UFC 109: RELENTLESS

Couture vs. Coleman

© Marc Wickert 
www.knucklepit.com
February 6, 2010

All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges

A large advertisement appears in the newspapers on February 6 featuring a seductive Courteney Cox wearing a T-shirt with the inscription “40 IS THE NEW 20”.  The advert is for Cougar Town, but the message on Courteney’s hot bod could also apply to the gladiators competing in UFC 109’s main event that night.

Mark “The Hammer” Coleman enters the Octagon at 45 and Randy “The Natural” Couture is 46, but according to Cox’s theory these Hall of Famers still have a lot more to give in their MMA careers.  And Randy, a chronic sufferer of eternal-youth syndrome, is here at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas to go to war for the third time in seven months.

Coleman debuted in the Octagon at UFC 10: The Tournament on July 12, 1996, in the days when athletes had to survive multiple bouts to claim victory on the night, with The Hammer defeating Moti Horenstein, Gary Goodridge and Don Frye.  Couture followed soon after at UFC 13: The Ultimate Force on May 30, 1997, and eliminated Tony Haime and Steven Graham. 

The Hammer and The Natural had adapted their trades to cage fighting and wrestling was now established as a prime ingredient in mixed martial arts.  No one has done more for American wrestling than these two legends of MMA.  Coleman and Couture were scheduled to cross paths early in their careers, but Randy suffered an injury and the showdown was placed on hold.  “The fight with Mark Coleman was actually supposed to happen a long time ago when Mark was the heavyweight champion and I was one of the up-and-coming guys just breaking in, and I popped a rib real bad in training.  So this has been a long time coming.  I was excited about the opportunity.  Guys are teasing me, of course, saying we should do it at Caesar’s and call it the Geezers at Caesar’s,” says Couture at his UFC interview.

Mark Coleman was also amped up about this classic showdown.  “There’s a lot of pride at stake here – two wrestlers going at it and I hope for the fans it’s going to be a war,” says Coleman.  “Once you get inside that cage, you have no choice but to try to take his head off… I want this fight bad.”

Couture hooks Coleman

In Earlier Matches

Mac Danzig def. Justin Buchholz by unanimous decision.
Melvin Guillard def. Ronys Torres by unanimous decision.
Rob Emerson def. Phillipe Nover by unanimous decision.
Chris Tuchscheree def. Tim Hague by majority decision.
Joey Beltran def. Rolles Gracie by TKO – 1.31, Round Two.

The Battles

Matt Serra (5’6” 169) vs. Frank Trigg (5’10” 171) 
Welterweight
Referee: Josh Rosenthal

Frank was in southpaw and Matt in orthodox.  They touched gloves and Matt tested a right on Frank’s midsection.
4.45: Matt looked to close the gap, but Frank popped out his right jab to keep Matt at bay.
4.29: Trigg countered Serra’s attack with his own combo.
4.09: Serra inside-kicked.
3.46: He threw another right to his taller opponent’s body.
3.36: Trigg blocked a high kick, and worked to maintain his reach advantage whilst countering Serra’s blows.
2.46: Matt inside-kicked.
2.42: They broadsided and Matt tagged Frank with a right hook, then followed up with g’n’p.

Result: Matt Serra by KO – 2.23, Round One.

Demian Maia (6’0” 186) vs. Dan Miller (6’1” 185) 
Middleweight
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti

Round One
4.47: Dan stood in orthodox and kicked his southpaw opponent’s lead leg.
4.09: They both unloaded in a fist confrontation before separating and regrouping.
3.51: Demian shot in at Dan’s legs and Dan Sprawled with his back to the wires.
2.59: They broke the clinch.
2.53: Demian fired off a high kick; Dan blocked it and retaliated with a solid right hand.
2.47: Maia failed to catch Miller’s kick.
2.39: Miller leg-kicked again.
2.21: Maia leg-kicked and followed it up by taking Miller to the floor; however Miller sprang back up only to cop knees to the billiards.
2.01: Steve Mazzagatti called time out.
1.52: Dan landed a right cross on Demian’s jaw.
1.37: Dan inside-kicked.
0.45: They clinched after some sparring.
0.32: Demian swept Dan and Dan bounced right back to his feet before the pair sparred up to the bell.

Round Two
4.46: They clashed and Maia body-kicked Miller.
4.37: Miller leg-kicked before the toe-to-toe continued.
3.19: Maia caught Miller with a left hook.
3.10: Miller landed a right cross.
2.59: Miller inside-kicked.
Rather than being Relentless, the fight turned into a kickboxing exhibition and the crowd grew Restless.

Round Three
4.28: Demian tried for a takedown and Dan sprawled before the pair tied up.
4.15: They parted.
3.53: Demian eventually got the takedown, but couldn’t capitalize and they stood up at 3.11.
Tackling, scrambling and horizontal clinching took up most of the final round.

Result: Demian Maia by unanimous decision.

Phil Davis (6’1” 205) vs. Brian Stann (6’1” 205) 
Light Heavyweight
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti

Round One
Phil looked like Kevin Randleman’s smaller brother with his powerful wrestling physique.  Brian’s build was more like an athletic GI’s as the pair faced off in orthodox stance.
4.20: Phil jabbed and Brian replied with an inside kick, then avoided Phil’s kick to the body.
4.06: Davis shot in, Stann sprawled, and they clinched against the cage.
3.29: Stann broke free from the entanglement.
3.17: Davis front-kicked.
3.14: Stann inside-kicked.
2.38: And again.
2.09: Stann countered Davis’s jab with another inside kick.
1.55: Phil notched up an easy takedown and fell into side control.
1.37: Brian maneuvered Phil into half guard.
1.11: Phil had Brian’s back and began g’n’p-ing.
0.58: Brian turned and Phil mounted him.
0.46: Brian rolled and Phil retook his back, stuck to him like glue, and punished him with more g’n’p.

Round Two
4.52: Stann banged out an inside kick.
4.38: He rushed Davis with a leather flurry.
4.31: Davis front-kicked.
4.20: He kicked off his front leg twice; Stann countered the second one with a right cross.
4.06: Davis threw a distracting combo which enabled him to shoot in and tackle Stann.
3.32: Davis captured the mount.
3.12: Brian maneuvered Phil into half guard.
2.51: Phil focused on isolating Brian’s right arm before Brian retrieved his limb but surrendered side control to Phil.
2.36: Phil recaptured the mount.
2.29: He took Brian’s back and pounded.  Each time Stann rolled, Davis stayed in the saddle and punished him with punches.
0.52: Davis harpooned destructive knees into Stann’s body from side control.
This was all Davis’s round.

Round Three
4.51: Phil kicked to the body and Brian answered via a right hand.
4.29: Phil front-kicked.
4.16: Brian charged in with blazing fists; Phil used the opportunity to duck under the invading hands and took Brian down.
3.36: Phil progressed from half guard to seizing Brian’s back.
3.18: Stann wriggled Davis back into half guard before Davis assumed side control at 3.04.
2.44: Davis isolated Stann’s right arm again in search of an Americana; however he was unable to get the necessary leverage to seal the submission.
In the dying seconds of the fight Phil chased down an arm bar, but it was too late to complete the hold.  What an impressive debut from Phil Davis.

Result: Phil Davis by unanimous decision.

Paulo Thiago (5’11” 170) vs. Mike Swick (6’1” 171) 
Welterweight
Referee: Herb Dean

Round One
4.52: Mike inside-kicked and employed his lightning jab.
4.08: Paulo high-kicked.
3.52: Mike fired off a left and Paulo retaliated with a left.
3.28: Paulo unbalanced Mike with an inside sweep.
3.18: Mike landed a right hook.
2.49: Swick leg-kicked.
2.29: Thiago returned the kick.
1.47: Swick insisted Thiago keep the kick.
1.25: Thiago unloaded a combo.
0.56: Swick dodged a high kick.
0.31: He scored a takedown to secure the first five with the judges and fought from Thiago’s guard.

Round Two
They sparred whilst looking for an opening.
4.18: Paulo leg-kicked.
4.08: He body-kicked.
4.02: Mike ignited two leg kicks.
3.25: He connected with a right mitt; Paulo unloaded an overhand right and a left hook that downed Mike.  He followed Mike to the floor and shut him down with a darce choke.

Result: Paulo Thiago by darce choke – 1.54, Round Two.

Chael Sonnen (6’1” 185) vs. Nate Marquardt (6’0” 186) 
Middleweight
Referee: Josh Rosenthal

Round One
These middleweights came out like lightweights – Chael in southpaw and Nate in orthodox.
4.58: Chael caught Nate’s front kick before releasing it.
4.55: Nate punched and kneed to the body.
4.46: Nate body-punched again.
4.42: Chael clinched, forcing Nate’s back into the fence.
4.27: Marquardt broke free in an attempt to stand and bang with his opponent.
4.18: They exchanged before Sonnen tackled Marquardt to the mats.  Marquardt pulled Sonnen into closed guard and tried the guillotine choke out for size.
4.05: Sonnen’s head popped free as he began hammering Marquardt’s ribs with right fists and attacked his head with punches and elbows.  This was a brutal and relentless assault from Sonnen.
2.36: Marquardt leg-pressed Sonnen away before standing.
2.32: Nate brought up a powerful knee and Chael took him back down.
1.31: Chael went into a head-hunting frenzy with vicious elbows that brought an anguished moan from the crowd.  Chael made the Gatling gun look slack with his unrelenting attack.

Round Two
Sonnen shot Marquardt down at 4.53.
4.30: Marquardt parked a savage right elbow on Sonnen’s forehead from underneath.
4.17: He isolated Sonnen’s right arm for a kimura.
3.49: Marquardt gave up the ghost and Sonnen g’n’ped from half guard.
3.06: Marquardt pulled Sonnen into full guard.
2.46: Nate delivered another Loiseau-style elbow from below, causing Chael’s claret to flow.
2.12: Nate surrendered his back which was looking like Randy Couture’s shorts after he demolished Vitor Belfort at UFC 49.
1.40: Chael clung to Nate’s back and slammed in right hooks as Nate returned fire with left elbows.
0.40: They scrambled to their feet.
0.37: Chael was having none of it and tugged Nate back down.

Round Three
They immediately clashed as Marquardt tried to pull the carpet from under Sonnen with a takedown; however Sonnen shrugged him off before dragging him down.
4.43: Marquardt swept Sonnen into guard.
4.07: Sonnen was targeting Marquardt’s ribs with sharp right punches again.
3.23: Marquardt got to his feet but gave up his back in doing so.
3.10: Sonnen pulled him back down and inflicted more g’n’p from half guard.
1.56: Nate broke free and stood.
1.53: Chael shot in and Nate fitted him with a guillotine.
1.32: Chael escaped the choke and lay in Nate’s guard.
1.00: They scrambled and Nate took side control.
0.14: Nate launched some g’n’p but it was too late.

Result: Chael Sonnen by unanimous decision.

Randy Couture (6’2” 205) vs. Mark Coleman (6’1” 205) 
Light Heavyweight
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti

Randy Coleman knees Mark Coleman

Mark enters the ring looking cool and confident, and has former Xtreme Couture head trainer Shawn Tompkins in his corner.  Randy strolls out to the sound of Ted Nugent’s Gibson guitar which is then accompanied by Derek St. Holmes on vocals as Stranglehold barks through the arena.

Steve Mazzagatti orders them to “hook ’em up” and the action begins.

Round One
Mark stands tall and Randy is in a crouched stance – possibly for the takedown.
4.39: Randy lands a jab on Mark’s jaw.
4.28: Randy lands a right.
3.52: They exchange and Mark delivers a combo, then confidently steps forward as Randy backs up.
3.30: Coleman tags Couture with a jab.
3.09: Couture scores with right crosses and knees before clinching and forcing Coleman against the cage.
2.28: Couture throws an elbow after attacking with rattling uppercuts.  The elbows and uppercuts keep coming as Couture continues roughing up Coleman until the first five come to a close.

Randy Couture slams Mark C oleman

Round Two
4.34: Randy has Mark against the cage again.
4.25: He gets double underhooks in place and takes Mark down, then secures the mount and begins the signature Couture g’n’p-ing.
4.14: Mark rolls and gives up his back.
4.04: Randy wraps on a RNC.
3.50: Mark refuses to tap and Randy’s stranglehold puts him to sleep.

The fight went pretty much the way fans had predicted, with 81% tipping Randy and 19% backing Mark.  Coleman had only competed in two fights since his match against Fedor Emelianenko on October 26, 2006, whereas Couture had fought twice in the last seven months prior to this bout.  Mark had also put his fight preparation through a complete overhaul leading up to UFC 109, and even the best ‘new shoes’ take a while to break in.

Result: Randy Couture by RNC – 1.09, Round Two.

Randy Couture chokes Mark Coleman

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