Coming off the heels of a great showing by Strikeforce, the UFC seek to steal the show during Superbowl weekend with UFC 109.  The card features two active UFC Hall of Famers facing off in the main event, a man widely considered the number two middleweight fighter in the world, an alumni of the original season of The Ultimate Fighter, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ace and a former UFC Welterweight Champion.  Will UFC 109 really prove to be “relentless” and leave the fans feeling restless?  For this set of predictions I’ve got fellow Fight Pros writer Scottie Farrow to give some brief (and surprisingly funny) input on all the matches.  Without further ado let’s get this look at UFC 109 underway.

UFC 109 MAIN CARD

Matt Serra (9-6) vs. Frank Trigg (19-7)

Dylan Says: Don’t be fooled by Matt Serra’s pedestrian record of 9-6, the man is very experienced in the world of MMA, having fought for just over a decade now.  In Serra’s fifteen pro bouts he has managed to achieve more then Frank Trigg has achieved in his entire career.  Holding a win over Welterweight kingpin George St. Pierre, the world knows to never count Matt Serra out as he’s practically been the underdog his entire career.  Matt Serra holds a black belt in BJJ under the legendary Renzo Gracie and has surprising power in his hands considering his small stature.  Although many would give the edge to Serra on the ground one should think again after looking at the skillset of Frank Trigg.  Trigg holds a second degree black belt in Judo under Patrick Burk as well as being a NCAA Division 1 wrestler through out his university years.  With the edge seemingly going to Serra due to his BJJ credentials I would still be foolish to count Trigg out when this match hits the mat as he could use his judo or wrestling to put Serra on his back.  But even so Serra’s BJJ makes him a formidable opponent when fighting off his back and it’s not a position Trigg should look to put him in often.

On the feet is where this match up goes up in the air.  Frank Trigg has never really been well known for his hands as he’s only shown a very rudimentary striking game.  In his last fight against Josh Koscheck, Trigg looked quite stiff and afraid to let his hands lose.  His lack of fluid head movement and footwork ultimately resulted in him getting caught by a punch and losing by TKO.  Matt Serra on the other hand has what I would regard as very underrated striking abilities.  Unlike Trigg, Serra has proven to be quite explosive with his hands in the past.  Serra holds the distinction of being the only man to ever stop Welterweight kingpin GSP by strikes and Serra even had Matt Hughes wobbled when they faced off last May.

Both men are coming off losses going into this fight with Trigg losing to Josh Koscheck at UFC 103 and Serra holding back-to-back losses to GSP and Matt Hughes.  Looking upon Serra’s record one would see he hasn’t won a fight since 2007 but that’s not the way you should examine Matt Serra.  Going into his last fight, a grudge match against Matt Hughes, Serra was calm and collected.  In the bout he would drop a unanimous decision loss to Hughes but provide a very respectable outing.  Nonetheless we move forward in life and Serra, while a little upset about the fight’s outcome, is onwards to bigger and better things.  Looking over Trigg’s most recent fight you’ll see a short, one sided beatdown.  Unfortunately the fight doesn’t offer to much to us about the evolution of Frank Trigg.  Both men are desperate for a win going into this one with their backs against the proverbial wall.  Frank Trigg realizes the position he’s in and maintains a “life or death” mentality, having only fighting to fall back on for a living.  Unlike Frank Trigg, Matt Serra has his martial arts school to fall back on.

If this fight remains standing it’s a toss up as either man could catch each other.  Although Serra’s striking is more explosive then that of Trigg’s, he will more than likely give up a significant reach advantage, making reaching his chin a little bit more difficult.  I’d give the edge to Serra on the mat, especially if he can maintain top position.  With that said it will be a struggle for Serra to get top position if Trigg presses the action and mixes up sending Serra to the mat with his wrestling and under utilized Judo skills.  I believe that Serra will surprise Trigg with his abilities standing and overwhelm him, causing him to shoot in for a takedown.  When this happens I believe Serra will either use Trigg’s momentum against him and shift his hips so that Trigg lands on his back or he’ll sprawl and take hiss back, locking in a Rear Naked Choke late in the first round.

Dylan’s pick: Matt Serra via 1st Round Submission (Rear Naked Choke….Matt Hughes style )

Scottie Says: Matt Serra vs Frank Trigg – this was the easiest one for me. Serra wins this hands down. Even in his losses, he has looked good. He beat GSP by TKO. Trigg was owned by Koscheck. I’m not saying Trigg is not tough. Any man who wears a tramp stamp and calls himself “Twinkle Toes” is either bad or a glutton for punishment. I just don’t think he is on Matt Serra’s level.

Dan Miller (11-2) vs. Demian Maia (11-1)

Dylan Says: Dropped on our plates is another interesting and under looked match up.  We have two fighters with strong grappling bases and very similar records.  Most of the wins by both fighter come by way of submission.  Dan Miller has posted a 3-1 record in the UFC with two of those wins by submission while Maia is 5-1 will all five wins coming by submission and having four of them win him “Submission of the Night” honors.  Obviously this match up is a grappler’s delight as we’ll see two very technical and strong grapplers square off.  The question is who will win the grappler vs. grappler battle?

Demian Maia is a second degree black belt under Fabio Gurgel while Dan Miller just received his black belt under Jamie Cruz in January.  The real question isn’t who will tap out.  The question everyone should ask is who will get this one to the ground first.  Maia has shown he has Judo abilities in his many UFC fights, most notably his fight against Chael Sonnen in which he tripped Chael Sonnen, landed in the mount position and then submitted him with a triangle choke.  Dan Miller, on the other hand, wrestled through high school although never achieving a high level of success at it.  Regardless of that, Miller does have a strong takedown offense and could most certainly use it to place Maia on his back.  Even still Maia can be very threatening off his back and it’s almost certain that Miller realizes this.  It would be foolish to not give Maia the edge if this one hits the mat although Dan Miller is more then capable of holding his own by using his strong submission defense.  Maia is a grappler first who possesses a seemingly weak striking ability.  If Maia can not inflict any damage to Miller through Ground ‘n Pound it’s unlikely he will be able to find an opening to a submission that Miller can’t defend unless he uses an intricate series of transitions and submission attempts to throw Miller off.  On the flip side, if Miller can get on top and avoid Maia’s bottom submission game I’m almost certain that he possesses good enough Ground ‘n Pound skills to rattle Maia and throw him off his game.  While I can’t see Miller using his Ground ‘n Pound to provide an opening to submit Maia, I can most certainly see him using it to discourage Maia and prevent his submission attempts.

In the unlikely event that this match remains on the feet for more then the first round the fight becomes a toss up.  Since beginning MMA, Maia has looked to improve on his striking.  He trains with the likes of Wanderlei Silva in hopes to gain a good striking game.  His most recent loss, a 21 second KO loss to Nate Marquardt , doesn’t do much to display it.  In the fight Maia threw only a handful of leg kicks before Nate dropped a hammer-like right hand across his jawline.  The leg kicks Maia threw were all telegraphed and it seemed as if he was almost jumping into them to give them more strength.  These kicks didn’t phase his opponent and he was dropped to the mat by a single punch.  Dan Miller hasn’t shown to be the greatest striker in the division either but he’s shown he has a well versed boxing game that can most certainly keep him alive if he chooses to stand with an opponent.  Even with Wanderlei in the corner of Maia I’d still believe that Miller has the more underrated striking game.  Most people will make an equation like….Demian Maia + Wanderlei Silva teaching him striking = great potential for his striking game.  I disagree and believe that people over hype Wanderlei teaching Maia on how to improve his striking.  In having only whispers around how Miller trains his striking I think it leaves his striking as very under looked by all, creating an element of surprise.  The one clear advantage I see Miller having going into this fight is not something a fighter can train, but instead it’s something they’re born with.  That thing is heart.  Miller proved in his bout against Chael Sonnen that he is a courageous man and that he can most certainly take a beating without ever quitting.  Although he would lose the bout by unanimous decision he would gain respect for his heart and his ability to survive the three rounds in  which Sonnen dominated.

The deciding factor in this fight will definitely be the two fighter’s grappling abilities.  Even against a grappler the caliber of Demian Maia, Miller should not be taken lightly.  Although Maia holds his jiu jitsu as his ace in the hole, Miller has his heart and warrior like spirit as his greatest weapon along with a potential edge in the striking department.  Although he is a superior grappler, Maia has never faced anyone as tough as Dan Miller on the mat.  If Dan Miller can keep this match standing and neutralize Maia’s jiu jitsu while maintaining top position, the judges could nod in his favor.  At the end of the night I see an unfortunate Dan Miller losing a hard fought, heavily grappling oriented fight to Demian Maia by Unanimous Decision.  I feel like the submission is too heavily expected in this one and that it just won’t happen.

Dylan’s pick: Demian Maia via Unanimous Decision

Scottie says: Demian Maia vs Dan Miller – almost too close to call. Going with Demian Maia based entirely off of his name being “Demian”. The Omen was one creepy movie…

Paulo Thiago (12-1) vs. Mike Swick (14-3)

Yet another under looked fight on this card is the one taking place between Paulo Thiago and Mike Swick.  Swick is most well known for being part of the cast of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter while Thiago is best known for his surprising (and massive upset) victory over Josh Koscheck in February of last year.  Swick was just on the tails of earning a potential title shot at GSP before losing to Dan Hardy in November.  Paulo Thiago, on the other hand, is coming of a well fought unanimous decision win over Jacob Volkmann.  Swick remains very popular amongst UFC fans while Thiago remains relatively unknown and under looked.

During the UFC 109 Countdown show, the most intriguing part of the show was easily the last ten minutes in which Thiago and Swick were featured.  Swick pointed out that it seemed as if all he had done in the UFC was face strikers so it was nice to face a BJJ-savvy opponent in Thiago.  With that said it’s quite obvious that Thiago should get the nod in the grappling aspect of this purposed match up.  Thiago holds a black belt in both BJJ and Judo showing that he is not only a threat on the ground but also in clinching range.  Of Thiago’s twelve wins, seven have come by way of submission, although none of those submission wins have occurred within the UFC’s octagon.  The man went against accomplished wrestlers in Jon Fitch and Jacob Volkmann in his most recent outings and displayed he can prevent takedowns with moderate success as well as being capable of constantly threatening with submissions.  Mike Swick on the other hand, has only three submission wins as he prefers to stand and trade instead of laying on the mat.  But don’t be fooled just because the man doesn’t hold many submission wins.  Coming out of the American Kickboxing Academy, in which two of Thiago’s previous UFC opponents have come from, Swick trains with many high caliber fighters.  Training with the likes of Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, Cain Velasquez and Josh Thompson on a daily basis, Swick very often spars with fighters who hold a strong wrestling base.  It’s because of the grappling sessions he shares with his teammates at AKA that Mike Swick has displayed exceptional takedown defense through out his UFC career considering he was never a wrestler before making the jump into MMA.  Although takedown defense will be key for Swick, it will not be an easy task for him to remain on his feet.  When Paulo Thiago faced off against AKA member Jon Fitch at UFC 100 he threatened Fitch on multiple occasions with guillotine chokes and managed to take Fitch to the mat and enter his realm of expertise.  Although he lost the fight he displayed his ability to hang with the upper echelon of the UFC Welterweights.

If both men choose to stand then the edge would likely need to be given to Swick as he possesses power and speed in his hands along with a good reach due to his lanky arms.  Paulo on the other hand is under looked as a striker, just observe his last fight with Jacob Volkmann and you’ll see that the man is surprisingly precise with his strikes and has a moderately good chin.  With Swick’s reach advantage in play it would be best for him to pepper Thiago with fast, accurate jabs and keep him at a distance as well as circling away from Thiago’s power side.  Thiago on the other hand would benefit if he kept in tight with Swick, almost in a dirty boxing range.  In keeping close to Swick’s body I feel as if he would neutralize that reach advantage he has working against him in this fight and be able to fluster Swick.  In Swick’s last fight against Dan Hardy it really showed that if a fighter gets in to close to him, he can definitely be overwhelmed and lose his composure.  He flailed so many of his punches after Hardy got in close that they were reckless and pretty much powerless.  Hardy stuck to a quick in-and-out style, getting in close and inflicting damage and then moving out of range of Swick to frustrate him.  If Thiago was to be constantly changing levels and ranges of striking I could easily see the Brazilian overwhelming Swick.

Other than his impressive win over Koscheck in his debut, Paulo Thiago has had a quiet and somewhat dull UFC career.  He has this slow, almost methodical pace where he keeps his composure in all situations, a silent assassin of sorts.  Swick seems to be the opposite of him with his fast pace, quick punching style.  While Swick has only been stopped once in his three defeats, he has never been submitted.  But bring into light that Swick has never faced a grappler as capable as Thiago and your poised with an interesting situation.  I doubt Thiago will be able to submit Swick but I would never rule him out from scoring a TKO victory over him. Swick needs to remain strong in the clinch against the fence, use his footwork to circle away from Thiago’s power side and the fence as well as keep him at bay with his jab.  If he can do this then the fight could turn in his favour.  If Thiago can place Swick down on his back and move between staying out of range and into dirty boxing range then he most certainly could score the Unanimous decision victory. 

Dylan’s Pick: Paulo Thiago via Unanimous Decision (Rd.3 5:00)

Scottie Says: Mike Swick vs Paulo Thiago – If the Mike Swick that fought Dan Hardy shows up to this fight then Thiago should pull out a decision win. If the “real” Mike “The Quick” Swick shows up, Thiago may find himself the victim of a KO or Swickitine.

Nate Marquardt (29-8-2) vs. Chael Sonnen (24-10-1)

Dylan Says: This match could easily be deemed as a fight to see who gets next crack at Anderson Silva’s Middleweight title.  Nate Marquardt is widely considered the number two Middleweight fighter in the world while Chael Sonnen is seen by many as a top ten Middleweight fighter.  If Nate wins this match as he’s expected to then all he does is back up the claims that he deserves a rematch against Anderson Silva.  If Sonnen can overcome the odds and pull off the upset then he proves he’s tough enough for a shot at Anderson as well.

The one thing Nate has come to be regarded for in his recent bouts are the massive bombs he has attached to his wrist just waiting to explode.  Since losing in his shot at the Middleweight belt, Nate has come to be regarded as “Nate 2.0″, a nickname that pays dividends to his vast improvement in light of his defeat.  Having gone 4-1 since losing in the title fight, Nate has strung together three consecutive (T)KO victories.  These three explosive finishes have come to show how dynamic his striking has become using combinations involving every weapon his body can produce from elbows to head kicks and spinning backfists.  It seems Nate has ALL the tools standing but he strives for more from his vast and ever improving striking game.  Unfortunately for Nate, the tenacity of Chael Sonnen may prevent him from excelling with his striking in their fight.  Sonnen is by no means a striker the caliber of Nate but the man can use his hands in ways that are effective enough to help him survive.  In all of Sonnen’s loss only two of them have come by (T)KO.  In those two losses Sonnen was never rendered unconscious or unable to defend himself.  Those two (T)KO losses are a result of a cut and his corner throwing in the towel.  It goes without saying that Sonnen is a very tough man to stop with punches.  It pretty much goes without saying Nate has the edge standing though I’d never count out Sonnen on the feet due to the man’s toughness.

As I mentioned in the last paragraph Sonnen’s tenacity will be Nate’s biggest problem.  He can punch and kick Sonnen all he wants but Sonnen will still come at him.  Thanks to Sonnen’s tenacity he’s developed a “grinder” style of fighting.  This “grinder” style is shown by the majority of his wins coming by decision.  Chael is fairly well rounded and can do it all but he chooses to avoid trying to use submissions as much as possible.  I’m not sure what it is with that man but he just doesn’t like the idea of having his leg’s wrapped around a man to prevent him from doing significant damage.  So what does he do?  He takes the opponent down and pounds on them from on top.  Chael is a former NCAA Division 1 wrestler so he is more than capable of placing an opponent on their back and making sure they stay there.  Even if he sees the submission he prefers to not go for it.  This is the style of a “grinder”.  He’ll beat you down for three full rounds because he WANTS to hurt you.  He doesn’t want to put you out of your misery when he has your back in the second round.  No, he wants to punch you in the face until you feel like exiting the cage and never returning between rounds.  The tenacity of Chael will most certainly make him a formidable opponent if the match hits the mat.  Nate Marquardt holds a black belt in BJJ so he is more then prepared if this match hits the ground.  Even though Nate has found recent success with his hands, he still holds 15 wins by way of submission.  Nate is most certainly under looked if this match was to hit the mat and can definitely threaten with submissions from any position if need be.

With this bout being a potential eliminator to the chase for the Middleweight belt, Nate Marquardt and Chael Sonnen both look poised to bring their “A” games.  With Nate having the advantage anywhere this match takes place, it’ll be a hard earned and extremely difficult victory for Sonnen if he can pull off the upset.  Sonnen will need to find a way to out-strike Nate when they’re standing and neutralize him on the mat en route to a unanimous decision victory.  Unfortunately I just can not see Sonnen finishing Nate at this stage in his career because Nate is just on an entirely different level.  Again that’s not to say Sonnen is without a chance but with that said I believe Marquardt will win this match up.  Nate is looking to make a statement since he seeks a rematch with A.Silva in the near future.  He’s going to look to be the first man to actually knock Sonnen out and do so in extremely impressive fashion.  I feel as if Marquardt sends a much bigger message if he puts Sonnen to sleep with his fists as opposed to a choke and it’s almost a guarentee that Nate knows it too.  Nate Marquardt will be ruthless and I feel like we won’t see “Nate 2.0″ in there this weekend.  I forsee a “Nate 3.0″ stepping in there in the best shape of his career and will deliver his most convincing performance thus far in his UFC career.

Dylan’s pick: Nate Marquardt via 2nd Rd. TKO

Scottie Says: Nate Marquart vs Chael Sonnen – I predict a hard fought bout but Nate will make a statement with a definitive 2nd round submission of Sonnen.

Randy Couture (17-10) vs. Mark Coleman (16-9)

Main Event time folks.  This will be the first time two active UFC Hall of Famers have faced off inside the octagon and it may very well be the last time it happens for quite some time.  Both the men competing this Saturday night sit in the age range of mid-40’s.  You can call them “old geezers” but these two UFC legends have accomplished more towards the sport of MMA in their lifetime then you probably ever well.  There’s a rumor that depending on how this fight turns out, the winner may get a title shot.  The obvious favourite going into this fight is Randy Couture but is it unfair to count out the man so many people consider the “God Father of Ground ‘N Pound”?

Both men bring a strong wrestling pedigree coming into this fight.  Randy Couture specializes in using Greco-Roman style wrestling while Mark Coleman prefers to utilise Freestyle wrestling.  Usually when two fighters enter the cage as wrestlers the end result is a bloody and delightful brawl.  The possibility of a senseless slugfest is very high in this match up.  It seems to me that this match up is being overlooked because both men are moderately old for the sport and they rely heavily on their wrestling abilities.  From a grappling aspect I’d see Randy Couture as the superior athelete as he has competed in a number of submission wrestling events, geared specifically towards mixing his wrestling with jiu jitsu skills.  The way to determine who ends up on their back in this match up is simply by looking at what positions each man should tend to excel at based upon his wrestling pedigree.  Since Couture specializes in Greco-Roman style wrestling he will look to put Coleman’s back against the fence and establish a double underhook position.  From there he will look to lock his hands and do a number of things.  He could trip Coleman, use their collective weight to shift Coleman in any direction he pleases or even set up a lift to which he could end with a slam, the latter of which Couture does with great success.  With all that said Couture does possess a strong single and double leg takedown ability and should not be under looked if he shoots.  Coleman will try to use the same takedowns, especially looking for the single or double leg, but I believe Couture will still have greater success in his takedown attempts.  If Coleman looks to gain success in his takedowns he’ll need to get very low on Couture’s hips.  Randy has this uncanny ability of preventing the takedown and then making his opponent get into the Greco-Roman hold with him.  Coleman needs to shoot low and get almost underneath Couture, driving him into the fence just below his hips.  He’ll need to try and keep Couture’s feet tight enough together that it sets of his centre of balance and make sure Couture’s hands stay tied up and away from his biceps so Couture doesn’t wiggle into a Greco-Roman hold.  With all that said I believe Couture’s explosiveness and great cardio will greatly contribute to him winning this fight on the mat.

As I pointed out already, when two wrestlers face off it usually results in a great brawl.  I stand firmly by this notion for Couture vs. Coleman.  Both men are in their mid-40’s and have nothing to lose.  What better for them to do then oblige us with a great slugfest?  Although I believe Couture will win the battle of takedowns and gain all around mat work supremacy, I believe he’ll still want to keep this fight on the feet.  Standing against Mark seems wise for Couture as he is a better boxer.  Couture should look to get into dirty boxing with Coleman as he is clearly far better at it and quite dangerous in that range of attack.  Coleman on the other hand needs to create space between him and Couture and prevent him from getting in close enough to engage in a dirty boxing clinic or Greco-Roman hold.  Coleman’s really striking advantage won’t be on the feet but will instead be in a top position on the ground.  The man didn’t get the moniker of the “Godfather of Ground ‘N Pound” for nothing and I believe that if he can maintain a top position and punish Randy then this fight could go in a drastically different direction then what I predict.  After you take everything into account these two men will throw some bombs on the feet but Couture will try to avoid a senseless slugfest and instead opt for a controlled one-sided dirty boxing beatdown.  Again I will give Couture the advantage on his feet.

With all elements accounted for in this main event, the fight should hopefully turn into an exciting affair since it is supremely under looked.  The first two rounds should turn into pure action and the third round you will see Coleman’s weaker cardio begin to work against him.  If Coleman can avoid Couture’s dirty boxing and Greco-Roman hold then he could very well press the action with takedowns and his brutal Ground ‘N Pound en route to a unanimous decision win.  Alas I feel as though this Saturday will not be Coleman’s night and we’ll see Randy Couture take home a Unanimous Decision victory by using his takedowns along the fence and dirty boxing to nail “The Hammer” into defeat.  (Horrible pun…I know)

Dylan’s Pick: Randy Couture via Unanimous Decision (Rd.3 5:00)

Scottie Says: Randy Couture vs Mark Coleman – going with the underdog Coleman in this one. I really think he has worked on his cardio and is the stronger fighter of the two. If he secures the takedown it’s “Hammer Time”. If not, he could be stuck in a dirty boxing contest with Randy – not a good place to be.

There’s your breakdown for the Main Card of the event.  I realize the massive amounts of writing done thus far so to keep you those with short attention snaps interested we’ll keep the undercard stuff nice and short.

UFC 109 Undercard Predictions

Mac Danzig vs. Justin Buchholz

Scottie Says: Mac via TKO. Always impressed by his toughness.

Dylan Says: Unlikely Scottie, I’ve never been impressed with Danzig in anyway.  I find he’s far to small for Lightweight and a move to the WEC’s Featherweight division would prove to be much more promising.  His back is against the wall but I think he’ll be able to submit Buchholz by Rear Naked Choke in the 2nd Rd.  Don’t be surprised if you see Justin use his size en route to a unanimous decision victory though.

Melvin Guillard vs. Ronnys Torres

Scottie Says: Guillard just makes too many mistakes and gets caught a lot.  He just bum-rushes his opponents and just makes mistakes . If he tries pushing the pace too much and too soon with Torres he’s gonna get submitted quickly.

Dylan Says: Unfortunate for Melvin to get another BJJ fighter.  He had the Diaz fight and blew it because he acted stupidly. Ronnys has never faced anyone as explosive as Guillard and I hate to go against a BJJ guy in Torres but I have to.  If he avoids acting stupid then TKO win in the 1st Rd. for Guillard.

Rob Emerson vs. Phillipe Nover

Scottie Says: Both men are on a two fight losing streak but Emerson has lost to higher caliber fighters. Emerson by decision.

Dylan Says: Both need a win desperately.  Emerson is underestimated and Dana White hyped the shit out of Nover during his stint on The Ultimate Fighter.  I’ve bought the hype and I like it.  Nover by 1st Rd. Guillotine Choke.

Brian Stann vs. Phil Davis

Scottie Says:  Phil goes to 5-0 via 3rd round TKO

Dylan Says: Whenever I say Stann will lose he wins! I stick to my guns and agree with Scottie.  Phil Davis makes a BIG statement in his UFC debut winning by TKO in the 2nd Rd.

Tim Hague vs. Chris Tuchscherer

Scottie Says: Tuschscherer wins this one by 1st round brute force beatdown. His 1st performance in the octagon was pretty lame but he gets to train daily with Lesnar.

Dylan Says: Hate to go against a fellow Canadian (no I don`t live in an igloo.  Don`t send me emails asking if I do) in Hague but I have to.  His chin is too questionable against guys bigger then him.  Chris` last performance was unfortunate due to the ìnfamous “junk kick“ (haven`t seen it yet…..lucky you!) by Gabriel Gonzaga.  I still dig the guy for having the balls (though I`m sure he needed surgery to get them back after the kick) for continuing the fight after the worst unintentional low blow i`ve ever seen.  Tuchscherer via 1st Rd. TKO

Rolles Gracie vs. Joey Beltran

Scottie Says: Rolles Gracie all the way. Beltran is a tough dude but Gracie is a big, quick, BJJ machine.

Dylan Says: It`s hard to go against the Gracie name.  Earlier on in the day I actually chose Beltran by KO.  I take that back.  He`s taking the fight on short notice so it would be stupid to not bet for Gracie.  Beltran KO`d Houston Alexander earlier in January so he`s probably still in shape.  But he`s taking the fight on a week`s notice so i`ll give it up to Gracie by Armbar in the 1st Rd. If Beltran had more time to prepare I`d pick him with the upset KO.

Written by FightPros.com writers Scottie Farrow and Dylan Routledge.

You can follow Scottie and Dylan on twitter @yodade37 and @dylan_geezus.  Don’t forget to catch UFC 109 LIVE on PPV February 6th 2010!