Tag: michael bisping

Mirror, Mirror: Comparing UFC Fighters With Their Sports Star Counterparts


(Oh, you said you have a *flaggy* tattoo? I must have misheard you.) 

By Nathan Smith

During a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Dana White said, “Globally, we’re already bigger than the NFL.” From a global stand point that may be true, but in the Pulp Fiction-esque United States, the NFL is still Marsellus Wallace. The UFC may never gain the notoriety that the NFL has in America but stand-out fighters continue to ink major product endorsement deals. Anderson Silva (Burger King, Budweiser), Georges St. Pierre (Gatorade, UnderArmor) and Jon Jones (Nike) are paving the way to success for future mixed martial artists. Although big-time corporate sponsorship for fighters is in its infancy, the other major professional sports leagues have seen their athletes gain almost as much notoriety outside the lines as within.

The UFC was purchased by Zuffa just over a decade ago and has been charging towards global domination ever since. Sure, the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL (well, maybe not the NHL) playoffs and championship contests annihilate the UFC ratings-wise but the premier MMA organization is gaining at a rapid pace. Take into account the combined several hundred years of history the 4 “major” professional leagues hold and it is glaringly apparent that the UFC and its stars are closing the gap like a fat dude towards a parked Roach Coach.

Comparing the UFC’s ratings and popularity with the aforementioned leagues is somewhat asinine and it would not be fair or rational to compare athletes from other sports with UFC fighters – but you have visited Cagepotato.com. We have never been accused of being fair or rational and matching fighters with their counterparts from around the world of other sporting organizations seemed as logical as a booze-filled headset.

Anderson Silva and Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan has become the benchmark to which all athletes are measured, although the comparisons have transcended far beyond the realm of athletics. Any activity or event draws comparisons to #23 (or #45 whatever). From Ken Jennings being the Michael Jordan of Jeopardy, to Joey Chestnut being the Michael Jordan of gluttony or Peter North being the Michael Jordan of male climax volume, Jordan is synonymous with superiority. In every single poll taken in the last decade regarding the “Top 100 NBA players in History” the battle is for #2 through #100. Michael Jordan is considered the greatest of all time in his medium (and I am not talking about minor league baseball).  Anderson Silva, with his perfect 15-0 record and 10 consecutive title defenses in the UFC, has done things that may never be accomplished again in the history of mixed martial arts. Some day a fighter may come along (if he hasn’t already *foreshadowing*) and surpass Silva’s records but until his numbers fall, Anderson Silva is the Michael Jordan of MMA – period.


(Oh, you said you have a *flaggy* tattoo? I must have misheard you.) 

By Nathan Smith

During a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Dana White said, “Globally, we’re already bigger than the NFL.” From a global stand point that may be true, but in the Pulp Fiction-esque United States, the NFL is still Marsellus Wallace. The UFC may never gain the notoriety that the NFL has in America but stand-out fighters continue to ink major product endorsement deals. Anderson Silva (Burger King, Budweiser), Georges St. Pierre (Gatorade, UnderArmor) and Jon Jones (Nike) are paving the way to success for future mixed martial artists. Although big-time corporate sponsorship for fighters is in its infancy, the other major professional sports leagues have seen their athletes gain almost as much notoriety outside the lines as within.

The UFC was purchased by Zuffa just over a decade ago and has been charging towards global domination ever since. Sure, the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL (well, maybe not the NHL) playoffs and championship contests annihilate the UFC ratings-wise but the premier MMA organization is gaining at a rapid pace. Take into account the combined several hundred years of history the 4 “major” professional leagues hold and it is glaringly apparent that the UFC and its stars are closing the gap like a fat dude towards a parked Roach Coach.

Comparing the UFC’s ratings and popularity with the aforementioned leagues is somewhat asinine and it would not be fair or rational to compare athletes from other sports with UFC fighters – but you have visited Cagepotato.com. We have never been accused of being fair or rational and matching fighters with their counterparts from around the world of other sporting organizations seemed as logical as a booze-filled headset.

Anderson Silva and Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan has become the benchmark to which all athletes are measured, although the comparisons have transcended far beyond the realm of athletics. Any activity or event draws comparisons to #23 (or #45 whatever). From Ken Jennings being the Michael Jordan of Jeopardy, to Joey Chestnut being the Michael Jordan of gluttony or Peter North being the Michael Jordan of male climax volume, Jordan is synonymous with superiority. In every single poll taken in the last decade regarding the “Top 100 NBA players in History” the battle is for #2 through #100. Michael Jordan is considered the greatest of all time in his medium (and I am not talking about minor league baseball).  Anderson Silva, with his perfect 15-0 record and 10 consecutive title defenses in the UFC, has done things that may never be accomplished again in the history of mixed martial arts. Some day a fighter may come along (if he hasn’t already *foreshadowing*) and surpass Silva’s records but until his numbers fall, Anderson Silva is the Michael Jordan of MMA – period.

Georges St. Pierre and Derek Jeter

GSP is the focal point of Canadian MMA. He is the big fish in a larger-less-populated pond and the entire weight of a nation rests on his shoulders every single time he enters the octagon. Derek Jeter plays in the biggest media market in the world and has been given the moniker “The Captain” for the most storied franchise in the history of team sports. There is a lot of pressure to perform for both world champions and they are viewed with a certain amount of reverence by fans, media, and contemporaries. Both men have graced the covers of athletic magazines as well as high fashion publications and in regards to their female fans, let’s just call them “popular.”

Jon Jones and Lebron James

It has been covered on CP that there is a thin line between love and hate in regards to Jon Jones and the same can be said for Lebron James after “The Decision.” Both men are loved and hated regardless of their stellar performances during competition. Both men are just entering the recognizable primes of their careers and have already captured championships. Add in the fact that both men are genetic freaks compared to their colleagues and it appears that the dominance of Bones and King James has only just begun. Maybe?

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Terrell Owens

Not that long ago, both Rampage and T.O. were at the top of their professions. Rampage was sporting the UFC light-heavyweight strap and T.O. was widely perceived as the best wide receiver in the NFL. Both men were flamboyant, arrogant and a bit unstable. While Rampage did it with his trash talking combined with a John Candy inspired freeway escapade, Owens did it with his touchdown celebrations and an accidental overdose.  Now, Jackson is on the last fight of his UFC contract and T.O. is desperately trying to make the roster on an NFL team. How the mighty have fallen.

Does Michael Bisping Deserve a Title Shot If He Beats Brian Stann?

Michael Bisping has been around the middleweight division longer than most, and he has always fallen short of a title shot. Recently, Bisping made statements to Heidi Fang of MMA Fight Corner that he had talks with UFC matchmaker Joe Silva in which he …

Michael Bisping has been around the middleweight division longer than most, and he has always fallen short of a title shot. Recently, Bisping made statements to Heidi Fang of MMA Fight Corner that he had talks with UFC matchmaker Joe Silva in which he discussed some of the implications of his upcoming fight with Brian Stann.

The understanding that Bisping was given was that if he truly dominated and beat Brian Stann in their bout, then he could very well be in a position for a title shot.

A very interesting concept, considering he is coming off of a loss to Chael Sonnen.

The argument is that even though he lost his fight with Sonnen, many feel that he actually won, or did a good enough job to be deserving. But is fighting and beating one guy enough to launch you into a title shot, even when there are others that are on much bigger winning streaks?

Yes, Brian Stann is a great fighter and a great name to have under you belt, but Brian Stann himself is coming off of one win after losing to Chael Sonnen as well.

Typically, unless you are a champ on a big streak in another organization and then come over, you can’t acquire one win and then get a title shot. It would seem that the UFC wants to put Bisping in the cage with reigning champ Anderson Silva off of more than just ranking statistics.

Bisping has had a 14-fight win streak, followed by another three-fight win streak and then a four-fight win streak, prior to his recent loss. If Bisping wasn’t deserving after getting multiple finishes in each of the streaks before, it seems interesting that he would get a title shot after only one win.

Hypothetically, say Bisping beats Stann and completely dominates him, Bisping will still have only one win and one loss, which is far less impressive than his previous accomplishments. 

The UFC is a business, and they call the shots, no pun intended. So is it the attractiveness of a potential matchup that is fueling this?

The name of the game is the “name game.” In the UFC, it has been common that the value assigned to a fighter’s name sometimes hold greater importance over statistics. For example, if Bisping were fighting Alan Belcher next and won, it may not carry the same weight to the UFC brass as beating Brian Stann, even though Belcher is on a four-fight winning streak.

The UFC has shown that they do this with the bantamweights before, like Urijah Faber. Faber lost a unanimous decision to champ Dominick Cruz, and then was told if he beat Brian Bowles, he would get another title shot. After beating him, he was going to face him after TUF season, but due to injury, Cruz had to withdraw.

They also did this with Lyoto Machida. Machida was on a two-fight losing streak, but came back and beat Randy Couture (who then retired) and was given an immediate title shot.

After being brutally submitted and losing to champ Jon Jones, Machida recently beat Ryan Bader to earn himself yet another title shot. The inconsistency in the UFC with title shots can get frustrating at times but are justifiable to some extent. 

With Bisping, it seems that his tenure and rowdy personality, paired with a good win over Stann, is what it comes down to. Bisping has been calling out Silva for a long time but has come up short of getting to the actual fight. Trying to save himself from gatekeeper status, Bisping feels he must be paid his dues and has done the work to be deserving in the situation he is currently in.

Bisping and Silva had their UFC debuts in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Both men have been around, and Bisping is the only man left standing that hasn’t been beaten by “The Spider.”

From a general standpoint, Silva has cleaned out his division. But to truly say that, he must beat one more man, and that is Michael “The Count” Bisping. While Bisping does respect Silva’s abilities, trash talk would inevitably ensue from the challenger, and his eagerness to go out and fight would certainly make for a great matchup.

But will Bisping ever get there? And do you think he deserves a shot if he beats Stann? 

 

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Jason Miller Goes Full-On Bath Salts, Arrested in Orange County Church During Naked Tirade [UPDATED With Mugshot]

Jason Mayhem Miller
(Nice job, Jason, you’ve gone and gotten yourself fired again, you idiot. Calm down, just calm down…you’ve talked your way out of worse than this, you just gotta think. How to stay relevant, how to stay relevant…OK, it has to be something REALLY out there, you know, something that will totally live up to your zany personality and at the least get you another pilot on MTV…fucking Bisping and his fire extinguishers ruined everything for us…come on, we’ve got to FOCUS!!….Wait…fire extinguishers…….Mayhem, you cheeky bastard, you’ve done it again.) 

Update: Miller’s booking photo is now at the bottom of this post, via TMZ. He looks pretty good, considering.

Well this is surprising.

Just days after urging Dana White to commit suicide, dubbing himself “A warrior for peace and ultimate fighter for justice” and bragging about how he was “happier than I have ever been,” it appears that TUF 14 coach and Bully Beatdown host Jason Miller has been arrested. Again. In a church in Mission Viejo. Naked.

Apparently Miller’s newfound “energy” is fueled by either bath salts or peyote and a touch of the crazy. In either case, we fail to see how this defines putting said energy into “the right things.” Here’s what went down according to TMZ:

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, the O.C. Sheriff’s Office received a call early this morning from the Mission Hills Church in Mission Viejo about a possible burglary in progress.

When the deputies arrived, we’re told they found the first and second floors covered in white fire extinguisher spray. Cops say the place was also trashed — scattered CDs, books, and broken pictures.

When officers reached the second floor, we’re told they found Miller naked on some couch — totally awake and coherent.  It’s unclear if Miller was under the influence.

A note to all you haters of Michael Bisping: “The Count” doesn’t always prank you, but when he does, it emotionally traumatizes you for life. And Mayhem just got Scott Tenorman’d.

Jason Mayhem Miller
(Nice job, Jason, you’ve gone and gotten yourself fired again, you idiot. Calm down, just calm down…you’ve talked your way out of worse than this, you just gotta think. How to stay relevant, how to stay relevant…OK, it has to be something REALLY out there, you know, something that will totally live up to your zany personality and at the least get you another pilot on MTV…fucking Bisping and his fire extinguishers ruined everything for us…come on, we’ve got to FOCUS!!….Wait…fire extinguishers…….Mayhem, you cheeky bastard, you’ve done it again.) 

Update: Miller’s booking photo is now at the bottom of this post, via TMZ. He looks pretty good, considering.

Well this is surprising.

Just days after urging Dana White to commit suicide, dubbing himself “A warrior for peace and ultimate fighter for justice” and bragging about how he was “happier than I have ever been,” it appears that TUF 14 coach and Bully Beatdown host Jason Miller has been arrested. Again. In a church in Mission Viejo. Naked.

Apparently Miller’s newfound “energy” is fueled by either bath salts or peyote and a touch of the crazy. In either case, we fail to see how this defines putting said energy into “the right things.” Here’s what went down according to TMZ:

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, the O.C. Sheriff’s Office received a call early this morning from the Mission Hills Church in Mission Viejo about a possible burglary in progress.

When the deputies arrived, we’re told they found the first and second floors covered in white fire extinguisher spray. Cops say the place was also trashed — scattered CDs, books, and broken pictures.

When officers reached the second floor, we’re told they found Miller naked on some couch — totally awake and coherent.  It’s unclear if Miller was under the influence.

A note to all you haters of Michael Bisping: “The Count” doesn’t always prank you, but when he does, it emotionally traumatizes you for life. And Mayhem just got Scott Tenorman’d.

As Dana White said in his post UFC 150 interview, Mayhem is clearly not in a good place right now, no matter how hard he tries to convince us that he is. Ever since he was fired from the UFC following a backstage freakout, which in turn followed a pair of dismal performances, Miller has likely been the target of an insult or two in person, as well as a few million over the Interwebs. And although I have absolutely no idea what it is like to fail, I would recommend that Mayhem spends a little time away from the computer if he wants to come out of this depressive state he is in alive. A public figure is always going to have his haters, but it appears that Mayhem is letting them get under his skin to disastrous effect. That, or he is just f*cking crazy.

Anyway, it’s not like he’ll have a say in the matter in the immediate future, as I’m pretty sure that most prisons don’t provide internet access in their holding cells. In fact, that was reason #534 that Floyd Mayweather needed an early release if I remember correctly.

But seriously, we all just hope Miller is able to come out of this embarrassing situation with a better mindset, although it’s hard to see how.

We will have more on this story as it develops.

–J. Jones

UFC 152: Michael Bisping Cut in Training, but Fight with Brian Stann Is Still on

Michael “The Count” Bisping has suffered a cut above his left eye in preparation for his UFC 152 encounter with Brian Stann.However, there’s no need to panic, as the brash Brit has intimated via his Tweeter account that the fight will go ahead as plann…

Michael “The Count” Bisping has suffered a cut above his left eye in preparation for his UFC 152 encounter with Brian Stann.

However, there’s no need to panic, as the brash Brit has intimated via his Tweeter account that the fight will go ahead as planned.

Per ESPN.co.uk:

“Slash!! Head but from yesterday’s training, 6 stitches, no big deal, still 8 weeks out,” Bisping tweeted.

The aforementioned tweet must come as welcome news to the UFC hierarchy, who have recently had to deal with unforeseen injuries to both Rory MacDonald and Josh Koscheck.

MacDonald suffered an almost identical injury to Bisping’s. His was a huge gash to the forehead, which was deemed bad enough to throw a spanner in the works of his projected UFC 152 clash with two-divisional titlist B.J. Penn.

Conversely, “Kos” was meant to throw hands with Jake Ellenberger in the co-main event of UFC 151: Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson. However, due to a bulging disc in his back, the former AKA resident had to pull out. The 34-year-old has now been supplanted by Jay Hieron.

For “The Thoroughbred,” this will be his third stint in the company.

Apropos Bisping (22-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC), at UFC 152, he will once again attempt to stake his claim as the most viable opponent to face off against perennial middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva.

Others in the race include Chris Weidman, Vitor Belfort, Stann, Tim Boetsch and Alan Belcher.

Just over six months ago, Bisping’s chances of vying for a tilt at UFC gold were thwarted by Chael Sonnen, who then went on to unsuccessfully challenge “The Spider” for the second time of asking.

UFC 152 is scheduled to take place on September 22, 2012 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada.


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5 Fighters the UFC Will Have a Hard Time Replacing

Randy Couture will be starring in the upcoming film The Expendables 2 but there is nothing expendable about the man in the MMA world. Couture and a few other MMA fighters possess a rare blend of talents both inside and outside the Octagon. Not only can…

Randy Couture will be starring in the upcoming film The Expendables 2 but there is nothing expendable about the man in the MMA world.

Couture and a few other MMA fighters possess a rare blend of talents both inside and outside the Octagon. Not only can they wow us each time they compete but also can make us hang on every word once a microphone is placed in front of them.

It’s not easy being a top-level fighter and having the communications skills necessary to talk fluently in front of a camera. Even the fighters on this list that haven’t achieved the highest honor of being called “UFC Champion” are still invaluable to the company for their articulate speaking abilities.

Whether they made their mark in MMA history with their fists or words, all of these men are going to be tough to replace once they step away from the game.

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UFC 152: Michael Bisping vs. Brian Stann Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC 152 is a few months away, but the card has many intriguing fights that fans are looking forward to. One of those fights is a middleweight scrap between Michael Bisping and Brian Stann.Much to the delight of fans, this should be an action-packed str…

UFC 152 is a few months away, but the card has many intriguing fights that fans are looking forward to. One of those fights is a middleweight scrap between Michael Bisping and Brian Stann.

Much to the delight of fans, this should be an action-packed striking affair between two solid boxers. Stann brings bone-crunching power, while Bisping brings a technical style that is tough for many to deal with.

Here is the head-to-toe breakdown of the American versus the Brit.

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