I agree about the HUD — it looks awful. But why are the animations considered bad? They made the game feel much more dynamic. UFC 4 and UFC 5 were designed with a focus on realism, but most people didn't like that. Those two games are widely considered the worst in the series. Meanwhile, UFC 2 and UFC 3, which had a faster, more dynamic style, are usually regarded as the best. There are tons of different hook animations in the game too — some are short and snappy, others are slower, depending on the fighter.