Firstly, Legend (EA Game Changer) said we can talk about the beta now, just not share media from it.
Okay, so the game feels like it has the bones of UFC 5 (at least as responsive as 5 in most ways, stepping body jabs/straights feel sluggish though, like UFC 4), but there are more varied animations (big plus, they mostly look good too, Alex's moveset especially looks really nice, a little loose, but mostly accurate), the movement speed feels quicker.
Knockdown animations are improved but not UFC 2 level, though some of them do look really good before transitioning to a UFC 5 kind of position on the ground.
The damage is quite strong. You can't eat too many shots on the block, and counters seem to be really powerful. Unblocked combos/successive unblocked shots seem like they can really take your health away.
Leg kicks use the L2 button now and are snappier than UFC 5. Body kicks are just left stick towards opponent and a kick button, like Undisputed 3.
One thing I noticed though is that holding L2 and then holding a kick button gets you a switch body kick rather than a low kick. It sounds complicated but I think once you're used to it, it will feel natural.
Grappling is the same as UFC 5 (cage seated positions are nice though). Submissions from my one interaction seem the same, still a submission bar and it takes more than one submission to tap you out (at least if you have reasonable stamina as the one being subbed).
Seems to be a new knockdown animation added when against the cage, functionally the same as the usual knockdown-near-cage animation, but it looks really realistic, you fall down on your side, kind of like Cannonier did against Whittaker, and you can get KO'd on the way down. I like it a lot.
Best way I can describe it is that the game feels like a loosened up UFC 5, with the movement speed turned up by 15%, and with a lot more unique animations for fighters. DDP's jab looks really good.
To me, this game is a net upgrade over UFC 5, I'd like a bit slower movement maybe, but I'd rather it be too fast than too slow and potentially too clunky.
For reference, I thought UFC 5 was the best/most realistic EA UFC game, but I had the most fun on UFC 2. I've had some knockdowns that give me some of that UFC 2 feel, even though the ragdolls aren't like 2.
The ragdolls are, at times, like a looser/more realistic version of UFC 5, and it seems that they blend a looser ragdoll into a UFC 5 "on the ground after being knocked-down animation".
I'm hoping that the looser movement makes LHW and HW feel good. Undisputed 3 is still the best, IMO, but this is the best EA UFC game they've made as a total package. Considering realism vs fun.
Flow state needs to go though. Like people are saying, it looks like it's from a fighting game. Doesn't fit in an MMA game with realism as its intended approach. Also, I wish there was a realistic arena lighting filter/preset we could use.
EDIT: Also if you didn't know (I didn't), overhands and special kicks are L1 + R1 plus a punch/kick button. Thanks to u/knyelvr for letting me know.