UFC 109: Relentless - Couture vs. Coleman

In 1998, two of the United States’ greatest amateur wrestlers - Randy “The Natural” Couture and Mark “The Hammer” Coleman - were scheduled to meet in a relatively new proving ground called the Ultimate Fighting Championship. That mixed martial arts bout at UFC 17 never happened due to injury, but on Saturday, February 6th, nearly 12 years and six UFC championships later, Couture and Coleman finally square off at UFC 109: Relentless, presented by Bud Light and live on pay-per-view from the Mandalay… Show more Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev., for a colossal meeting of Hall of Famers over a decade in the making.

Plus, red-hot welterweight contender Josh Koscheck gets a chance to avenge his lone knockout loss against Brazil’s Paulo Thiago in the co-main event, along with pivotal showdowns featuring Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Brandon Vera, Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen and Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg.

“Couture vs. Coleman is one of those dream matchups that fans have always talked about,” said UFC President Dana White. “And when you consider that these are two of the greatest wrestlers turned mixed martial artists ever, and it’s the first time that two guys who have already earned their way into the UFC Hall of Fame are fighting each other, this is not only an intriguing matchup, but a historic one.”

Tickets for UFC 109 are priced at $600, $400, $300, $200, $100 and $50, not including applicable service charges, and go on sale Saturday, Dec. 12 at 10 a.m. PT at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at UFC.com, www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Thursday, Dec. 10 at 10 a.m. PT via www.UFC.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Friday, Dec. 11 at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through www.UFC.com.

UFC 109 will be available live on pay-per-view on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.95 ($49.95/Canada) for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).

A five-time UFC champion who has reached the top of the mountain in both the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions, the ageless Randy Couture (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) is coming off a unanimous decision victory over light heavyweight contender Brandon Vera at UFC 105 in November, and with 14 career UFC wins over the likes of Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Vitor Belfort, Pedro Rizzo and Tim Sylvia, “The Natural” is used to facing the best of the best. On February 6th, he will finally get his opportunity to take on “The Hammer”.

“Mark Coleman is another classic matchup for me,” said Couture. “Like (Antonio Rodrigo) Nogueira, this is a fight that was supposed to happen a long time ago and is finally now a reality. Mark has a tremendous wrestling pedigree, and his collegiate and freestyle background has taken him a long way in MMA. I look forward to testing my skills and fighting spirit against another UFC Hall of Fame fighter.”

The Godfather of Ground and Pound, Mark Coleman (fighting out of Columbus, Ohio) used that strategy to earn the first UFC heavyweight championship and a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame. A former NCAA Division I national champion wrestler at Ohio State now fighting at light heavyweight, “The Hammer” returned to the Octagon in 2009 after a successful career in Japan with a memorable battle against Mauricio Rua and a victory over Stephan Bonnar, and on February 6th, he will begin his quest for a title at 205 pounds as he takes on fellow legend Randy Couture.

“This is by far the biggest fight of my career,” Coleman said. “I have nothing but respect both inside and outside of the Octagon for Randy Couture. He is one of the greatest in the history of MMA. It’s an honor to accept this challenge to fight him and a win here would be one of the top highlights of my career. I expect to win, and will prepare for a war. I will do all I can to make this an exciting fight for the fans.”

A fighter willing to fight anyone at anytime, Josh Koscheck (fighting out of Fresno, Calif.) is coming off one of the biggest wins of his career, as he made a statement to the welterweight division by submitting rising star Anthony Johnson at UFC 106. But the 32-year-old former NCAA Division I national champion wrestler is not about to rest on his laurels; instead he will look for a dose of redemption against Paulo Thiago as he continues on his road to a world title shot.

“I am training super hard right now,” Koscheck said. “This is a big fight for me because I lost the first time. I fought him last February and I’m fighting him again this February but this time I am going to be the one knocking him out. I promise you this fight will not go out of the first round.”

A decorated grappler with knockout power, 28-year-old Paulo Thiago (fighting out of Brasilia, Brazil) made his name on the international scene with his first round TKO of Koscheck in February 2009, and after a memorable battle with Jon Fitch and a victory over Jacob Volkmann last year, Thiago looks to kick off his 2010 campaign in style by repeating his spectacular win over “Kos”.

"Josh Koscheck is and will always be a dangerous fighter to be faced no matter what," said Thiago. "I'm pretty sure he's coming for this fight hungry for victory and more aware and focused than the first time we fought. That's what I'm expecting and prepared for. I've been building my own strategies and correcting mistakes as well. Do you know what that means? We both are not the same and don't fight like we used to. We've improved our games in such a way that this is going to be the turning point to make this fight one of the most exciting ones to be seen this year, so nobody should miss it!"

A former PRIDE star that kicked the door open in his UFC debut, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) needed less than two minutes to knock out dangerous contender Luiz Cane at UFC 106 in November. The twin-brother of former PRIDE and UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, the 33-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and former Pan-Am Games boxing medalist is deadly wherever the fight goes, a fact he plans on introducing to Brandon Vera at UFC 109.

Like Nogueira, Brandon Vera (fighting out of San Diego, Calif.) is a feared striker and ground fighter who enjoys nothing better than a good ol’ fashioned war in the Octagon. Winner of three UFC bouts since moving to the 205-pound weight class, and fresh from a hard-fought three round scrap with Randy Couture, “The Truth” is more focused and determined than ever to destroy any opposition in his path, beginning with Rogerio Nogueira.

One of the leading contenders for a shot at the middleweight title, Nate Marquardt (fighting out of Denver, Colo.) has left little doubt that he is ready for a rematch with Anderson Silva after decisive knockouts of Martin Kampmann, Wilson Gouveia, and Demian Maia. But there is still one more obstacle in the former King of Pancrase’s way, and on February 6th, he gets the chance to remove fellow contender Chael Sonnen from his path.

A former U.S. Olympic alternate and two-time NCAA national champion, Chael Sonnen (fighting out of West Linn, Ore.) has used his strong wrestling pedigree to secure 25 wins in his mixed martial arts career, and with wins over Yushin Okami, Dan Miller, and previously unbeaten WEC champion Paulo Filho, the time has come for Sonnen to make his case for a shot at the 185-pound crown.

Former welterweight champion Matt Serra (fighting out of East Meadow, N.Y.) emerged as one of the UFC’s true superstars with his stirring first round knockout of Georges St-Pierre in 2007. But Serra - the first American to earn a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under the legendary Renzo Gracie - was no overnight sensation, having already faced the likes of BJ Penn, Din Thomas, Chris Lytle and Yves Edwards over the course of his career. On February 6th, fresh from an exciting Fight of The Night with Matt Hughes last May, Serra returns to the Octagon.

World-class wrestler and perennial contender Frank Trigg (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) is a veteran of six UFC fights, including two classic battles with then champion Matt Hughes and two finishing wins against Renato Verissimo and Dennis Hallman. This February, the 37-year-old – who has won four of his last five bouts - looks to begin another UFC winning streak.

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