By Ariel Schnerer, The Fight Network
In a fight initially slated to take place at UFC 17 in May 1998, MMA pioneers Randy Couture and Mark Coleman will finally get it on Saturday night at UFC 109.
In their mid-40s, "The Natural" and "The Hammer" are still going strong as they headline a major pay-per-view card in Las Vegas.
Here's a breakdown of UFC 109:
Randy Couture (17-10) vs. Mark Coleman (16-9)
This battle of UFC Hall of Famers may be happening 12 years too late. But even today, a main event between Couture and Coleman is an intriguing matchup with potentially major repercussions.
The 46-year-old Couture and 45-year-old Coleman are legends in the sport and neither man can afford a setback at this stage in their careers.
Couture's comeback in 2007 was a remarkable example of his dedication to the sport. "The Natural" dethroned Tim Sylvia to reclaim the UFC heavyweight championship and successfully defended the title against Gabriel Gonzaga. After returning to the promotion again in 2008 following a lengthy contract dispute, Couture dropped back-to-back fights against Brock Lesnar and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, which prompted the former two-division champion to drop down in weight.
Back at 205 pounds, Couture edged Brandon Vera via unanimous decision at UFC 105 last November. The victory over Vera was a pivotal moment in Couture's career as it demonstrated he can still be relevant in the light heavyweight division.
The founder of Xtreme Couture has beaten some of the best fighters during his era, including Pedro Rizzo, Kevin Randleman, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz and Vitor Belfort.
Coleman is coming off a much-needed win over Stephan Bonnar at UFC 100 last July. The win came after losses in recent years against stiff competition including Mirko "Cro Cop" in his prime, Nogueira, Mauricio Rua and Fedor Emelianenko.
In his prime, the 2000 Pride Grand Prix winner defeated some of the sport's all-time legends including Gary Goodridge, Don Frye, Dan Severn, Kazuyuki Fujita and Igor Vovchanchyn.
Stylistically, Couture and Coleman have similar styles.
Couture's Greco-Roman wrestling base and world-renowned clinch and ground-and-pound style have been the trademark tools in his repertoire.
Coleman, who is credited as the "Godfather of ground-and-pound," is a decorated wrestler as well. The 1992 Olympian and former NCAA champion lacks strong cardio and his striking skills have been questionable. Moreover, his grappling has not improved since he first began in the sport.
The difference-maker will be Couture's ability to evolve with the sport. Couture has made drastic headway with his striking. His ability to brutalize opponents in the clinch is second to none and his work ethic in the gym is inspiring to fighters half his age. With all factors taken into consideration, Couture should control the bout en route to a decision nod.
In defeat, Coleman may need to asses his standing in the UFC.
Couture, meanwhile, can move closer to a crack at the title later this year.
Nate Marquardt (29-8-2) vs. Chael Sonnen (23-10-1)
Marquardt, a black belt in Brazilian jiujitsu, has improved considerably since his knockout loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 73 in 2007.
Coming off wins over Demian Maia, Wilson Gouveia and Martin Kampmann, Marquardt has been training with Greg Jackson in New Mexico to put all the tools in his game together.
In 39 career bouts, Marquardt has showcased a strong base in submission grappling coupled with menacing kickboxing.
Sonnen, a veteran of 35 pro fights, is a former NCAA All-America wrestler and U.S. Olympic team alternate. Under Matt Lindland's wing at Team Quest, Sonnen has become a major middleweight threat coming off back-to-back victories over Yushin Okami and Dan Miller. Sonnen holds victories over Renato Sobral, Jason Lambert, Jason Miller, Trevor Prangley and Paulo Filho.
Sonnen's standup game needs polishing. He will rely heavily on his wrestling to outmuscle and outmaneuver Marquardt to win a decision. Unheralded until his recent upset win over Okami, Sonnen is accustomed to playing it safe by taking his opponents down and dropping punches from top control, a tactic he employed perfectly in his win over Miller at UFC 98.
But Marquardt has been training with Georges St-Pierre, the best wrestler in the sport. If Sonnen's strategy will be to take Marquardt down with ease, he may be in for a long night. Marquardt is the vastly superior standup fighter with more speed, sharper footwork and greater punching power.
In addition, Marquardt is a submission expert. His world-class BJJ can threaten Sonnen if he finds himself fighting off his back. Sonnen has struggled against superior submission experts such as Maia and Filho.
A win could push Marquardt to a rematch with Silva.
Paulo Thiago (12-1) vs. Mike Swick (14-3)
A rematch between Thiago and Josh Koscheck was ultimately a better matchup.
However, Thiago and Swick both need a standout performance in the 170-pound division.
Thiago, a black belt in BJJ and judo, is a member of the elite special police force in Brazil. He put UFC matchmaker Joe Silva on notice when he knocked out Koscheck at UFC 95 last February.
Now training with the Nogueiras, Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida at Team Black House in addition to regularly training at Constrictor Team, Thiago is an evolving fighter with unlimited potential.
Swick, Koscheck's American Kickboxing Academy teammate, is a highly touted welterweight coming off a unanimous decision loss to upcoming title challenger Dan Hardy.
Since debuting in 1998, Swick has defeated the likes of Joe Riggs, Josh Burkman, Marcus Davis, Jonathan Goulet and Ben Saunders.
With strong takedown defense, quick hands, a long range and decent submission skills, Swick is a handful for most welterweights and Thiago should be no exception.
Despite being a well-rounded fighter, Swick can be exploited by Thiago on the mat. If the Brazilian can take this fight to the ground, he will control the action to win on judges' scorecards. But if Swick successfully thwarts the takedown, he will rapidly turn into a favorite to win.
Matt Serra (9-6) vs. Frank Trigg (19-7)
Serra and Trigg will put on a great show for the fans in this welterweight encounter.
Nicknamed "The Terror," Serra is the first American BJJ black belt under Renzo Gracie.
Serra also packs a mean punch, which he showcased by shocking the world and stopping St-Pierre at UFC 67 in 2007.
On paper, Serra's record is nothing to rave about. But the proud New Yorker has only lost to top fighters such as St-Pierre, Matt Hughes, Karo Parisyan and B.J. Penn. His loss to Hughes at UFC 98 last May was a close encounter.
Trigg, a former NCAA Division I wrestler with a black belt in Judo, is a well-rounded southpaw with 26 fights under his belt.
Anchored at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Trigg is coming off a first-round TKO loss to Koscheck in his return to the UFC last September.
Trigg might opt to respect the ground game of Serra by standing and trading punches. Regardless of how he tackles Serra, Trigg takes the risk of leaving himself open to danger. Serra has one-punch power and dangerous submissions, which makes him the likely candidate to prevail.
Demian Maia (11-1) vs. Dan Miller (11-2)
This bout presents the opportunity of a lifetime to Miller, but does little to propel the career of Maia, a second degree BJJ black belt under Fabio Gurgel.
Maia's grappling credentials are among the best in the sport. In 2007, he reached the top of the BJJ mountain by winning the Abu Dhabi submission grappling tournament.
Formerly a top contender to challenge Silva for the middleweight title, Maia needs a win to maintain a top-10 ranking following a knockout loss to Marquardt last August.
Miller, a former Cage Fury Fighting Championships and IFL middleweight champion, has a background in freestyle wrestling. He too is no slouch on the ground. On Jan. 15, Miller was awarded his BJJ black belt under Renzo Gracie black belt Jamie Cruz.
If Maia expects to steamroll through the AMA Fight Club product, he may run into some resistance. Miller is banking on a solid performance to further his UFC career following a unanimous decision setback to Sonnen last May.
Although Miller possesses the survival tools, his striking and wrestling are not good enough to neutralize Maia's relentless ground assault.
