MANILA, Philippines -- Former welterweight champion Matt Serra anticipates a violent matchup with Frank Trigg as they meet head on in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 109 Relentless on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

The 35-year-old Serra, who dealt Georges Saint-Pierre in one of his only 2 career losses, said his welterweight match with Trigg has all the makings of a “fun fight.”

“In the past I said, that guy could be a fun guy to fight… He's a really good wrestler. He's strong. He's aggressive,” he said in a UFC promotional video.

“I think it's gonna be an exciting fight because it will be a violent fight,” added the New Yorker.

The two fighters have already engaged themselves in a war ahead of the fight -- a word war -- at least.

“He's funny. He tries to play mind games to get you thinking different things. I could see the stress coming out of him,” said Serra, who has a mixed martial arts (MMA) record of 16-6.

Serra said no trash talk would affect his game inside the Octagon.

“I'm straight… I feel I'm gonna take him out on Saturday night,” he said.

Trigg, for his part, admitted the talk was just part of a strategy.

“I played on his head a little bit, I called him oompa-loompha. That kinda irritated him a little bit,” laughed the fighter from Las Vegas.

But the 37-year-old Trigg, who has an MMA record of 19-7, admitted that Serra will be a hard fight even late in the rounds.
 
“Third round he's tired, but he throws you a big haymaker and he'll knock you out. In the third round, he's tired, and he'll give you a quick triangle, he'll still tap. Either way he's still dangerous,” he said.

UFC 109 is set to take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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