Perhaps the only thing more awkward than watching a recently separated couple fight in public is watching a recently separated couple fight on Twitter. Aside from the fact that the 140 character limit on Twitter usually causes the feuding pair to throw clumsily abbreviated insults at each other, there’s the whole “Why the hell didn’t these two just send each other private, direct messages and leave the rest of us out of it?” factor. Add on the mental image of the two screaming at – and eventually crying in front of – their laptops/smartphones in a dark room, and Twitter beefs between ex-lovers make Warcraft flirting sessions look like dignified, everyday conversations. I’ve personally unfollowed more than a few people who’ve decided that Twitter was the best place to vent over failed relationships – as I’m sure many of you have as well.
What I’m getting at is that Jason “Mayhem” Miller, who was recently cut from the UFC, just got done bickering at former employer Dana White on Twitter. No, it surprisingly wasn’t that funny. Yes, it was just as cringe-worthy and pathetic as these instances tend to be. And yes, screen shots are available after the jump.
As these situations usually do, it started off with the bitter one who was broken up with randomly, “innocently” tweeting to the ex:
This guy? Awkward? Who’da thunk it?
Perhaps the only thing more awkward than watching a recently separated couple fight in public is watching a recently separated couple fight on Twitter. Aside from the fact that the 140 character limit on Twitter usually causes the feuding pair to throw clumsily abbreviated insults at each other, there’s the whole “Why the hell didn’t these two just send each other private, direct messages and leave the rest of us out of it?” factor. Add on the mental image of the two screaming at – and eventually crying in front of – their laptops/smartphones in a dark room, and Twitter beefs between ex-lovers make Warcraft flirting sessions look like dignified, everyday conversations. I’ve personally unfollowed more than a few people who’ve decided that Twitter was the best place to vent over failed relationships – as I’m sure many of you have as well.
What I’m getting at is that Jason “Mayhem” Miller, who was recently cut from the UFC, just got done bickering at former employer Dana White on Twitter. No, it surprisingly wasn’t that funny. Yes, it was just as cringe-worthy and pathetic as these instances tend to be. And yes, screen shots are available after the jump.
As these situations usually do, it started off with the bitter one who was broken up with randomly, “innocently” tweeting to the ex:
Props to BloodyElbow for getting most of these captured.
Come on, bro: The only way you can be more pathetic and transparent is if you said something along the lines of “I’m glad you fired me after three unforgettably bad performances because I’m so much stronger now!” and broke into a verse of Survivor…
Face, meet palm.
Now, as any guy who has ever been in this situation knows, you never reply to tweets from a crazy ex or any of your crazy ex’s friends. At least every guy who isn’t Dana White…
Terrible move, bro. Your seemingly playful response is about to unleash a full-blown tantrum in three…two…one…
Hell hath no fury like a pink wearing ex-fighter scorned. The only way to make this thing more awkward is to add on comments about what his ex looked like naked or accusations of drug and/or alcohol abuse…
But at least Dana White has learned that you never respond to the crazy ex, right?
At this point, if you aren’t staring into a half-empty glass of Four Loko and Everclear just hoping that these two will knock it off soon, then what’s it like not to have a crippling drinking problem? Fortunately, Dana White attempts to end this mess for us:
But this brannigan ain’t over yet, as far as Mayhem is concerned. Try not to act too surprised, but now Mayhem wants to “make peace” with The Baldfather.
You know, something tells me this one ends with Mayhem Miller going on a cheap tequila bender, changing into an old wedding dress, curling up into a ball on the floor and screaming “WHY DOESN’T HE LOVE ME?!” over and over again. You know, just a hunch.
But fortunately, Dana White has learned to never reply to the crazy ex and the crazy ex’s friends on Twitter from all of this, so that’s something, right?
Junior dos Santos is a walking, terrifying public relations smashing machine. Not only did he Babe Ruth it and fulfill his prediction of winning by 2nd round stoppage over former two-time champion Frank Mir Saturday night, but he also provided the best feel-good photo op of the year so far.
Junior trains out of Luis Carlos Dorea’s Champion Boxing gym in Brazil which, in addition to being headquarters for world-class fighters, is home to a vibrant youth boxing program. After training one day, the UFC Primetime cameras caught one of the little tikes hanging asking Junior to take him with him to the states for his title fight.
At the time, Junior said, “we’ll see.” But he ended up bringing the 9 year-old kid and his family to Vegas to watch him win. After beating Mir, he lifted the lucky young fighter onto his shoulders and posed for the cameras along with his coaches.
Dos Santos definitely appears to have the Wanderlei Silva nice guy/maniac fighter balance down pat. Try as I might, that image warms my cynical heart, and I don’t give a damn how orchestrated it may or may not have been. Who doesn’t like watching a kid’s dream come true before their eyes?
Junior dos Santos is a walking, terrifying public relations smashing machine. Not only did he Babe Ruth it and fulfill his prediction of winning by 2nd round stoppage over former two-time champion Frank Mir Saturday night, but he also provided the best feel-good photo op of the year so far.
Junior trains out of Luis Carlos Dorea’s Champion Boxing gym in Brazil which, in addition to being headquarters for world-class fighters, is home to a vibrant youth boxing program. After training one day, the UFC Primetime cameras caught one of the little tikes hanging asking Junior to take him with him to the states for his title fight.
At the time, Junior said, “we’ll see.” But he ended up bringing the 9 year-old kid and his family to Vegas to watch him win. After beating Mir, he lifted the lucky young fighter onto his shoulders and posed for the cameras along with his coaches.
Dos Santos definitely appears to have the Wanderlei Silva nice guy/maniac fighter balance down pat. Try as I might, that image warms my cynical heart, and I don’t give a damn how orchestrated it may or may not have been. Who doesn’t like watching a kid’s dream come true before their eyes?
Mir’s dream of becoming the second ever three-time UFC heavyweight champion came crashing down on him, however, when he could not drag dos Santos down to the mat. Mir eat huge hellacious shots to the dome in the latter part of the first and into the second, until the final hammer fist prompted the ref to step in and stop the action.
It has been easy for this writer to continually underestimate dos Santos in some of his biggest bouts on account of his “only” having his hands. What are the chances, I’ve often found myself thinking, that he can go a whole fight without getting put on his back? Well, so far, those chances are much less likely than the chances that his opponents can go an entire fight without being hit by him.
When dos Santos touches an opponent, they drop. That’s the way it goes, we’ve come to learn.
Who’s next for him? How about a rematch with the man he beat to win the title, Cain Velasquez?
Cain got back on the winning track by dominating and brutalizing Antonio Silva, stopping him in the first round with ground strikes. Cain made Silva bleed his own blood, a lot of it, with elbows and punches, and by the end of the brief bout he looked like he was trying out for a horror flick.
He was trying out for a title shot, and I think he earned it. The only guy I’d rather see get it next, his AKA teammate Daniel Cormier, will be out for a long time with a broken hand.
Yeah, Velasquez vs. dos Santos would be a rematch but so what? Elite fighters often hang around the top of divisions together and, if we’re lucky, we get to see the best of the best go at it over and again.
Cain lost quickly to dos Santos last fall, but before that he was unbeaten and devastated the, at the time, invincible-looking champion Brock Lesnar. Modern-day Antonio Silva only loses to the best guys out there, like Fabricio Werdum, Velasquez and Cormier, and recently dominated Fedor Emelianenko. Taking him out so impressively counts for a lot, and with the timing working out, it is time for dos Santos vs. Velasquez II.
Roy Nelson found the mark with his over hand right early and knocked Dave Herman silly. He went in to add to the punishment on the ground but thankfully the ref got in there fast and stopped it. Only way Nelson could have added to the damage would have been to eat Herman, and we all know he’s watching his boyish figure these days.
Dan Hardy showed why he was still employed after four-straight losses in beating solid veteran Duane Ludwig via first round TKO. Hardy always come in shape, always gives an entertaining fight and has only lost to the best in the welterweight division. It has to feel good for the “Outlaw” to finally get back in the win-column. Now he can go get high as a kite. Hardy joined Nelson as a “knockout of the night,” bonus check recipient.
To pull guard in MMA you have to either be suicidal or a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu boss. Paul Sass and Stefan Struve were the latter in securing submission wins off of their back at UFC 146. They shared “submission of the night,” honors. All bonus winners earned extra $70,000 checks. No “fight of the night” bonuses were given.
Jamie Varner showed why he is a former world champion by beating formerly unbeaten wrecking-ball Edson Barboza via TKO after taking the fight on short notice. Way to make a re-entry to the big leagues, Jamie. Perhaps the biggest underdog of the night, scored the huge upset.
Jason “Mayhem” Miller pleaded with the UFC to give him another fight in the organization after losing badly to Michael Bisping and he got one, against C.B. Dollaway. Miller fought well and lost a close decision to Dollaway. But still, looks like, he gone. Reports are that he pulled a stunt backstage after the fight that sealed his fate. Maybe he ran into Team Cesar Gracie.
One final note, Glover Teixeira looked great in his long-awaited UFC debut. He submitted Kyle Kingsbury with an arm-triangle choke in the first round. Is it too soon to want to see Glover against some of the best in the 205lb division?
It may be an all heavyweight main card, but the bantamweight is stealing the show. Props: MMAFighting.com
We’re just hours away from UFC 146, so it’s time to turn on FX and watch the preliminary card. This evening’s all heavyweight main card will kick off with the lighter guys, as Diego Brandao makes his first post-TUF appearance against Darren Elkins, Dan Hardy and Mayhem Miller fight for their careers against Duane Ludwig and C.B. Dollaway, and Edson Barboza takes on Jamie Varner in what may potentially be the squash match/upset of the year. Handling tonight’s liveblogging duties will be Seth Falvo, who will be frantically checking to see if his beloved Philadelphia 76ers can take Game Seven during commercial breaks. Come in after the jump for live play-by-play.
It may be an all heavyweight main card, but the bantamweight is stealing the show. Props: MMAFighting.com
We’re just hours away from UFC 146, so it’s time to turn on FX and watch the preliminary card. This evening’s all heavyweight main card will kick off with the lighter guys, as Diego Brandao makes his first post-TUF appearance against Darren Elkins, Dan Hardy and Mayhem Miller fight for their careers against Duane Ludwig and C.B. Dollaway, and Edson Barboza takes on Jamie Varner in what may potentially be the squash match/upset of the year. Handling tonight’s liveblogging duties will be Seth Falvo, who will be frantically checking to see if his beloved Philadelphia 76ers can take Game Seven during commercial breaks. Come in after the jump for live play-by-play.
Good evening, jerks. I just got back from Bellator 70 in New Orleans. I’m running on two hours of sleep and three cans of Rockstar Xdurance. What I’m trying to say is, let’s just jump right into it, and try not to complain about typos, okay?
Dan Hardy vs. Duane Ludwig
Round One: Both guys start off respecting each other’s striking, hesitant to rush each other. Hardy gets clipped, as Ludwig clinches up and lands some knees to Hardy’s body. Dan Hardy recovers, and pushes Ludwig against the cage, throwing some occasional hooks to Ludwig’s body. Hardy breaks, and lands a nice combination. And a follow-up 1-2. Head kick Ludwig. Hardy throws a 1-2, and misses with the left hook. Nice knee by Ludwig, as Dan Hardy works for a takedown. Hardy now has Ludwig pinned against the cage, but Ludwig is landing knees to the body of “The Outlaw”. Just as Joe Rogan starts praising Hardy’s lead left hook, Hardy lands one right to the jaw of Duane Ludwig. He momentarily celebrates, then finishes the fight with some elbows to a downed Ludwig until Josh Rosenthal stops it. Good start to the night.
Dan Hardy def. Duane Ludwig via KO, 3:51, Round One
And before anyone brings it up: Yes, I heard Arianny was arrested this morning. I didn’t say she was stealing the show for good reasons.
C.B. Dollaway vs. Jason “Mayhem” Miller
Round One: Miller comes out and lands a cross right to Dollaway. Mayhem appears to lock in a guillotine, but Dollaway is out and takes Mayhem’s back. Miller gets back up, and gives Dollaway a noogie. Seriously. Dollaway lands a cross, and now they’re back in the center of the cage. Dollaway drops Mayhem with another cross, causing Joe Rogan to speculate that Mayhem has blown out his knee, which is already wrapped and bandaged. His inability to stand seems to support that theory. Dollaway takes Mayhem’s back, but he can’t get his hooks in. The crowd starts to boo, as Dollaway is doing nothing but hold on, as Mayhem is unable to stand. Miller tries getting up, although Dollaway is doing a good job at keeping Miller down. I wish he would, you know, do something, but I digress. Dollaway works for a kimura, but gives up on it and mounts Mayhem. Miller escapes, and manages to stand as the round ends.
Round Two: Nice jab by Dollaway. Miller is clearly favoring that knee, as Dollaway earns a takedown, but lets Miller back up. Miller catches Dollaway behind the ear, and works to finish, but Dollaway reverses position. Miller manages to get up, but Dollaway has him pinned against the cage. The crowd is booing the lack of action, as Dollaway unsuccessfully attempts a takedown. Miller works for a guillotine, as the crowd boos louder. Miller gives up on the guillotine, and Dollaway throws a few punches from Miller’s half guard. Emphasis on “a few”. This crowd is nearly booing these guys into actually doing something. The Boston Celtics are on top of the Philadelphia 76ers, 17-14, if you’re curious. The round ends with Dollaway in Mayhem’s guard, and the crowd is not impressed.
Round Three: Miller throws a couple of punches, but Dollaway takes him down by that bad knee, and the crowd boos. Miller’s right hand is trapped behind his back, if Dollaway wants to, you know, throw some punches or something. The ref continues to warn them to work, the crowd continues to boo…anyone mind if I change it to the Sixers/Celtics game? Okay, fine. Dollaway now has Miller’s back, and tries to get his hooks in as he occasionally throws a punch. It’s kind of funny to hear Joe Rogan try to save this one. Dollaway finally gets his hooks in, as Miller grabs the cage. C.B. is FINALLY throwing some punches that Mayhem isn’t even trying to defend. Dollaway mounts Miller as this “fight” comes to an end. The crowd boos loudly.
Peace out, Mayhem. I wish I could say it’s been fun to watch you in the UFC.
C.B. Dollaway def. Jason “Mayhem” Miller via unanimous decision.
Dollaway talks about how he was hurt during the second round, how he was injured before this contest, and gives a shoutout to Miami Heat forward Mike Miller, who is part owner of Power MMA & Fitness, where C.B. trains. The crowd is not done booing as we cut to commercials.
No comment on the judge who scored this one 30-26. 29-28 is acceptable, as anyone who gets a noogie during a round automatically loses it in my book.
Edson Barboza vs. Jamie Varner
If the prelims were a Gallagher show, this would be the point where the audience shields themselves with plastic while cheering loudly. If this one somehow doesn’t deliver blood, you can all blame me for jinxing it with that last sentence. Oh no…not Steve Mazzagatti.
Round One: Leg kicks from Barboza as this one starts off. Head kick attempt from Barboza, but Varner catches it and takes him down. Varner now in Barboza’s half guard and throwing punches. After that last “fight”, the crowd is conditioned to boo anything that happens on the ground, and reacts accordingly. Barboza gets back up and throws a leg kick. “Barboza” chants from the crowd, as Varner counters a leg kick with a nice cross. Varner is yet to check a leg kick, and Barboza is really taking advantage. Varner catches Barboza with a huge cross, and takes him down. Barboza gets away, but then gets rocked by another huge cross (?!?!?!?!) and rains down punches until Mazzagatti stops it.
Well HOL-LEE SHIT! It was short and brutal alright, but not nearly in the way that anyone who has paid attention to MMA since 2008 and isn’t named “Varner” was expecting. Yeah, you can call it a comeback.
Jamie Varner def. Edson Barboza via TKO (punches), 2:23, Round One.
True story: Autocorrect tried to fix that last sentence.
We’ve got Kyle Kingsbury vs. Glover Teixeira from the Facebook preliminary card in order to kill time. Other than Kingsbury’s killer mustache, this fight was all Teixeira. Dominant performance capped off with an arm-triangle choke submission, 1:53 into Round One.
Last fight before the PPV up next.
Diego Brandao vs. Darren Elkins
But before we get to that, we’ve got some obligatory hype for the PPV, as Rogan and Goldberg act like Velasquez vs. Bigfoot should be a close fight. Then again, after what we’ve already seen tonight, I dont know what to believe about anything anymore.
Round One: Nice combination from Brandao, capped off with a leg kick. Huge swing and a miss from Brandao, as Elkins gets Brandao to the ground. Nice reversal from Brandao, who ends up in Elkins’ guard. Elkins attempts a kimura, but loses it, as Brandao stands up. Brandao is really swinging for the fences, but he’s missing. Nice knee from Brandao, as Elkins is dropped and Brandao ends up in side control. He throws a few punches, notices Elkins attempt a submission, and then stands back up. Nice 1-2 from Elkins. Brandao lands one of those huge right hands and follows up with another cross, dropping Elkins. Elkins recovers and attempts a guillotine, but Brandao escapes and rains down punches from inside Elkins’ guard. Elkins grabs an arm, but is unable to do anything with it. Brandao stands up, throws a kick to the downed Elkins and then lands another right hand. Elkins holds on as this one comes to an end.
Round Two: They touch gloves. Elkins throws a left hook that completely misses. Nice knee from Brandao. Brandao attempts a lead uppercut, which is countered nicely by Elkins with a cross. Nice back elbow from Brandao. Rogan compares it to Anderson Silva, Goldberg compares it to Jon Jones, and they’re both wrong, as that elbow barely phased Elkins. Brandao slips, and Elkins winds up in Brandao’s guard. Brandao attempts an upkick, and nearly gives up his back as it misses. Elkins back in Brandao’s guard attempting to pass, as Brandao throws elbows from the guard. Elkins passes to half guard, and eventually gets full mount. Big punches from Elkins, and Brandao looks hurt. The crowd is chanting “Diego” as this round comes to an end.
Round Three: Brandao is clearly gassed, and throws some desperate lead uppercuts. Elkins counters with a 1-2, and manages to get Brandao to the ground. Elkins throws punches from Diego Brandao’s guard, as Rogan explains that Brandao wasted all of his energy looking for the finish in the first round. Full mount by Elkins with half of a round left, as he begins to rain down punches. Elkins with an arm-in guillotine, but Brandao escapes and stands back up. Brandao manages to drag Elkins down and looks to mount Elkins, but Elkins manages to pull guard. Brandao is too gassed to put together any meaningful offense, as this one comes to an end with Elkins throwing punches from the guard. I’ve got it 29-28 Elkins.
Okay, I’m glad I’m not the only one who heard Joe Rogan say “He’s getting fucked up” at the end of the second round.
Darren Elkins def. Diego Brandao via unanimous decision.
Very interesting night of fights. It looks like the Sixers are down by four, the heavyweights are about to take over the card, and the preliminary broadcast is coming to a close. That”s all for me tonight. Enjoy the main card.
Michael Bisping doesn’t mince words when you ask for his take on the thorny issue of fighter pay in the UFC.
“I’m absolutely ecstatically happy with it,” the British middleweight told MMA Fighting earlier this week. “Words cannot describe.”
Then again, when you look at what the six-year UFC veteran is making every time he steps in the cage, it’s not hard to understand his enthusiasm. In his most recent bout against Jason “Mayhem” Miller in December, for example, Bisping pocketed a cool $425,000 for his TKO win, according to the official payouts reported by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. That figure included a win bonus of $150,000, but didn’t factor in any money he may have earned through sponsorships or undisclosed bonuses.
In other words, Michael Bisping is doing just fine these days. That’s why, when he saw the recent ESPN report and the ensuing online discussions about fighter compensation in the UFC, he found himself getting more than a little worked up about all the criticism he was hearing, he said.
“To be honest, it makes me mad, because people don’t understand,” said Bisping. “I’ve worked hard, and I get [the amount stipulated in the contract], but when Dana comes into the locker room and gives me a check afterwards, they don’t have to do that. Far from it. I was already very happy with the money I was getting, but then they’ll hand you another check on top of that and say, ‘Well done…good job,’ and there’ll be another huge check inside the envelope.”
Of course, few fighters would complain about making what Bisping makes to fight in the UFC. His per fight guarantee is among the highest in the organization for non-title holders. It’s the guys further down the totem pole — those making just a few grand to show and a few to win — who most critics of the UFC’s pay structure focus on.
But according to Bisping, even those fighters have no cause for complaint the way he sees it.
“When I was an up-and-coming fighter I used to fight in these sh—y little shows and make no money,” he said. “I used to sleep in my car. I couldn’t pay my bills. I had to work on the weekends. So if I had to go out now [as an incoming UFC fighter] and I had to win a few fights, make six [thousand dollars to show] and six [thousand dollars to win], that’s $12,000, plus maybe two or three thousand more in sponsors, and fight three or four times a way, that’s not bad money. I’d be able to pay my bills and train full-time.”
It’s more or less the same argument put forth in the UFC’s video response to the ESPN Outside the Lines story. The basic thesis is the UFC is a venue for up-and-coming fighters to show their talent and gain some fan recognition, so they should see the meager starting pay as an investment and an opportunity, which is exactly how it’s worked out for Bisping, he said.
“If you win, and you start getting some notoriety with the fans and put on a good show, your pay’s going to quickly go up. You start at six and six because the UFC is running a business. It’s not, ‘Oh, this guy’s good enough to be in the UFC? Let’s pay him a quarter of a million dollars.’ It’s not like that. They’ll pay you a decent amount just for showing up, and even that’s a big jump up from the regional show that you’re used to. If you do well, they’ll take care of you. They’ll probably give you a bonus backstage and you’ll quickly be in a new contract with a significant pay raise. If you put on good shows, you’ll find success.”
The way Bisping sees it, it’s that ‘if’ that makes all the difference. If you win, and if fans want to see you fight again, more money is on the way. If not, then maybe you didn’t belong in the UFC to begin with.
For Bisping, it’s a formula that’s worked out perfectly so far. Like other Ultimate Fighter winners, he started out on the lower end of the pay scale. Now he’s clocking six figures just for stepping in the cage.
“From my initial involvement with the UFC on, the UFC has done nothing but take great care of me and my family,” said Bisping. “They’ve always gone above and beyond the call of duty. They really have. With bonuses, with care, if I ever have injuries they give me access to the best doctors and then pay for everything. Myself and my family, we’re living a great lifestyle. …I’m making more money in one fight than I could have in 20 years of my old job. So you’ll never hear a bad word come out of my mouth about the UFC’s pay structure.”
Filed under: UFCThere’s at least one thing Jason “Mayhem” Miller can feel good about when he looks back on his TKO loss to Michael Bisping in Las Vegas on December 3.
“I went out there and took my ass-whipping like a man,” he told MMA Fighting. “I wor…
There’s at least one thing Jason “Mayhem” Miller can feel good about when he looks back on his TKO loss to Michael Bisping in Las Vegas on December 3.
“I went out there and took my ass-whipping like a man,” he told MMA Fighting. “I wore it like an Armani suit. I thought, I might have nothing left, but I’m going to go out here and try. I’m going to swing for the fences. And I did, but I came up short. That’s the harsh reality of ultimate fighting.”
It’s also a shallow consolation, especially for a man who waited years to get this chance again, only to watch it turn sour on live TV.
There’s no other way to put it: Miller looked awful. He knew it. The story was written all over his bloody, lumped up face when the bout ended in the third. Even if he’d managed to miss it somehow, his boss — UFC president Dana White — was there to remind him, calling it one of the most one-sided fights in UFC history, and hinting that Miller might get cut because of it. This prompted immediate protest from Miller’s army of fans on Twitter, but it came as less of a surprise to Miller himself.
“That’s his job,” Miller said of White. “He has a bottom line to defend. If I was in his position, I’d be doing the same thing. …That’s just part of the damn game, right? If you don’t show up, physically and mentally, then you get beat. And I got beat.”
But why he got beat — and why he looked so bad in the process — is another question altogether. In a blog for his website, Miller alluded to mistakes made in training as well as in the cage — mistakes he declined to elaborate on because, as he put it, “no one wants to hear my excuses.”
After seeing how quickly Miller deteriorated in the cage, however, it’s hard not to think that maybe he was more affected than he thought he’d be by the pressure of returning to the UFC for the first time since his 2005 loss to current welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre.
“I’ll admit that,” Miller said. “It felt weird walking out there. I didn’t feel like my normal self, and it really showed. I couldn’t get relaxed, couldn’t perform to my potential. And I’m not taking anything from Bisping, but it was definitely not my best performance.”
It also didn’t help that, by the time he fought Bisping, Miller had been out of action for over a year. Though he insisted before the bout that ring rust wouldn’t have any effect on a veteran fighter like himself, he found out otherwise in a hurry, he said.
“I didn’t think that that layoff would do anything to me. But man, it was apparent that it did. I kind of freaked out in there. I’ve got to admit it.”
After taking Bisping down and controlling him against the fence for much of the first round, Miller knew he was in trouble when he sat down on the stool between rounds and felt an unfamiliar sensation.
“I usually sit down on the [stool] and get a burst of energy back. But man, I sat down and I was sucking wind. I didn’t feel like myself. I was like, man, what’s going on with me here? I just couldn’t get back refocused. In the training room, I did it just fine. But inside the Octagon, I didn’t come back like I do. I was going, where am I? Usually, by the end of the 60 seconds I’m recharged. I wasn’t recharged at all. I was more tired than when I sat down.”
That’s a bad feeling, especially when you’re just beginning the second round of a five-round fight, and your opponent looks as fresh as when he walked out. Miller knew right then that he didn’t have much left in the tank, but he spent the next eight-plus minutes trying to make the best of what he did have, and taking a beating for his efforts.
At one point, he even put his hands at his sides and let Bisping pepper him with shots — a decision he regretted more for the pure stupidity of it than the physical effects.
“Genetically, I’ve been blessed with a hard-ass head,” he said. “I didn’t feel bad at all. I was just so tired that, by the time they stopped that fight, I was like, yeah, that makes sense. That was a good stop. I wasn’t doing anything. It sucks to lose, but I was the one who was in control of that.”
That’s what makes this part — the part that comes after a poor performance that left the boss unimpressed, to say the least — so difficult. The fight might have been up to Miller, but the fallout isn’t. Now he has to wait to find out what the UFC will decide to do with him, and so far the quiet on the other end of the line has been a little unsettling.
He hasn’t heard from White since the UFC president asked him “what kind of car I was getting” for his TUF coaching gig, Miller said. And no one at the UFC has told him when he might get another fight or, if no such fight is in his future, get his walking papers. It’s a disturbing bit of deja vu for a man who spent a year of his prime in limbo, waiting for Strikeforce to decide what to do with him. But then, it’s not as if he has a lot of other options.
“It’s their playground,” he said. “If they don’t want me in it, what choice do I have?”
For now, Miller said, he’s trying not to dwell on all the worst-case scenarios and the negative what-ifs, just like he’s trying not to beat himself up any more than he needs to over how terribly the Bisping fight went. Now that it’s over, he said, the best he can hope for is a chance to fix his mistakes in the next fight. Whether he’ll get that chance remains to be seen.
Filed under: UFC, NewsCHICAGO — With a few days to reflect on it, UFC President Dana White remains baffled by how easily Michael Bisping beat Jason “Mayhem” Miller at Saturday night’s Ultimate Fighter Finale.
CHICAGO — With a few days to reflect on it, UFC President Dana White remains baffled by how easily Michael Bisping beat Jason “Mayhem” Miller at Saturday night’s Ultimate Fighter Finale.
“I still don’t know,” White said of Miller’s performance. “It was bad. To be honest, believe me, my Twitter has been blowing up with all the Mayhem fans blasting me, but facts are facts. It was the worst standup I’ve ever seen in my life. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen worse standup. The guy’s been in the business for over 10 years. It looked like it was his first fight ever. It was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen.”
White said Miller’s issues in his third-round technical knockout loss go beyond ring rust or nerves and seem much more fundamental.
“Some of the punches that were thrown by Mayhem Miller in this fight, you could go to a girls’ Tae Bo class and see better form, better stand-up. It was embarrassing,” White said.
Miller was the fan favorite against Bisping, who has long been promoted by the UFC as a valuable fighter for the U.K. market but hasn’t caught on with American fans. White said he’s become accustomed to fans booing Bisping, but he maintains that Bisping has proven himself as an elite middleweight and a legitimate future title contender.
“Michael Bisping is easy to hate so people want to discredit him because they don’t like him, but Bisping is the real deal. He’s a tough guy,” White said.
White has resigned himself, however, to the fact that Bisping will never be as popular in the United States as he is in England. And he says he’s not bothered by the fact that Bisping got confrontational with the fans who booed him at the Ultimate Fighter Finale weigh-ins.
“Bisping is who he is,” White said. “There are certain people, there’s something about them that you’re not going to like. Michael Bisping is one of them and so is Josh Koscheck. These guys could try to go out there, make everything better, say nice things, and you’re still not going to like them.”
As for the weigh-in incident, White said fans have to expect fighters to react that way when they’re taunted the day before the fight.
“The day of the weigh-ins, these guys have been away from their families for eight weeks, they’re cutting weight for the last two days, they’re miserable and nasty, and if you say something to him, he’s a fighter, what do you think he’s going to say?” White said. “This isn’t the NFL, this isn’t the NBA, this is the fight business.”
There’s at least one thing 
CHICAGO — With a few days to reflect on it, 