With a combined age of 91, Randy "The Natural" Couture and Mark "The Hammer" Coleman defied time in the main event of UFC 109 in Las Vegas.

In the aftermath of Saturday's pay-per-view card, a night of upsets and emphatic victories, The Fight Network explores what's next for Couture, Coleman and some key middleweight and welterweight players in the UFC.

Couture outclasses fellow UFC Hall of Famer Coleman en route to second-round submission

As most observers had expected, Couture controlled Coleman in this light heavyweight clash of active legends.

With an impressive submission win, his second victory back at light heavyweight, Couture moves right into the title picture.

A couple of upcoming marquee fights will determine who Couture meets next.

At UFC 113, Lyoto Machida and Mauricio Rua will have their rematch to establish a true kingpin in the division. Only a few weeks later, Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson will have their long awaited grudge match at UFC 114.

Depending on the outcomes of those two fights, Couture could be next in line for a title shot. All four competitors present intriguing tests for the 46-year-old MMA trailblazer, though Couture is ultimately hoping to challenge for the championship as soon as possible.

Judging by the depth of the 205-pound division, Couture has many options. Should "Rampage" defeat Evans at UFC 115 and refuse to re-sign with the UFC, it would be unsurprising if Couture was given an immediate title shot.

Moreover, the division was strengthened with the addition of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, who will battle Forrest Griffin at UFC 114  in May. A potential showdown with Nogueira could be another possibility on Couture's road to a title shot. A rematch against the winner of Chuck Liddell-Tito Ortiz at UFC 115 is yet another marketable possibility for the UFC.

Coleman, meanwhile, has slowed down considerably since becoming the first UFC heavyweight champion in 1997. He showed clear signs of wear-and-tear during his bout with Couture. Coleman's weaknesses in the striking department and in the clinch were abundantly clear as he was virtually defenseless against Couture's assault.  

Judging from UFC President Dana White's post-fight comments, Coleman's time in the organization may be up.

"The Hammer" will decide his own fate. If the UFC refuses to entertain Coleman with another fight, he may pursue Strikeforce or Dream, where he is a proven draw even in this day and age.

However, Coleman can still be an established gatekeeper in the UFC. With young blood such as Phil Davis and Ryan Bader moving up the ranks, Coleman can be utilized to help propel these fighters to the next level.

Additionally, potential match-ups against Griffin, Keith Jardine and Tito Ortiz are all still intriguing possibilities for the 2000 Pride Grand Prix champion. After trash talk ensued between Coleman and Ortiz in the aftermath of UFC 109, it would only make sense to let these two legends settle their differences once and for all.

In 2010, it is now gut-check time for Coleman. If he has lost the motivation to train and compete at the highest level, he should consider hanging it up for good. If he still has the desire to give it his all, there are many options he can pursue.

Coleman will probably want to end his career on a high note. At the very least, a pioneer of his stature deserves the opportunity to do so.

Chael Sonnen pummels Nate Marquardt for three rounds to secure unanimous decision victory

In the upset of the night, the former U.S. Olympic team alternate Sonnen put all UFC middleweights on notice with a dominant decision win over one of Greg Jackson's highly touted pupils.

Both warriors pocketed an additional $60,000 for "Fight of the Night."

Sonnen, who was coming off back-to-back wins, has been confirmed as the next challenger for the UFC middleweight crown.

Despite some criticism over Sonnen's worthiness as a title challenger, the Team Quest standout deserves the opportunity after an immaculate performance against Marquardt.

Sonnen has already done his part in trying to build up a clash against the current torchbearer Anderson Silva. He has talked trash about the champion and accused him of being an "overrated phony."

All factors considered, Sonnen has clearly proven himself as a world-class wrestler. Although Silva is an exceptional competitor, his main weakness is his wrestling and takedown defense. If Sonnen brings his A-game for his title shot, he could very well go from being a virtual unknown one year ago to the next UFC middleweight king.

Marquardt, who was heavily favoured to emerge victorious, is forced to go back to the drawing board.

A world-class all-around mixed martial artist with beautiful technique, Marquardt is still near the top of the division.

Despite training with some of the sport's best wrestlers including Georges St-Pierre, Rashad Evans and Shane Carwin, Marquardt surprisingly had no answer for Sonnen's relentless takedowns and ground-and-pound.

But the former King of Pancrase has proven himself against top grapplers, strikers and wrestlers in the past.

Marquardt, who gave Sonnen the hardest-fought victory of his career, should be matched up against the loser of Silva-Belfort at UFC 112. With a rebound win over a fighter the caliber of Silva or Belfort, Marquardt can ensure he doesn't become an afterthought in the middleweight title picture.

Mike Swick sees stars after come-from-behind second-round submission win by Paulo Thiago

It looks like training with the Noguieras, Machida and Silva at Team Black House has paid off for the Brazilian elite special police forces officer, who recovered from a less-than-stellar opening stanza to stun Swick in the second round before putting him to sleep with a D'arce choke.

The Brazilian has taken the UFC welterweight division by storm. First, he toppled Josh Koscheck. Next, he went the distance with No. 2-ranked Jon Fitch. At UFC 109, he finished his second American Kickboxing Academy product in impressive fashion to prove he was never a one-hit wonder.

Thiago should take on the winner of Koscheck-Paul Daley at UFC 113 in his next encounter. He can prove his win over Koscheck was not a fluke or he can claim yet another victim on his path to the top. If he wins that fight, Anthony Johnson, Matt Serra, Matt Hughes and Thiago Alves are all intriguing opponents for the 29-year-old, who claimed his second bonus since joining the UFC by earning $60,000 for "Submission of the Night."

Less than a year ago, Swick was considered a possible challenger for St-Pierre. After successive losses to Dan Hardy and Thiago, Swick is back to square one.

The AKA standout has constantly improving BJJ skills, cat-like speed, and sharp hands, which still makes him a threat at 170 pounds. Dustin Hazelett, Dong Hyun Kim, Frank Trigg and Carlos Condit can all be proven opponents for the 30-year-old, who desperately needs a win in his next fight to maintain any momentum in the UFC welterweight division.

Demain Maia edges Dan Miller by unanimous decision in middleweight clash

The decorated 2007 Abu Dhabi winner rebounded from the first loss of his career -- a knockout against Marquardt -- by beating the AMA Fight Club product on judges' scorecards.

Maia set out to prove his stand-up skills are there after getting caught in his last outing. The 2nd degree BJJ black belt had Luiz Dorea, Junior dos Santos' striking coach, and Rafael Alejarra, Wanderlei Silva's former coach, in his corner.

The fight itself was not particularly crowd-pleasing as the middleweights engaged in a stalemate on their feet, which prompted Maia to apologize to the live crowd after the bout.

However, Maia showed his versatility by being effective on his feet against Miller and securing a takedown in the third round to ensure triumph.

Maia, who submitted No. 1 contender Sonnen a year ago, is still a force to be reckoned with in the middleweight division.

Several options exist for the crafty Brazilian submission specialist. A bout with Yoshihiro Akiyama makes sense. Better yet, Maia can have a rematch against Marquardt to determine if the 21-second knockout was a lucky punch after all.

On the other hand, Miller must rebound from back-to-back losses after a 3-0 start to his UFC bid. Potential opponents for Miller include the winners of Rousimar Palhares-Tomasz Drwal at UFC 111, Kendall Grove-Mark Munoz at UFC 112 and Yushin Okami-Lucio Linhares at UFC Fight Night 21.

Overhand right from Matt Serra sends Frank Trigg to the canvas and possibly out of the UFC

"The Terror" couldn't afford his third straight loss and he didn't disappoint against "Twinkle Toes."

Coming off a contentious unanimous decision loss to Matt Hughes last May, Serra was less tentative on his feet by pushing the pace against Trigg before putting him away midway through the opening frame.

The Renzo Gracie-trained BJJ black belt, who banked an extra $60,000 for "Knockout of the Night," is still a top-10 welterweight.

At 35 years of age, Serra could be approaching the end of his active career. Before retiring from the sport, Serra should continue to challenge himself against the best opposition the UFC has to offer. That being said, a fight against the loser of Thiago Alves-Jon Fitch at UFC 111 makes perfect sense. Those two men occupy the No. 2 and No. 3 ranks at 170 pounds and either one would be a demanding test for Serra.

Meanwhile, the winner of Alves-Fitch should probably take on UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn. If Penn beats Frankie Edgar in decisive fashion at UFC 112, which there is reason to suspect he will, there will be no remaining title challengers at 155 pounds. Many pundits argue Penn doesn't deserve a shot at St-Pierre again unless he beats other top welterweights. With a win over Fitch or Alves, Penn will have justified a rematch with St-Pierre, which is likely to sell out just about any arena in 2010.

In defeat, Trigg could be handed his walking papers.

The 37-year-old Judo black belt is also nearing the end of his MMA campaign. Since returning to the UFC last year, Trigg has been knocked out twice in less than a combined five minutes.

Still not a fighter to be taken lightly, Trigg is unlikely to ever again be a title contender. If the UFC decides to keep him around for another fight, Trigg-Swick would be a "Loser Leaves Town" fire-fight worth seeing as both men are hungry for a win.