Randy Couture: $250,000 (no win bonus)
def. Mark Coleman: $60,000
-Suspended until March 9th for precautionary reasons

Chael Sonnen: $64,000 ($32,000 win bonus)
-Suspended until March 24th due to forehead and nasal-bridge lacerations
def. Nate Marquardt: $45,000
-Suspended until March 9th for precautionary reasons

Paulo Thiago: $30,000 ($15,000 win bonus)
def. Mike Swick: $43,000
-Suspended until August 6th due to possible left elbow injury, can be cleared earlier by orthopedic doctor; still suspended until March 24th at the earliest

Demian Maia: $62,000 ($31,000 win bonus)
-Suspended until August 6th due to left vertical upper eye lid laceration, can be cleared earlier by ophthalmologist or ocular-plastics doctor
def. Dan Miller: $15,000
-Suspended until March 9th for precautionary reasons

Matt Serra: $150,000 ($75,000 win bonus)
def. Frank Trigg: $30,000
-Suspended until March 24th for precautionary reasons

Mac Danzig: $40,000 ($20,000 win bonus)
-Suspended until August 6th due to possible left knee sprain, can be cleared earlier by orthopedic doctor
def. Justin Buchholz: $8,000
-Suspended until March 9th due to precautionary reasons

Melvin Guillard: $28,000 ($14,000 win bonus)
-Must have a ophthalmological exam by March 26th or face suspension indefinitely
def. Ronnys Torres: $4,000

Rob Emerson: $24,000 ($12,000 win bonus)
def. Phillipe Nover: $10,000

Phil Davis: $10,000 ($5,000 win bonus)
def. Brian Stann: $17,000

Chris Tuchscherer: $20,000 ($10,000 win bonus)
def. Tim Hague: $7000

Joey Beltran: $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus)
def. Rolles Gracie: $15,000
-Suspended until March 9th due to precautionary reasons

A look back over the fighting career of Frank Trigg shows nineteen wins over MMA’s “Who’s Who of the Most Average”. Not that I’m taking away his toughness – all MMA fighters are some of the baddest men (and women) on the planet, but Frank has done a great job at marketing himself to be a more successful sports figure than he really is. Although he does have a victory over Jason “Mayhem” Miller, that hardly qualifies him to be recognized as MMA elite. He was a great color commentator for PRIDE FC, promoted his own sports apparel line, and did a short-lived but classic stint on TNA wrestling. There is no doubting his many talents, but he will need more than the above mentioned accomplishments to get a victory over Matt Serra.

The Terror

While Matt Serra certainly doesn’t have a fighting resume comparable to BJ Penn or Georges St. Pierre, he has proven himself to be a capable fighter and has rolled with some of the toughest in the sport. Serra’s wins over Georges St. Pierre, Chris Lytle, and the very competitive Yves Edwards are impressive. Serra’s decisions losses to BJ Penn, Karo Parisyan, Din Thomas, and Matt Hughes are nearly equally impressive in that it shows that he is able to go the distance with world class fighters. Matt Serra has proven he can hang with the best. Frank Trigg has shown that he can compete, at best, with average fighters.

Seriously though, if an average wrestler with average striking and submissions can beat a decorated BJJ Black Belt – the first American BJJ under Renzo Gracie to be precise- then maybe I underestimated him. Maybe Frank Trigg is all that he says he is. Anything can happen in a fight but I’m calling second round submission victory for Matt Serra.

Scottie Farrow is a fightpros.com contributor. Follow Scottie on Twitter @yodade37

Triggonomics 101