UFC 109 Matchups: Serra vs. Trigg Odds & Picks
One of the featured bouts of UFC 109: Relentless is a welterweight contest between Matt Serra and Frank Trigg.
This fight features the former champion in Serra and a two-time title contender in Trigg. While both fighters are on the downside of their career, it still should be a competitive matchup at welterweight (170 pounds). Serra enters the fight as the favorite with a betting line of -140 according to online sports book Brobury Sports. Trigg has a money line of +110. Here is a closer look at both fighters heading into this main event bout, which will take place from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev. on Saturday at 10PM ET on Pay-Per View.
Matt Serra (9-6):
Strengths: Matt Serra is a scrappy and strong fighter that has a chip on his shoulder. The 5-foot-6 jiu-jitsu fighter is always in the underdog role, but that started to change with his amazing upset win over Georges St. Pierre back in 2007. Serra has great submission skills and has good power in his hands. He feels comfortable anywhere in the octagon.
Weaknesses: His KO win over St. Pierre gave Serra the impression he was now an knockout fighter, and he has since shied away from his strength of submission fighting. His eagerness to exchange with Matt Hughes led to his loss at UFC 98, as Hughes simply controlled the fight on the ground while Serra simply looked to throw punches. Serra has also been fairly inactive as a fighter. Saturday’s fight will be just his third in three years.
Last Five Fights:
Unanimous decision loss to Matt Hughes at UFC 98 on May 23, 2009
Second round TKO loss to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 83 on April 19, 2008
First round TKO win over Georges St. Pierre at UFC 69 on April 7, 2007
Split decision win over Chris Lytle at Ultimate Fighter 4 Finale on Nov. 11, 2006
Unanimous decision loss to Karo Parisyan at UFC 53 on June 4, 2005
Frank Trigg (19-7):
Strengths: Trigg is a good all-around fighter that has had success with wrestling and striking, but is not elite in either category. Trigg has a lot of experience and has fought in UFC main events in the past, so fighting a former champion shouldn’t phase him. Trigg will look to use his reach in this fight to keep Serra at bay, and with his improved boxing, it is a good strategy.
Weaknesses: Trigg has been known as a mentally weak fighter who has been broken in fights against Matt Hughes and Georges St. Pierre. Trigg has also been susceptible to submissions, as his defense is not the greatest. That could be a key factor in this match against a black belt in jiu-jitsu like Serra.
Last Five Fights:
First round TKO loss to Josh Koscheck at UFC 103 on Sept. 19, 2009
Unanimous decision win over Danny Babcock at XCF on Feb. 14, 2009
Unanimous decision win over Falaniko Vitale at Strikeforce on Oct. 3, 2008
Unanimous decision win over Makoto Takimot at Sengoku on Aug. 24, 2008
First round submission win over Edwin Dewees at HDNet Fights on Dec. 15, 2007
Who will win: This is a tough fight to call as both have struggled as of late. Serra is a confident guy, but his reputation has been built on a fluke victory. If there is an upset on this card, I think it is in this fight as Trigg should be the bigger and stronger fighter. As long as he avoids Serra’s big right hand and keeps himself out of submissions, he should be able to find a way to win this fight by decision or with a ground-and-pound stoppage.