If nine is multiplied by a fraction that is less than one, the product will be less than nine.
For example, if you multiply 9 by 0.5 (which is less than 1), you get:
\[ 9 \times 0.5 = 4.5 \]
Since 4.5 is less than 9, it shows that multiplying 9 by any fraction less than 1 will result in a product that is less than 9.
Therefore, the correct statement is: The product is less than 9.