UFC 109: What happened when Randy Couture and Mark Coleman finally clashed inside the Octagon?
Mark it down. February 6, 2010, marked the day the world finally got to see UFC Hall of Famers, Randy "The Natural" Couture and Mark "The Hammer" Coleman clash inside the Octagon.
This bout was supposed to occur 12 years earlier at UFC 17 wherein the inaugural UFC Heavyweight Champion, Coleman was expected to challenge then Heavyweight Champion, Couture. However, Couture was injured shortly before the show and then later left the UFC and vacated the belt. Therefore the fight never happened but finally with both men in the winter of their careers, the UFC finally got the contest done.
It was a fairly one-sided affair in truth. Both men traded blows early, but Coleman was clearly nervous and a couple of big rights from Couture but him on spaghetti legs. "The Hammer" survived to the second round but Couture took him down immediately and took Coleman's back to cinch in the match-winning choke. In a testament to Coleman's toughness, he refused to tap and instead passed out.
This is to date (January 2019) Coleman's final MMA bout ever.
The co-main event saw Chael Sonnen defeat Nate Marquardt via Unanimous Decision in a pretty one-sided affair that saw Sonnen dominate with ground and pound. However, deep in the final round, Marquardt locked in a stunning choke that turned Sonnen beetroot red. Incredibly, Sonnen survived and withstood a late assault to earn the win. Great fight.
Paulo Thiago made light work of Mike Swick, landing some excellent shots before he smashed Swick with a stunning left hook which sent him flying. From there, Thiago locked in a choke to turn Swick's lights out in a hugely impressive performance.
Demian Maia edged Dan Miller in the dullest fight of the night. Very little to talk about here as the pair spent most of the bout circling without much intent. A proper snooze fest regrettably.
Matt Serra dismissed one-time contender, Frank Trigg with a great right-hand punch that he followed up with a flurry that earned him the KO. Great showing from Serra.
That was UFC 109. It was a card where the top three bouts delivered in varying ways. However, there was no doubt as to what pulled the pay per view audience. The 250,000 orders were for the bout 12 years in the making. This was the Couture versus Coleman show.