The popularity of UFC and MMA has been increasing exponentially in the last couple of years thanks to Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey, and EA SPORTS is set to capitalise on this by releasing a truly stunning version of the sport in video game format with EA SPORTS UFC 2. It has been years in development and has improved on almost every aspect of the original game to create a truly unparalleled gaming experience.

Key to this is the new emphasis on knockouts within the game. Every MMA fan worth his salt knows that the most exciting part of any fight is when one fighter KOs the other, and EA SPORTS UFC 2 has sought to reflect this with a brand new knockout and grappling system that seeks to make the bouts as realistic as possible. They’ve employed over 1000 new animations to enable this, as well as developing new knockout, striking and defending systems to master. It might take a while, but once you’ve got the hang of them then you’ll be grappling away for hours trying to score that elusive KO.

The graphics and presentation are also way better than the previous version of the game, with a massively expanded roster, better production on entrances going into the fights and way smoother graphics and animations. The commentary has also stepped up a notch, which I’m sure you’ll agree is a very important part of any UFC game.

You can see some clips of the game in action below to witness how awesome it looks for yourself:

Featured Image VIA 

Man, those graphics are absolutely insane and those bone-crunching moves do look seriously dope. It’s gonna be a total blast to play this against your mates with a few beers whilst you’re staying up all night waiting for the PPV to come on, you can just tell.

You’ll definitely be playing it for hours in addition to that as well, because there is an abundance of different game modes for you to test yourself against. Perhaps the most interesting of these is the ‘deeper’ career mode that includes a whole bunch of training to build your fighter up in between those times when you actually step into the octagon, providing a more realistic gaming experience for the hardcore UFC fans out there.

The knockout mode itself looks like a really fun way to fight with your friends – especially if they’re beginners – as it pretty much takes away everything from fighting except the knockout, so it’s just a slugfest between you and whoever you’re playing. That might not be so interesting for advanced players, but in terms of just picking it up and playing, it’s a great addition for the casual fan.

Of course, all your regular online and multiplayer options are also available, as well as online events, practice modes, skill challenges, create your own fighter and event options and a UFC Ultimate Team mode. Some of these new game modes are highlighted in the trailer below, so check that out for more info about them:

Promoted By EA SPORTS

The game is actually released on March 17th but you can pre-order it here. What are you waiting for?