By Michael Ford 
UFC 109, Zuffa’s latest PPV offering is behind us, and while the card was short on sizzle going in, it still yields quite a few things for us to chew on in its aftermath.
1. Chael Sonnen is the #2 Middleweight in the World…God help us all – For the last few weeks, we have been treated to Chael Sonnen making the case for himself as one of the top “heels” in the promotion, rankling fans with his inflammatory statements about Anderson Silva. While it’s nothing new for Chael to be outspoken, and to rub fans the wrong way, he has taken it up a notch, and coming off victories over Yushin Okami and Nate Marquardt, he has accumulated not only the resume of a title challenger, but the backstory. Plus, Chael has the fighting style that many have speculated is the type of style that could beat the Spider, takedowns and grinding. Dan Henderson had some success with it; remember, the only round Silva has lost in the UFC was due to this approach. If we’ve learned one thing about Sonnen so far, it’s that he won’t abandon what works for him to satisfy what fans consider “exciting.” And we can certainly respect that.
2. Paulo Thiago is for real – Let’s be honest here: When Thiago faced Josh Koscheck, we thought he was a tuneup opponent. And when he knocked Koz silly, we thought it was a fluke. However, he made a strong showing in defeat to John Fitch, and with this win, he not only proved that Mike Swick was a little overrated, but he showed that he is a force to be reckoned with at Welterweight. But the challenge now is to make him marketable to fans. “Paulo Thiago” is a generic-sounding Brazilian name, and while fans of Countdown shows might be privy to Thiago’s high-level badassery as a Elite Special Tactics Officer in Brazil, without a nickname like “CroCop,” casual fans won’t be clued into it, and as such, may still mix him up with Thiago Alves. Now that he has run the AKA Gauntlet, let’s see Thiago get some measure of promotional heft behind him. I like the idea of seeing him against Carlos Condit or Martin Kampmann, guys just on the edge of the Top 10, who would be viewed as underdogs. This fight could main event a UFC Fight Night, and allow for the greatest number of fans to see his performance. Another intriguing matchup is Diego Sanchez, who is returning to Welterweight in May.
3. Matt Serra is still dangerous – While this fight didn’t intrigue me as much as it should’ve, I like Matt Serra and Frank Trigg. Serra is still one of the division’s top personalities, and a great interview. Plus, c’mon, he’s New York through and through. After the upset win over GSP, fans were quick to call his win flukey, but since the loss to GSP, Serra lost a razor-thin decision to Matt Hughes, and put down Frank Trigg with a big right hand. If Josh Koscheck pasting Trigg was an impressive display of Top 10 dominance, then Serra attacking the body inside to set up the head shot should be viewed similarly. However, even though Serra won’t be making a title run anytime soon, he’s still a guy I’d like to see fight, and with New York likely getting a UFC event by the end of the year, I’d certainly pencil him in for that card.
4. Mac Danzig and Melvin Guillard lived to fight again – The Ultimate Fighter alumni got their showcases on the SpikeTV preliminary card, as both staved off being cut from the organization. Melvin Guillard, like his former rival turned teammate Joe Stevenson, showed signs of improvement under the tutelage of Greg Jackson, winning a close decision over Roneys Torres. He also helped inebriate folks who were playing the “Athletic/Explosive” Drinking Game, as he got Rogan and Goldberg to go all-in with the Hype Machine fairly early on. And the race between Kendall Grove and Mac Danzig to be the first TUF winner to be dropped from the UFC must continue, as Danzig survived a very game Justin Buchholz to keep his spot on the roster. However, he didn’t impress enough to get fans stoked for his next fight. Maybe a Danzig-Guillard matchup would be both entertaining, and dispense with some of the dead weight in the Lightweight division.
5. The WEC PPV hype begins – For the inaugural WEC PPV to be successful, we’re going to need a lot more hard-selling from Goldberg and Rogan. From mentioning Chael Sonnen as the kinda former WEC Middleweight Champion, to featuring Urijah Faber and Jose Aldo on screen, and showing a few highlights, Zuffa will need to work overtime to solidify the organization as on par with theirs, and the main event as as good as any of their offerings for the upcoming year. It will be hard, but if last night was any indication, they’re planning on making a go of it. I fully expect a PPV promo debuting on UFC on Versus, as well as mic time for Faber and Aldo (and possibly other WEC stars) on the next SpikeTV card. “UFC presents…WEC” indeed.
6. Whither Demian Maia – I thought this guy was a ground wizard, someone good for regular Submission of the Night finishes. By flexing the different facets of his game as he evolves, Maia got to demonstrate that he is a work in progress, but while that was useful for analysis of his development, it was not super-entertaining. And a part of me can’t help but wonder if getting somersaulted by Marquardt has caused him to reevaluate his “I Don’t Hurt My Opponents; I Just Submit Them” style, and buy into the classic UFC “Stand and Bang” approach that earns Fight of the Night bonuses. However, when “standing and banging” is done by two people as inept as Miller and Maia, the fans end up getting REALLY restless. So while I can certainly respect a guy for adding layers to his skillset and for mixing up the game plan, I think Maia has miles to go before he’s truly “well-rounded.” Demian became a borderline Top 5 middleweight because of his submission prowess, and if he abandons that approach as his “Plan A,” he can’t expect to see the success in the Middleweight division that he has seen up till now, nor will fans get as jazzed about watching him fight.
7. The name “Gracie” doesn’t mean as much as the UFC thinks it does – Yes, Royce Gracie is a legendary figure in the sport, but Zuffa has done a lot to demystify “Gracie Jujitsu” in the eyes of fans, by pushing the idea of the “well-rounded mixed martial artist.” In 2010, to the extent that the Gracie name still holds cachet, it will likely come only when a fighter from “MMA’s First Family” can bring that unlikely marrying of top-level wrestling and striking with that expected jujitsu acumen. Sadly, Rolles Gracie was not that man. His ill-fated UFC debut fell flat on his face, and while he could still recover, and become a force in the heavyweight division, I won’t be holding my breath for his next foray into the Octagon; the man clearly did not look like he wanted to be there.
8. Tito Ortiz is the smartest man in MMA – So you’ve managed to score a fight with one of the most recognized names in MMA in Chuck Liddell, and have been given the platform of The Ultimate Fighter to promote yourself and your brand: How do you hedge your bets? By calling out an over-the-hill Mark Coleman, who, fresh from being choked out, would be emotional and fired up. And on cue, just as Coleman was talking about still having fights left in him, Tito’s outburst effectively transitioned casual fans’ takeaway points from thinking Coleman is done to wanting him to go out by shutting up the Huntington Beach Bad Boy. Dana White may have pooh-poohed the fight, but it’s a grudge match that could be effectively hyped, and could generate money for Zuffa, so Tito just put a Money Fight in his back pocket, just in case he loses to Liddell. For those keeping score at home, Tito, far from a title contender, could still get us to care for a rematch with Randy, a rubber match with Forrest, a money fight with Kimbo, and a grudge match with Coleman. THIS is why Dana had to make sure he wasn’t signed by Strikeforce.
9. Mark Coleman may be done, but Ground & Pound is alive and well – “The Godfather of Ground and Pound” was shown to be a dinosaur last night, as Randy Couture’s continued evolution was contrasted with Coleman’s stagnation. That being said, the influence of Mark Coleman was there to be observed, as newcomer Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis and erstwhile title contender Chael Sonnen brought ground and pound to the forefront in smashing out victories. Whatever we think about Coleman today, his Hall of Fame status cannot be debated nor minimized. But while Randy Couture, the ageless wonder, presses forward, eager to show that he can still hang with the young guys like the MMA version of Bret Favre, Mark Coleman languishes, his body having betrayed him in the way that you’d expect from an athlete in his late forties. UFC 109 may have been titled Relentless, but only one of the show’s Hall of Fame main event stars continued to defy Father Time, while the other, battered and bruised, is better served being viewed in highlight packages.
