In the recent years, it has become a tradition for the UFC to put on a major event the night before Superbowl. This year, UFC is still reeling from the string of illnesses and injuries suffered by key fighters in the past few months, and so the Superbowl event had a rather underwhelming card. Headlined by the “seniors’ tour” matchup of Mark Coleman vs. Randy Couture, 109 piled on the nostalgia with Matt Serra taking on Frank Trigg on the undercard. The rest of the event was mostly filled with matchups with little divisional significance, with the notable exception of Nate Marquardt taking on Chael Sonnen for the shot at the middleweight title.
Preliminary Card (Spike TV)
Melvin Guillard vs. Ronnys Torres (155 lbs)
Round 1: Torres ducks under a punch and takes Guillard down. Torres passes into half-guard and works for a kimura. Guillard escapes and stands up. Torres leads in with a punch then takes Guillard down again but Guillard reverses and ends up on top, then stands up and backs away. Guillard lands a couple of kicks. Torres misses with a flying knee. Guillard attempts a spinning back fist but misses as well. Torres shoots for another takedown, eats a knee on the way in but completes the takedown. Ground and pound from Torres but Guillard is able to stand up and blasts Torres with two hooks as the round ends. Round 10-9 Torres
Round 2: An ice bag breaks up in Torres’ corner between the rounds, extending the break to several minutes. Both fighters come out swinging and missing. Torres attempts to slam Guillard, lifting him up high against the cage; Guillard prevents the slam and they trade punches. Torres shoots in – right into a knee again, then eats another knee after Guillard breaks free. Guillard defends another takedown attempt but Torres takes his back standing and Guillard rolls, ending up in Ronnys’ guard. Torres looks for a kimura but Guillard escapes and lands a big punch. Round 10-9 Guillard
Round 3: Guillard is throwing haymakers, looking for a finish. Guillard defends a takedown attempt and punishes Torres with big punches. Torres fires back then earns a takedown. Torres passes into side control and once again works a kimura. Guillard escapes to his feet. Guillard rocks Torres with a punch but gets taken down again. Torres picks up Guillard and attempts a slam but lands on his back, mounted by Guillard. Guillard tees off from the top as the round ends. Round 10-9 Torres
Melvin Guillard wins a unanimous decision, 29-28 on all scorecards.
Aftermath: Melvin Guillard gets back on the winning track, somewhat controversially. He should be faced with the winner of the upcoming bout between Spencer Fisher and Duane ‘Bang’ Ludwig.
Ronnys Torres’ long awaited UFC debut has been delayed by a series of injuries, and he performed fairly well coming off a lengthy layoff. Still, the loss places him near the bottom of the UFC’s lightweight division and he should prove his mettle by taking on either Mac Danzig or the fellow struggling Brazilian prospect Thiago Tavares.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Mac Danzig vs. Justin Buchholz (155 lbs)
Round 1: Buchholz leads with a series of kicks, missing most. Danzig connects with a punch. They trade for a bit, not landing anything significant. Buchholz defends a takedown attempt. Buchholz hurts Danzig with punches, forcing him to a knee. Danzig recovers and they clinch. Both fighters trade and land in turn. Buchholz has a higher strike output in a very close round. Round 10-9 Buchholz
Round 2: Danzig shoots after an initial exchange and gets stuffed. Danzig punches then shoots again, this time scoring a takedown. Mac quickly passes into half-guard; Buchholz lock in a kimura but Danzig escapes and passes into mount. Buchholz gives up his back and reverses, ending up in Mac’s guard. Danzig lands elbows and punches from the bottom then sweeps into mound, landing elbows as the round ends. Referee Herb Dean warns Danzig for one of the elbows striking the back of the head. Round 10-9 Danzig
Round 3: Danzig gets a takedown early but Buchholz stands up right away and they trade punches. They clinch and Danzig takes Justin’s back standing. Buchholz rolls and ends up in Danzig’s guard. They stall on the ground and the ref stands them up. Danzig flurries on Buchholz, hurting him then finishing up with a takedown. Danzig quickly gets full mount then back. Danzig looks for a choke but there’s little time left in the round. Round 10-9 Danzig
Mac Danzig wins a unanimous decision, 29-28 on all scorecards.
Aftermath: With Danzig coming off three consecutive losses and Buchholz 1-3 in the UFC after being stopped in his last two, this was the UFC’s version of the ‘loser leaves town’ matchup. With a win, former ‘TUF’ winner Mac Danzig salvages his UFC career and should next face Ronnys Torres, Thiago Tavares, or Matt Veach. Justin Buchholz is almost certainly finished in the UFC for the time being.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Main Card (PPV)
Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg (170 lbs)
Round 1: Serra attacks Trigg with body punches. Trigg is content to stand and trade punches with Serra. Serra keeps going to the body the misses with a kick. Trigg fires off a 1-2 and is countered by Serra’s right hook, which crumples Frank. Serra pounces on Trigg and lands several follow-up strikes before the referee steps in to stop the bout. Trigg protests the stoppage, but it was a clean TKO.
Aftermath: Matt Serra returns to the Top 10, and is only a win or two away from title contention. Serra vs. Paulo Thiago would make for a good eliminator bout.
Trigg has been knocked out twice in less than 5 minutes combined in the two UFC bouts since his return. This may have been his final fight in the Octagon.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller (185 lbs)
Round 1: Circling and tentative exchanges start off the fight. Maia clinches and Miller pushes away. Maia scores a takedown but Miller pops up and connects with several strikes. Maia looks for another takedown; Miller defends. Maia’s knee grazes Miller’s groin and as Miller tries to get the ref’s attention Maia tees off on his face until the referee finally halts the action. They restart and Miller is working Maia with strikes but gets taken down again, standing up near the end of the round. Round 10-9 Millers
Round 2: Maia changes his strategy in the second round, looking to fight it out on the feet instead of looking for takedowns. Miller is happy to oblige but surprising Maia begins to outstrike Miller as the fight devolves into a slow and sloppy kickboxing match. The crowd boo’s as Miller is playing defense and Maia landing insignificant strikes. Round 10-9 Maia
Round 3: They trade and Miller blocks a takedown attempt. Miller rocks Maia with a punch buts get taken down as he rushes in to follow up. Maia is looking to control Miller on the ground. Miller gets up briefly but Maia is persistent and drags him back down. Maia passes into half guard. Miller regains guard. Nothing significant from either fighter and the crowd boo’s again but the ref doesn’t stand them up. Round 10-9 Maia
Demian Maia wins a unanimous decision with the scores of 30-27, 29-28, 29-28
Aftermath: This was an ugly fight that didn’t show either contender in their best light. Demian Maia gets a win and is now in the odd position of watching Chael Sonnen (whom Maia submitted in the first round) defeat Nathan Marquardt (who knocked out Maia with the first punch thrown) in a title eliminator. Maia remains just outside of the middleweight title picture, and should next fight Yoshihiro Akiyama, who has been missing in action since his UFC debut.
Dan Miller drops his second straight decision after three initial wins at the start of his UFC career. He has had the opportunity to show that he belongs at the elite level of competition, and after coming up short twice he should take on a lower-level opponent such as Kendal Grove.
Fight Grade: 2/5
Paulo Thiago vs. Mike Swick (170 lbs)
Round 1: Both fighters are tentative early. Thiago with a grazing head kick as the first attack of the fight. Swick answers with a big punch. They trade leg kicks, neither fighter committing much to strikes. Uneventful standup exchanges and the crown begins to boo. Thiago hurts Swick with a combination and forces him to shoot a takedown. Thiago attempts a guillotine off his back but doesn’t have it locked and lets go. The round ends with Swick in Paulo’s guard. Round 10-9 Thiago
Round 2: Thiago lands a low and a mid kick. Swick fires back with leg kicks. Swick lands a punch and moves forward with a flurry but gets countered and knocked down with a right. Thiago follows him to the ground but instead of striking locks in a D’Arce choke, and Swick quickly goes limp, causing referee Herb Dean to stop the fight.
Aftermath: Paulo Thiago moves up to 3-1 in UFC, his only loss a close decision to Jon Fitch, and one step closer to title contention. A bout with Matt Serra makes the most sense for Thiago at this point.
Mike Swick finds himself on the receiving end of back-to-back losses and falls out of the elite tier of the welterweight division. Swick vs. Amir Sadollah would be an interesting matchup.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Brian Stann vs. Phil Davis (205 lbs)
Round 1: Stann is looking to strike and Davis wants to bring the fight to the ground. Stann shrugs off the first takedown attempt. Stann looks for big punches but Davis is holding his own in striking. Davis finally secures a takedown and quickly passes guard. Davis pins Stann against the fence. Stann gives up his back then rolls back over into mount. Davis is controlling Stann and landing punches from the top as Stann rolls around unable to escape. Round 10-9 Davis
Round 2: Stann misses with punches and gets taken down. Davis passes into half-guard,then mount. Stann once again is stuck on the ground, taken through dominating positions but not taking any damage. Eventually Davis traps Stann against the fence and is landing repeated knees to the body. Stann is unable to escape Round 10-9 Davis
Round 3: Stann is initially having some luck keeping the fight on the feet and trading strikes, but Davis is determined to take it to the ground and eventually succeeds. From there it’s a repeat of the previous round, with Davis keeping Stann trapped while not doing any damage. Near the end of the round Davis threatens a choke and then an armbar. Round 10-9 Davis
Phil Davis wins a unanimous decision with the scores of 30-27, 30-26, 30-26
Aftermath: Phil Davis makes a successful, if unspectacular UFC debut. He should be pitted against another undefeated prospect in Alexander Gustaffson. Brian Davis falls to 2-2 in the UFC and should face Eric Schafer or Stephan Bonnar in a must-win match.
Fight Grade: 2/5
Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen (185 lbs)
Round 1: Marquardt leads with low kicks. Sonnen catches one but is unable to take Marquardt down. Sonnen shoots and Marquardt pulls guard with a guillotine. Sonnen escapes the hold and Marquardt gets back to his feet. Marquardt scores with a flying knee but Sonnen takes him down, and punishes Nate with body shots and elbows to the head. Round 10-9 Sonnen
Round 2: Sonnen gets a takedown early on. Marquardt looks for a kimura off his back, then a guillotine. Marquardt lands a huge elbow off his back that cuts Sonnen open. Marquardt rolls for a leg. Sonnen defends. Sonnen is cut on his forehead and bleeding all over Marquardt, but maintaining control and punishing Nate with punches from the top. Marquardt eventually escapes but gets taken down again. Round 10-9 Sonnen
Round 3: Marquardt attempts a takedown of his own but Sonnen stuffs it and takes down Nate in turn. Sonnen working the body and head with punches. Marquardt escapes but Sonnen stays on him and drags him back down. Marquardt locks in a guillotine and it is deep but Sonnen escapes somehow. Marquardt sweeps the exhausted Sonnen and ends up in north-south, but with no knees to the head allowed he doesn’t have many options from that position. Marquardt transitions into mount and tees off on Sonnen but it’s too late and the round ends. Round 10-9 Marquardt
Chael Sonnen wins a unanimous decision with the scores of 30-27 on all scorecards.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Aftermath: On a three-fight streak with controlling wins over Dan Miller, Yushin Okami, and now Nathan Marquardt, Chael Sonnen has earned himself a shot at the winner of the Anderson Silva-Vitor Belfort middleweight title bout.
Nate Marquardt’s quest for a rematch with Anderson Silva has been cut short, and he will now have to settle for the loser of the upcoming title bout, or take a matchup with the winner of Michael Bisping-Alan Belcher instead.
Randy Couture vs. Mark Coleman (205 lbs)
Round 1: Couture circles and jabs, then connects with a solid right hand. Coleman connects with a punch as well, causing Couture to back up momentarily, then Randy returns to his boxing attack. Couture lands a combination then clinches and connects with several knees, hurting Coleman. Couture presses Coleman against the fence and rocks him with uppercuts. The action slows down with Couture ‘dirty boxing’ from clinch. Coleman tries to fire back but is ineffective and absorbs a lot of punishment. Round 10-9 Couture
Round 2: Coleman gets off first, connecting with a combination. Couture lands several strikes of his own, then takes down the wobbly Coleman and lands into mount. Couture pounds away and Coleman gives up his back. Couture secures a rear naked choke; Coleman refuses to tap and loses consciousness as the referee stops the fight.
Aftermath: While this was a dominant performance for the 46-year-old Couture, the younger by a year Mark Coleman really showed his age in this bout. Though Coleman jawed back-and-forth with Tito Ortiz after the fight, which could lead to a potential ‘grudge match’ down the road, it would be better for Coleman and the fans alike if he were to retire following this loss.
Randy Couture will likely be thrust into the title picture one more time, but first he should take on the winner of the upcoming bout between Forrest Griffin and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Joey Beltran vs. Rolles Gracie (HW)
Round 1: Gracie rushes Beltran, attempting an immediate takedown. Beltran defends and they clinch against the cage. Gracie backs away then shoots for another takedown and this time succeeds. Gracie immediately passes to mount, takes Beltran’s back then goes back to mount. Beltran reverses and stands up out of Gracie’s guard, motioning him up. They trade punches and Gracie carries his hands low and is eating strikes from the smaller Beltran. Gracie attempts another takedown but is stuffed and Beltran pounds on his head from the top, but the round runs out. Round 10-9 Gracie
Round 2: Beltran defends an early takedown attempt. Gracie shoots in again and eats a knee for his trouble. Gracie is hurt and winded and has nothing left but desperate takedown attempts, flopping to his back when Beltran sprawls. Beltran calls for him to stand up and sprawls on another sloppy takedown attempt. Rolles ends up flat on his belly with Beltran on top of him, landing numerous punches to the head. Gracie has no defense and the ref steps in quickly, giving Beltran the TKO.
Aftermath: Rolles Gracie has had one of the worst UFC debuts in recent memory, which goes to show that the family name alone is not enough to be fighting in the big leagues of MMA. He will have to get quite a bit of experience before another bout in the Octagon, though I can see him as a good fit if there is another heavyweight season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’.
Joey Beltran lands in the bottom half of the UFC’s heavyweight pack, and should next take on Paul Buentello, Chris Tuchscherer, or Pat Barry.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Oftentimes, lackluster fight cards result in exciting events. This was not one of these times – UFC 109 was as boring to watch as it looked on paper.