Jason “Mayhem” Miller fought in the UFC Saturday night for the first time in six years and, unfortunately, it was not a successful return.
Miller met Michael Bisping in the cage to settle a feud that his been building for months.
The two middleweight fighters coached opposite each other on The Ultimate Fighter 14 and it quickly became evident that they did not get along.
Though it would have been sweet for Miller to beat a rival and make a successful return to the UFC all in the same night, Bisping was the better man in the TUF finale, while Miller will have to go back to the drawing board.
Anytime a fighter loses, it’s important they carefully analyze their performance and assess the areas that they need to focus and improve on.
With that in mind, here are four things Miller could improve on, based on his latest performance.
Cardio
It can’t be denied that Miller’s cardio was just not there against Bisping.
He gassed after one-and-a-half rounds, which at this level of fighting, there is no excuse for.
Joe Rogan speculated that Miller’s cardio issues could be attributed to an adrenaline dump due to such an extensive break from the Octagon, but when asked about it after the fight, Miller did not want to make any excuses.
Why Miller’s cardio was so bad versus Bisping is something we might never know, but it is significant nonetheless.
Technical Striking
Early in the fight, Miller was able to throw Bisping off using his unorthodox, leaping style of striking. But eventually, Bisping, the more technical striker, was able to figure out Miller’s timing and capitalize on openings.
Miller’s striking is unique, and that is a good thing, but he needs to find a way to keep that uniqueness, while tightening it up on a technical level.
Otherwise he will continue to be picked apart by the more technical strikers in the middleweight division.
Striking Defense
Miller seemed far too content to just eat punches in the fight.
His fatigue might have been a contributing factor, but as the fight progressed, Miller seemed to have no interest in dodging Bisping’s strikes.
This resulted in some cuts and swelling on Miller’s face, which did nothing to help get his breath back; it’s hard to relax your breathing when being punched in the face.
Take Things More Seriously
The UFC is the biggest stage in all of mixed martial arts and anyone who is given the honor to compete in the promotion should come into their fight ready to go.
Again, there is no real excuse for Miller’s poor cardio, especially considering he was supposed to be prepared for a scheduled five-round fight.
Let’s hope that we see a better version of Miller next time he steps into the Octagon.
Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com. For updates on what’s happening in the world of MMA, follow him on Twitterhttp://twitter.com/#!/AndrewBarr8.
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