Round 5 President Damon Lau, announces the release of the “Ultimate Collector” Series 8 featuring updated versions of some of the UFC’s most popular fighters as well as all new characters hitting retail shelves this Christmas.

The “Ultimate Collector” Series 8 is anchored by a Championship Edition Jon “Bones” Jones commemorating his historic victory over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128, and a Championship Edition Georges “Rush” St-Pierre honoring GSP’s victory over Matt Serra to regain his title at UFC 83.

Series 8 also includes a new version of former heavyweight titleholder Brock Lesnar, and Round 5 debut figures for reigning featherweight champion Jose Aldo, and heavyweight contender Roy “Big Country” Nelson.

“This Series has something for both our hardcore collectors as well as our more mainstream fans,” says Lau. “We’ve never included two Championship Editions in one Series before, but our fans requested these, and we were happy to oblige.”

As with previous “Ultimate Collector” Series releases, each figure in Series 8 arrives on shelves in protective UFC-themed packaging as well as a short bio detailing each fighter. “Ultimate Collector” Series 8 will be available in December at Walmart and Zellers in Canada and FYE in the United States.

Every nerd has an extensive action figure collection, and this Fight Nerd is no different. Fans of my site have seen photos of parts of the collection before, which includes all sorts of figures from Evil Dead, Street Fighter, Marvel Comics, Masters of the Universe, WWF, Ghostbusters, and so much more. Jakks Pacific has been helping to feed my addiction with their deluxe UFC action figures, which I have been collecting since their first wave a few years back.

Recently, I got a hold of two specific figures, Frankie Edgar from Wave 8 and Wanderlei Silva from Wave 9, and decided that since I have not done a review of the UFC toys in awhile, that I was past due. In my past reviews, I generally enjoyed the figures, but there were some problems. Here we are almost a year later since the last toy review, and I wondered if Jakks had fixed any of those issues I had or if they were content producing the same quality of figures I had seen previously. Should hardcore MMA fans lay down their cash for these toys, or are you better saving your money on hot wings and root beer floats?

Hit the jump to check out the rest of the review, along with more photos of both figures!

In my haste to take the photos you see here, I forgot to snap shots of the packaging of each figure. The previous packages were huge, clunky cases that were meant for collectors, and required a lot of effort to open. Now, the figures are packaged on a much simpler blister card, like a good ole’ GI Joe or any other figure that is meant to be opened and intended for kids. It seems there has been a shift in the market since I last reviewed the toys, since this change in packaging is meant to attract a younger audience, while simultaneously cutting production costs so that collectors do not get hurt in this economy. Thankfully, the new packages look great, and in my opinion better overall. They have a cleaner looking design and are more attractive. The back of the cards are the same as before, so no problems there.

Frankie represents his look from when he won the UFC Lightweight title, while Wanderlei is wearing the outfit he wore back in the Pride Middleweight Grand Prix. Each toy uses real scan technology to capture the likeness of their faces, and both figures look like the fighters they are meant to be, Frankie more than Wand. Part of this is probably due to Wanderlei’s plastic surgery, since his face was still like a neanderthal in his Pride FC days. However, the face still resembles who it is supposed to, it just does not match the time period that well.

A problem in the past was the recycling of body parts, and this is no exception. The bodies are the same cookie-cutter bodies we have seen in the past, although the figures have deeper chest/ shoulder joints for added flexibility. Another big issue fans had when these toys first began was the two-toned paint on the figure bodies, arms, and legs. This was due to a manufacturing method, which used hollow plastic for the body cavity, and solid plastic for the arms and legs. I am relieved to say this problem of two colors is gone now and every aspect of the figure matches up nicely.

Frankie comes with his UFC championship belt, while Wanderlei has his Pride Grand Prix title belt. The strap is made from a softer and more flexible plastic to simulate leather more closely, and fits both figures with ease. The detail on both belts is exceptional, especially the Pride belt. I am really looking forward to when Jakks Pacific does a Mark Coleman with his 2000 Grand Prix title belt, the detail and size of that would be amazing! The UFC figures do not come with accessories other than title belts, and in the case of GSP, his gi or headband (and only in some of the figures), but when they come with those items, they do not disappoint. The belts look great on just about any figure in their scale too, so it’s worth getting just to throw a UFC belt on a Wolverine or Superman figure too.

Here is a look at the UFC figures compared to the Round 5 figures, as well as a Mattel MOTUC He-Man figure to see how they all line up in terms of scale. Worth noting on both Wand and Edgar is the painting on their shorts. Edgar has board shorts with that rough texture, while Wand has his smooth vale tudo shorts. The paint on the vale tudo shorts is the same acrylic as what is on the figure, and I would personally prefer to see a glossier paint to help differentiate the shorts from his body, and to add an additional level of realism to the toys. Both are covered in sponsors, and I am proud to say that there is no more slop around them, nor is there weak screening like there was on previous figures shorts. In the past, sponsors on the board shorts especially were often faded or missing parts since the rougher texture made it harder to paint. That problem has been overcome here, and what little clothes they are wearing look great.

Overall, these figures are big improvements from when I last reviewed the figures, and are great for both collectors and kids. The flexibility of the figures is excellent for little UFC fans, and hardcore collectors will enjoy the new packaging and look of the toys. The price for the UFC figures vary from store to store, but the general range seems to be around $14-20 depending on how rare the figure is. Remember when toys used to be half that price back in the day? Man, I feel old. Aside from that, I like these new figures and if you are a fan of the UFC or Pride, these make a nice gift, a fun accessory for your desk at work, or an investment in your toy collection.

You can buy Wanderlei Silva in a special with Dana White or Deluxe UFC Figures #8 Frankie Edgar from Amazon.com at those respective links, along with other UFC or Pride FC figures from Jakks Pacific! There are other figures in these waves, such as Quinton Jackson, Nate Diaz, Forrest Griffin, and Matt Hughes in Wave 8, and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Tito Ortiz and Brock Lesnar in Wave 9.

If you liked this review, here are some other products you might enjoy too – The UFC Encyclopedia by Thomas Gerbasi, “Ultimate Matt Hughes” DVD, or “The Men of Warrior” photo book!

I never knew MMA fans could be so crafty, literally!

George from Vancouver made this sweet-looking pair of book-ends for his friends birthday using two different versions of Round 5 MMA’s Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira action figures. To make the base, he used the large version of the Jakks Pacific UFC Octagon playset and trimmed it up to fit the figures, which he held in place with “the strongest glue ever”.

I wish I had a friend like this to make me something as cool as that. Hats off to George and his clever use of various toys to make a very unique gift! If you know of any other awesome acts of nerdom from MMA fans, don’t hesitate to let me know and you might get featured on the site.

Hey, while you’re still here, check out this offer and from me and MMA Vault on how you can get a month of FREE MMA DVDs!

Over on Round 5 MMA’s Facebook page, the company has revealed details for their eighth wave of the “Ultimate Collector Series”. The figures in this line-up will be Jose Aldo, Roy Nelson (pictured above), Brock Lesnar (New Sculpt), Jon Jones Championship Edition (New Sculpt), and George St. Pierre Championship Edition with a sculpted gi.

Limited Edition variant figures for this set will include special versions of Brock Lesnar (Limited to 1500 Units produced), Jon Jones Championship Edition (Limited to 1500 units produced), Jose Aldo WEC (Limited to 750 units produced) and Roy Nelson (Limited to 750 units produced). Variants typically include a fabric entrance shirt.

Do keep in mind the image you see above is a prototype and not a final version, so any of your qualms about appearances will be (hopefully) fixed by the time they go to production. All of these figures will be available in November. No pre-orders are available for them yet, but hey, you can still order the awesome PRIDE Versus Series 1 SPECIAL EDITION Action Figure two-Pack of Quinton Rampage Jackson Vs. Wanderlei Silva because it’s pretty much the best MMA toy set ever.

Round 5 President Damon Lau announces an all-new line of collectible figures, UFC Titans, the latest brand extension of Round 5’s incredibly popular UFC license.

“For the last 3 years, we have had a great time working on our Ultimate Collector Series and the complementary UFC Live and UFC Versus collections. We are incredibly excited to announce our latest project: UFC Titans, says Lau. “As the UFC has grown into a mainstream sport, we wanted to produce a new line that appeals to our current fans as well as the new audiences who are finally recognizing mixed martial arts as the greatest sport on earth.”

The 5-inch UFC Titans figures are one inch shorter than the Ultimate Collector Series but share the same points of articulation at the neck, waist, arms and fists. Fans both new and old will see familiar faces in UFC Titans Series 1, as Round 5 will release figures of Randy Couture, Royce Gracie, Chuck Liddell, BJ Penn, and Georges St-Pierre. While the figures feature the same realistic reproduction of the faces of individual fighters, the Titans feature a more light-hearted design featuring oversize heads and, a first from Round 5, all-vinyl construction.

“The design and vinyl construction is reminiscent of the vinyl HAO-Arts PRIDE collectibles. Fans of the UFC brought in by new names like Brock Lesnar or the last season of The Ultimate Fighter may not necessarily know the full history of the sport or have a deep knowledge of the epic PRIDE fights,” says Barron Lau, CEO of Round 5. “Combining current and future UFC Hall of Famers with vinyl construction and a new whimsical concept, we wanted to give new fans of the sport a collectible they can appreciate that still appeals to our hardcore supporters.”

UFC Titans has been in the pipeline since 2008, but Round 5 “leaked” the figures by mixing a few Titans prototypes into their display at UFC Fan Expo Toronto in April. “We got instant feedback and a lot of questions about the prototypes at the booth and through our Facebook page,” says Damon Lau, “That’s what I love about our fans. You can’t slip anything by them.”

UFC Titans will be available in November 2011 and will retail for $14.99. Round 5 targets a bi-annual series release.

Jakks Pacific has unveiled their ninth wave of UFC Deluxe Action Figures, which include Brock Lesnar in his shorts from UFC 87, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in his shorts from UFC 97, Vitor Belfort in his shorts from UFC 103, Tito Ortiz in his shorts UFC 73, and finally Wanderlei Silva in his shorts from “Pride FC: Final Conflict 2003″ along with his Pride middleweight grand prix title. The figures will be released in early August, but you can preorder them from Ringside Collectibles now.

Hit the jump for the rest of the photos from this line!

Round 5 MMA, maker of fine action figures (and who need to send some to me) released a sneak preview today of a prototype sculpt of Bruce Lee.

Based on the opening scene of his most notable film, “Enter the Dragon”, this Bruce features the original open-thumb broken knuckle style kenpo gloves and his tights that he wore in the opening of the film when he battled a young Sammo Hung. It should also be remembered that Lee won that sparring contest by armbar, so grappling FTW. Granted, the face in this photo looks a bit like Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, but it is just a prototype so I am sure it will be fixed when it goes to mass production. The company previously released a sneak peek at their first figure, this one immortalizing his famous pose and outfit from Lee’s final film, “The Game of Death”.

This figure will be released in the fall of this year along with others, but if you can’t get enough Bruce Lee you can check out my sneak preview and review of the first episode of “Bruce Lee Lives”, a new series on Fuel TV that starts this wednesday.

Round 5 MMA is on a roll this week with unveiling some sneak peeks of their action figure prototypes. Yesterday we saw Urijah Faber, who looks pretty sweet. Today, we get out first look at UFC octagon girl and occasional mediocre pop-singer (and possibly plagarist) Arianny Celeste, who will be a rare chase figure in series 7 of their UFC Collector series. The results of this figure are like the headline says – meh.

I normally approve of all Round 5 figures, since I like their caricatured look. However, in the case of Arianny, this is just not cutting it for me. Her face looks like Fran Drescher, and her boobs are obscenely huge (even for Arianny). We can not see her legs yet, and I am a bit worried about those too. This looks like the most realistic figure that the company has made thus far, and her lower appendages are going to make or break this figure. This is not the first time that R5 has made a female figure, their first being Gina Carano from a few years ago, and it was far more stylized than this one. The figure pictured here reminds me of one of those cheap lollipop toys, that has a motorized sucker on it that, when you press a button, causes the lollipop to spin around. That’s really the bottom line here, this figure just looks cheap and out of place. Let’s hope that things change as this is just the prototype and not the final release.

Joining Celeste in series 7 will also be Georges St-Pierre (New sculpt), Frankie Edgar – Championship Edition (meaning it comes with a championship belt for the figure), Thiago Alves, Junior Dos Santos, Urijah Faber and their first version of Bruce Lee dressed as he was in “Enter the Dragon” (which will also be a chase figure). The figures will hit shelves in September of this year.

On the official Round 5 Facebook page, the company revealed a prototype of their upcoming UFC Collector series figure of former WEC champion, Urijah Faber.

Faber will be available in the fall as part of series 7 of the company’s UFC Collector series. The above version is the limited edition WEC variant paint-job, so we can assume that there will be a UFC version with black gloves and a different pair of shorts.

Joining Faber in series 7 will also be Georges St-Pierre (New sculpt), Frankie Edgar – Championship Edition (meaning it comes with a championship belt for the figure), Thiago Alves, Junior Dos Santos, Arianny Celeste (Chase Figure) and their first version of Bruce Lee dressed as he was in “Enter the Dragon” (which will also be a chase figure). The figures will hit shelves in September of this year.

Round 5 MMA showed off a new prototype yesterday of their first Bruce Lee 6″ Collectible Figure.

It’s truly a day of Bruce Lee news! Fresh off the announcement of a new documentary series about the world’s greatest martial artist, we now have word that Round 5 MMA, makers of many stylized UFC action figures, is releasing their first figure based on Bruce Lee. Inspired from his famous film “Game of Death”, mini-Bruce comes posed in his signature stance with nunchuk accessory and dressed in his trademark yellow and black tracksuit. The suit appears to be painted on and is not fabric, but fabric at that size would most definitely increase the price. The operator of Round 5′s Facebook page added that this is as close to movie accurate as possible but more or less “inspired” by the film. However, later versions of Lee figures will be more accurate to real life.

This version of Bruce Lee is not part of the Ultimate Collector Series 7. There will be a different version of Bruce Lee that will be the chase figure in the UFC Ultimate Collector line. No word on what the packaging will be for this figure as well, but we do know that they have been working with Shannon Lee and the Bruce Lee Foundation so expect more Bruce Lee goodness all over the box art. There is no official price tag for this figure, but previous limited edition figures have sold for around $25.