UFC 109: Relentless Fan Buzz

Randy “The Natural” Couture takes on Mark “The Hammer” Coleman in the main event of UFC 109, live this Saturday night from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. While both fighters are in their mid-forties and in all likelihood in the twilight of their respective careers, they are also both coming off of impressive victories in their last outings. These victories, plus an undercard of talented middleweight fighters, will help draw enough fan interest for a successful event and bridge the gap to what looks to be a blockbuster next few months for the UFC.

The buzz rankings take into account the level of activity for people searching and reading about each MMA fighter online. The more online buzz, the better the ranking.

Randy Couture is the focal selling point for the card, and at 46 years old still has enough left in the gas tank to sell UFC cards and put up competitive fights. Couture is currently ranked 27th in fan buzz among MMA fighters, indicating that a decent if not overwhelming level of fan enthusiasm will be in place for UFC 109. Coleman is currently ranked at 67, though had been as high as 10 on the rankings a year ago when he fought Shogun Rua. In the co-main event, Nate Marquardt and Chael Sonnen face off in a compelling middleweight bout that will draw strong interest from serious MMA fans but not much among casuals, as their buzz rankings of 114 and 214 illustrate.