The Ultimate Fighter 14 finale will play out on December 3rd from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The coaches for the season, Michael “The Count” Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller, have built up a solid conflict—mostly caused by the motor mouth that is “The Count”—and will headline the card.
Miller makes his return to the UFC after his one and only fight in the cage, a loss to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 52 in 2005. Miller has been competing outside of the UFC for many years now, and has not fought yet in 2011. He is coming off a victory over past-his-prime Japanese legend Kazushi Sakuraba.
Bisping is a significant step up for Miller.
Bisping is one of the best at annoying his opponent; a season of taping a show with him would be sure to challenge any fighter’s patience and sanity. Before Miller, Dan Henderson demonstrated that it could be done, making the Brit eat the many words he spewed out in very embarrassing fashion.
Does “Mayhem” have the tools to make Bisping eat his words? I think he does, though in a very different way then Henderson.
The tools that Miller must bring with him to work that night are his strength, conditioning and his grappling expertise. Fourteen of Miller’s 24 wins have come via submission; he is going to have to tap or choke Bisping out to beat him.
To do this, Mayhem must have a strength and conditioning advantage because his striking is too technically loose to be able to hurt Bisping and set up a submission. Miller can strike adequately enough to not get knocked out, but if this thing stays on the feet for long periods, Bisping will pick him apart on points.
Miller must use his takedowns to get the fight to the ground, where his tools will be to his full advantage. Miller has faced some very good wrestlers in his career and hung with them all.
He has the ground tools to make Bisping tap or go to sleep.
Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA and correspondent for MMACanada.net.
Catch him on Facebook and Twitter at wakafightermma.
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