UFC 109: Couture Submits Coleman, Sonnen Outpoints Marquardt
UFC 109 paired two Hall of Famers at the top of its card and produced a major middleweight contender’s breakthrough beneath them. On February 6, 2010, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Randy Couture submitted Mark Coleman in the second round and Chael Sonnen defeated Nate Marquardt by unanimous decision. Paulo Thiago also secured a significant welterweight win, giving the eleven-bout event consequences beyond its nostalgic headliner.
Video: UFC’s contemporary training preview for Couture and Coleman ahead of UFC 109.
Couture wins the meeting of Hall of Famers
The main event brought together two influential wrestlers from the UFC’s earlier years. Couture, 46, had returned to light heavyweight with a close victory over Brandon Vera at UFC 105. Coleman, 45, had beaten Stephan Bonnar at UFC 100. This meeting carried historical appeal, but it still asked which veteran could put his tools together more effectively on the night.
Couture’s striking gave him the advantage. He combined punches, close-range knees and pressure against the fence, making Coleman work defensively even when the exchanges were competitive. In round two, Couture hurt Coleman, took him down and moved from ground strikes into a rear-naked choke.
Coleman lost consciousness before escaping, and the referee ended the bout at 1:09 of the second round. The official result was a submission victory for Couture. His performance reinforced the value of combining phases: effective standing offense created the takedown opportunity, and the ground position led directly to the finish.
Sonnen wrestles his way into the title picture
Sonnen’s bout with Marquardt was advertised as a middleweight title eliminator. Marquardt had impressed with his rapid knockout of Demian Maia at UFC 102, while Sonnen had built momentum by beating Yushin Okami at UFC 104. Their meeting would decide which contender left Las Vegas with the stronger claim.
Sonnen made repeated takedowns and persistent top pressure the core of the contest. He did not need a spectacular single attack to make his offense consequential: elbows, positional work and the difficulty of getting free accumulated across the rounds. Marquardt remained dangerous, but could not consistently force the fight into the exchanges he wanted.
After fifteen minutes, Sonnen had a unanimous decision and a championship opportunity. The significance was immediate rather than something added by hindsight. This was a contender defeating another leading contender through a clear, repeatable approach, strengthening the case that his wrestling could create problems even at the highest level.
Thiago finishes Swick, Maia and Serra recover
Paulo Thiago defeated Mike Swick with a D’Arce, also known as a Brabo choke, at 1:54 of round two. Swick lost consciousness, so the result was a technical submission. The finish gave Thiago another valuable win against an established welterweight and followed his decision over Jacob Volkmann at UFC 106.
Demian Maia beat Dan Miller by unanimous decision. Coming after the knockout defeat to Marquardt, it was a useful recovery that required Maia to compete for the full distance. Matt Serra stopped Frank Trigg with punches in the opening round. Those contrasting victories gave the main card both a measured return to form and a fast finish from another former champion.
Davis and Beltran make successful UFC debuts
The preliminary card included two arrivals worth separating from the veteran headliner. Phil Davis defeated Brian Stann by unanimous decision, beginning his UFC run with a win over an experienced opponent. Joey Beltran stopped Rolles Gracie in round two, demonstrating that a famous grappling surname did not decide an MMA contest before it began.
Mac Danzig beat Justin Buchholz and Melvin Guillard defeated Ronys Torres, both by unanimous decision, in the two bouts selected for the Spike TV preliminary broadcast. Rob Emerson also won unanimously against Phillipe Nover. Chris Tuchscherer edged Tim Hague by majority decision, completing a preliminary card in which five of the six bouts went to the judges.
The event’s enduring shape is therefore broader than Couture’s victory. A historic matchup closed the show, but Sonnen’s advancement, Thiago’s submission and the successful newcomers gave UFC 109 several separate stories. The complete results keep those supporting performances visible alongside the famous names.
Complete UFC 109 results
Main card
- Randy Couture def. Mark Coleman — submission (rear-naked choke), round 2, 1:09.
- Chael Sonnen def. Nate Marquardt — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
- Paulo Thiago def. Mike Swick — technical submission (D’Arce/Brabo choke), round 2, 1:54.
- Demian Maia def. Dan Miller — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
- Matt Serra def. Frank Trigg — TKO (punches), round 1, 2:23.
Preliminary card
- Mac Danzig def. Justin Buchholz — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
- Melvin Guillard def. Ronys Torres — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
- Rob Emerson def. Phillipe Nover — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
- Phil Davis def. Brian Stann — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
- Chris Tuchscherer def. Tim Hague — majority decision, round 3, 5:00.
- Joey Beltran def. Rolles Gracie — TKO (punches), round 2, 1:31.
Sources
Article Tags
UFC 109, Randy Couture, Mark Coleman, Chael Sonnen, Nate Marquardt, UFC Results
