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Nov 17, 2009 - 11:08:45 PM By: Alex Williams, MMATorch Contributor
A dozen years after it was originally scheduled to take place, 46-year old Randy Couture and 44-year old Mark Coleman have verbally agreed to a fight at UFC 109, according to Sherdog.com. The event is slated to take place in Las Vegas.
Having outpointed Maurice Smith for the UFC heavyweight title in December 1997, Couture was signed to defend against Coleman in May 1998. It was to be Coleman's first fight since his title loss to Smith in July 1997. Couture, however, pulled out with an injury, and Coleman found himself the victim of his second shocking upset loss in a row when the unknown Pete Williams finished him with a high kick.
Williams' Analysis: Zuffa brass will probably slot this as the semi-main event of UFC 109. It has no business in that spot.
Let's assume (perhaps charitably) that Couture and Coleman looked slightly better than their opponents in their respective recent wins over Brandon Vera and Stephan Bonnar. A Vera/Bonnar match would therefore not be as talent-laden as a Couture/Coleman bout. However, given the fighting styles of the competitors, Vera/Bonnar would presumably be the more exciting of the two fights. Whether you prefer the match with a little more talent or the match promising to be more exciting, there isn't that much difference between the two.
And would you ever accept Vera vs. Bonnar as a semi-main event on a PPV?
The interesting stories of Couture and Coleman make the fight a little more attractive. A little, but not enough to justify second-from-the-top-billing on a card I am supposed to pay money to watch.
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