to come from the realistic graphics and gameplay. It does seem that the Ultimate Team mode, which is filled with microtransactions, kept it from soaring to greater heights.

This series introduced some tweaks to its career mode with this title and the overall focus is now on becoming the G.O.A.T. in the mode. This can be done by not only successfully winning fights but also through the various actions you take outside the octagon regarding your career.

8 EA Sports UFC 2 Was A Minor Improvement

Released On March 15th, 2016

While this entry into the EA Sports UFC series seems to be received better than the other entries, it has its fair share of criticisms. Some of the biggest stem from what many people refer to as a clunky control scheme.

One of the biggest positives in the minds of most critics was the overall presentation of the game. People had a lot of praise for the game’s relatively realistic models and in-fight movements. Attempts at realistic movements can go a long way in adding to the much-needed realism within

7 EA Sports UFC 4 Made Slight Gameplay Changes

Released On August 14th, 2020

This game is filled to the brim with fighters to choose from. There are over two hundred playable characters and an additional 81 variations of some of those characters on top of that. It seems that some people aren’t the biggest fans of the ground game and the lack of significant graphical improvements.

This game might be the most beginner-friendly of them all. Playing through the game’s career mode lets people see how every fighting style in the game works and how you may want to build your fighter.

6 EA Sports UFC 5 Plays On A New Engine

Released On October 27th, 2023

Receiving similar scores to its predecessor, EA Sports UFC 5, shows that even a massive change in the gameplay engine doesn’t always make for a better game. When the first trailer was released, fans were somewhat hyped up even with the middling scores of previous entries, but around release time there wasn’t much noise being made.

UFC 5 is also the first in the franchise to receive a mature rating from the ESRB due to its realistic portrayal of blood and injuries during a fight and the more mature language in the career mode.

5 EA Sports MMA Was A Decent Challenger

Released On October 19th, 2010

Despite Dana White having some serious issues with the release of this title when it originally came out, EA Sports MMA seems to be a widely respected title regarding MMA video games. People may enjoy the game, but apparently, it didn’t sell nearly as well as EA had hoped, crushing any dreams of a sequel or new franchise.

The game seems to be a relatively standard MMA game, with a control scheme similar to the Fight Night series. Depending on your taste in fighters, the roster may be perfect for you as it features names that will likely never be in a UFC game in the future, such as Frank & Ken Shamrock, Fedor Emelienko, and more. But it may also be lacking for fans of the sport at the time due to the lack of the UFC license.

4 UFC Undisputed 2009 Was The Start Of Something Great

Released On May 19th, 2009

There seems to be quite a jump in the quality of MMA games if people are willing to find games that are over a decade old. While there seem to be lots of complaints about online functionality, many people praise the game for its deep mechanics.

There are six main fighting styles to learn and dominate with while playing through the game. Those styles are Boxing, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Wrestling, Judo, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The game is one to check out for fans of that era of the UFC.

3 UFC Undisputed 2010 Became The Perfect Sequel

Released On May 25th, 2010

While people were thrilled with UFC Undisputed 2009, they were even happier with the next year’s installment, which did what it could to improve on their proven formula. Most of the complaints about the title seem to be rather minor, which is a good sign for MMA fans.

The game made some quality-of-life improvements to the career mode, but it also added new features such as actually being able to interact with the cage. The difficult-to-implement ground game also saw some reworking, and it seems to have paid off. This game also made sure that fighters weren’t locked into specific styles and instead could make fighters pull from techniques of all disciplines, making each fighter feel much more unique.

2 UFC Undisputed 3 Was The Best And End Of The Undisputed Trilogy

Released On February 14th, 2012

While it doesn’t follow the same title format as its previous two titles, UFC Undisputed 3 is a sequel to the 2010 and 2009 titles. It is widely regarded as the best of the trilogy and the best MMA game to have ever been made.

This game added a Pride mode for those who are fans of that promotion. There were new and more realistic ways to win bouts such as TKO due to leg kicks, and once again, the ground game had been adjusted. The submission system, in particular, is considered the best in MMA video game history. It makes sense that this is the highest-rated of the games thanks to nothing but overall improvements based on prior criticisms.

1 Ultimate Fighting Championship Was A Sleeper Hit

Released On August 29th, 2000

The very first title based on the UFC promotion became the highest rated among critics even today, more than twenty years after its release. The game was very fast-paced and made submissions and wrestling an overpowering tactic.

The roster was very light compared to entries currently and didn’t have weight classes either. Anchor Inc. was able to include big names like Tito Ortiz, Mark Coleman, and Kevin Randleman. The game has not aged very well at all, but at the time, it proved to be a smash hit for the struggling promotion.