MMAConvert.com

On this week’s edition of ESPN MMA Live, Jon Anik and crew recap UFC 109, talk about Chael Sonnen’s rise and begin to preview UFC 110.

You can add Frank Trigg to the list of names that were released from the UFC following UFC 109. Trigg confirmed the news with MMA Junkie earlier this evening.

After posting a 6-1 record to earn his way back into the organization and signing a new deal with the UFC in 2009, Trigg was notified on Monday that he had been dropped from the UFC after a knockout loss to Matt Serra at this past weekend’s UFC 109 event.

Trigg confirmed the news with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) on Wednesday.

Trigg said he held off on sharing the news until he could notify family members. He said he’s undecided if he’ll pursue opportunities outside the organization.

Bummer for Trigg. He repeatedly stated in interviews leading up to UFC 109 that he didn’t have anything to fall back on if he got cut, but hopefully he keeps his chin up and lands on his feet somewhere. I’m sure there’s plenty of places in this industry that would be a good fit for Trigg’s talents if he chooses to retire.

Image via Sherdog

Chael Sonnen reveals his non-gameplan gameplan for Anderson Silva.

“As soon as Anderson tries to punch me, I’m going to stick my forehead in his chest, run him against the fence, pick him up, put him on the canvas and that’s the end of that round. As soon as Anderson tries to kick me, I’m going to stick my forehead in his chest, run him into that fence, put him on the ground, that’s the end of that round.”

“I am five strike attempts by him away from being the UFC champion.”

If it was a three-rounder, I’d probably give Sonnen a much better chance, but five rounds sure gives Anderson a lot of opportunities to cave his head in with a knee. Gotta stick with the champ on this one.

By the way, Sonnen is set to appear on Fox & Friends tomorrow morning to talk about his bid to become a Oregon State Representative. I can’t wait to hear the sound bytes that come from that.

Video via MMA Weekly

Phil Davis turned in one of most impressive performances in a UFC debut that I’ve seen in awhile. He dominated Brian Stann all three rounds at UFC 109 with his wrestling, positional control and ground-and-pound. The only thing he didn’t do was finish Stann and that’s exactly why he tells FIGHT! Magazine he has a lot of room for improvement. It’s too early to call him a major player in the division, but if he’s able to develop his striking and find ways to finish his opponents, he definitely has the potential to be one in the not too distant future.

If you missed Spike’s broadcast of the UFC 109 prelims, you missed arguably the best moment of UFC 109 — Joe Rogan blasting NSAC officials mishandling the clean-up of a bag of spilled ice. Funny stuff, even Keith Kizer eventually gets in there with a towel.

Well, nothing at the moment. Randy Couture has fought three times in the last seven months which is a lot for an elite mixed martial artist, especially for one in his forties. With his win over Mark Coleman he’s essentially been put in a holding pattern.

Dana White has been telling everyone who will listen that Couture is a top-five light heavyweight. He’s in the mix for a title shot, but before any decisions are made Dana needs to see how the big light heavyweight fights scheduled for May shake out.

Personally, I think Randy needs a win over a top light heavyweight before he “deserves” another title shot, but we all know that’s not how it always works. If you ask me, the only acceptable scenario that results in Randy fighting the title is if Machida beats Shogun, Rashad beats Rampage and Forrest beats Lil’ Nog. Otherwise, there are much more deserving title fights to be made among those six competitors. If Randy doesn’t get the next title shot, there are some decent fights out there for him in the meantime against guys like Rich Franklin or Thiago Silva as MMA Valor suggested.

By the way, Dana White is not against Couture moving back up to heavyweight if/when it makes sense. Couture doesn’t seem too interested, but if he’s unable to reclaim the belt at 205, don’t be surprised if he moves back to heavyweight to reinvigorate his career once again. That seems to be the pattern.

The NSAC has released the fighter payouts for UFC 109. Keep in mind, these figures represent the base contracted pay the fighter receives from the promotion. These figures do not include any additional “locker room” bonuses, pay-per-view revenue sharing, or sponsorship money, which in many cases exceeds a fighter’s base pay. These numbers also do not account for taxes, insurance, and license fees.

Chael Sonnen is going to get the next middleweight title shot. The question is, against who? Anderson Silva or Vitor Belfort? We won’t know until April 10, but I can tell you Sonnen is rooting for Anderson Silva. Not because he wants to test himself against someone who’s widely considered one of the best fighters in the world though, Sonnen just thinks he’s a much easier opponent to beat. Seriously…

It all started last fall when Tito Ortiz called Mark Coleman a sissy for pulling out of their scheduled fight at UFC 106. Mark Coleman’s manager retaliated by getting a little too personal and taking shots at Tito’s girlfriend, ex-porn queen Jenna Jameson.