In arguably the most important fight of his mixed martial arts career, Michael Bisping will step foot inside the Octagon to take on his rival in Jason “Mayhem” Miller.
It’s been made known that Miller is the clear fan favorite as Bisping has fallen from popularity.
However, none of that will matter when action begins in just a few short hours as Bisping is believed to be the favorite on paper.
In order for Bisping to prove he is, in fact, the better mixed martial artist, there are several things he’ll have to accomplish throughout the fight.
As soon as the opening bell rings, Bisping is likely to attack Miller as he’s been away from the sport for over a full year.
Bisping needs to test Miller’s quickness as well as his defense as he hasn’t been physically tested since his bout with Jake Shields in 2009.
While Bisping can certainly defend himself on the ground as he’s established himself as a well-rounded fighter, he’ll want to keep the fight in the stand-up position.
Bisping is the clear favorite in striking as he’s knocked out an impressive 13 fighters over the course of his career.
However, Miller has shown in the past that he can exchange strikes fairly well as he’s been knocked out just once in 31 career fights.
If Bisping fails to finish Miller early in Round 1, it’s likely he’ll attempt to wear down his opponent as Miller has shown signs of gassing out in the past.
Miller’s lost five of nine fights when his bouts goes to the judge’s scorecards while Bisping has come up short in a decision just twice.
If Bisping can effectively establish his striking game and avoid being taken to the ground, he should have no problem inching closer to his much desired middleweight title shot.
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