UFC 109
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founder | Art Davie, Rorion Gracie |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas , United States |
Key people | Dana White (President) |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
| Website | www |
UFC 109: Relentless was a mixed martial arts spectacle organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on February 6, 2010, hosted at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Background
Speculation about a matchup between Renzo Gracie and Matt Hughes was deferred to UFC 112.
UFC President Dana White confirmed a Middleweight Championship contest between Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort, pending Silva's recuperation from elbow surgery. However, the fight was postponed due to Silva’s prolonged recovery period. Subsequently, Belfort withdrew from the rescheduled UFC 112 bout and was replaced by Demian Maia, after contender Chael Sonnen was ruled ineligible to compete.
Antônio Rogério Nogueira pulled out of his scheduled fight against Brandon Vera because of an ankle injury. Vera later fought future Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones at UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones.
Due to injury, Josh Koscheck withdrew from his planned match with Paulo Thiago, with Mike Swick stepping in as his replacement.
The event’s main attraction featured a bout between Randy Couture and Mark Coleman, a matchup originally arranged for UFC 17 in 1998 but canceled due to injury. This marked the inaugural UFC event headlined by two members of the Hall of Fame.
Visa complications prevented Mostapha Al-turk from competing against Rolles Gracie. Potential late substitutes included Jon Madsen, but ultimately Joey Beltran replaced him to face Gracie.
Dana White announced that the victor of the co-main event between Nate Marquardt and Chael Sonnen would secure a title shot against the winner of Silva versus Maia at UFC 112.
Bonus awards
The following competitors received bonuses of $60,000:
- Fight of the Night: Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen
- Knockout of the Night: Matt Serra
- Submission of the Night: Paulo Thiago
Reported payout
The disclosed fighter payments submitted to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, excluding sponsor earnings and discretionary UFC bonuses, were as follows:
- Randy Couture earned $250,000 (no win bonus) defeating Mark Coleman who received $60,000
- Chael Sonnen secured $64,000 (including a $32,000 win bonus) over Nate Marquardt who earned $45,000
- Paulo Thiago took home $30,000 ($15,000 win bonus) defeating Mike Swick who made $43,000
- Demian Maia earned $62,000 ($31,000 win bonus) over Dan Miller who received $15,000
- Matt Serra collected $150,000 ($75,000 win bonus) defeating Frank Trigg who gained $30,000
- Mac Danzig earned $40,000 ($20,000 win bonus) over Justin Buchholz who made $8,000
- Melvin Guillard took $28,000 ($14,000 win bonus) defeating Ronys Torres who received $4,000
- Rob Emerson collected $24,000 ($12,000 win bonus) over Phillipe Nover who earned $10,000
- Phil Davis earned $10,000 ($5,000 win bonus) defeating Brian Stann who made $17,000
- Chris Tuchscherer took home $20,000 ($10,000 win bonus) over Tim Hague who received $7,000
- Joey Beltran earned $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus) defeating Rolles Gracie Jr. who made $15,000
Television rating
The initial matches broadcast on Spike TV at 9 pm EST drew a record audience of 1.7 million viewers.