Tag: michael bisping

Michael Bisping Hopeful for Title Shot If Chael Sonnen Wins at UFC 148

Michael Bisping recently mentioned that he would not be opposed to reprising his role as coach on The Ultimate Fighter sometime soon, but it seems he is now setting his sights a bit higher.ESPN reported earlier today that the Count believes he may…

Michael Bisping recently mentioned that he would not be opposed to reprising his role as coach on The Ultimate Fighter sometime soon, but it seems he is now setting his sights a bit higher.

ESPN reported earlier today that the Count believes he may be on the precipice of fighting for UFC gold. That is, if Chael Sonnen defeats Anderson Silva this July at UFC 148.

Bisping recounts a conversation he had with UFC president Dana White after he lost a hotly contested decision to Sonnen earlier this year.

“I asked, ‘Where does this leave me for the title shot?’ And [White] never said you don’t get one. He said, ‘We need to figure it out’.”

The Brit goes on to mention a talk he had with Joe Silva on a similar subject matter.

“When speaking to Joe Silva, he said it all depends on what happens between Sonnen and Anderson. He said if Anderson wins, I might be sitting around for a while.”

So why is Bisping’s position on the the middleweight ladder so dependent on the outcome of the Sonnen-Silva match? 

One possibility is that the UFC believes that a rematch between Bisping and Sonnen would be an easy sell, whereas an opponent for Silva could be drawn from one of Brian Stann, Mark Munoz, Vitor Belfort or Hector Lombard.

In that same vein, Bisping explains that Dana White told him that he believes the judges awarding Sonnen a win in the January contest between he and the Count made an error. Thus, a rematch could provide some measure of justice in the eyes of the promotion.

While the situation seems very uncertain at this point, we now know that Chael Sonnen will have at least one big supporter when he faces off with Anderson Silva this July.

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Michael Bisping Up for Coaching ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ a Third Time

They say that the third time is a charm, but for Michael “The Count” Bisping, it might just be showing off.That’s because the outspoken Brit has stated his willingness to act as a coach for the UFC’s feeder program once again, already having tutored th…

They say that the third time is a charm, but for Michael “The Count” Bisping, it might just be showing off.

That’s because the outspoken Brit has stated his willingness to act as a coach for the UFC’s feeder program once again, already having tutored three fighters—James Wilks, Ross Pearson and Diego Brandao—to Ultimate Fighter supremacy.

ESPN questioned Bisping about returning as a coach earlier this week:

I never say never, but the UFC hasn’t said anything to me, so maybe they’re saying never! I think maybe I’ve been rammed down people’s necks enough. But I’d certainly give it consideration. I’m a product of the Ultimate Fighter so I’m always open to it, and I’d like to be involved because of the UK v Australia thing – which is a really good concept. But I haven’t been asked yet! 

Bisping, a former contestant and winner of the show himself, prevailed in the third installment of the TUF series taking home light heavyweight honors by defeating Josh Haynes by TKO in the tournament finale.

Since claiming his TUF title, The Count has gone on to be one of The Ultimate Fighter‘s most successful alums, posting a 12-4 UFC record and defeating some solid competitors along the way.

Bisping‘s next fight will come against Tim Boetsch this July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

In addition to his in-Octagon success, Bisping has become one of the sport’s biggest icons in the United Kingdom, and he seems like a natural fit to reprise his role as coach should a UK versus Australia format be rolled out.

In keeping with tradition, the UFC would have to provide an Australian middleweight to coach opposite Bisping for such a tournament. Hector Lombard, a Cuban born adopted son of the Land Down Under, seems to fit the bill. 

Lombard’s first fight in the UFC is just a couple weeks after The Count’s upcoming contest, so the timing may just be right.

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UFC 148: Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen II Preview Trailer Released

The UFC has released the first official preview trailer for UFC 148, which is specifically tailored around the main event: Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen II. With an incredible UFC record of 14-0 with nine successful UFC middleweight title defens…

The UFC has released the first official preview trailer for UFC 148, which is specifically tailored around the main event: Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen II. 

With an incredible UFC record of 14-0 with nine successful UFC middleweight title defenses, Silva has only seen a true challenge inside the Octagon from his arch nemesis: Chael P. Sonnen. 

“The Gangster from Oregon” shocked Silva at their UFC 117 battle with his crisp boxing, which allowed him to set up his signature takedowns and ground-and-pound. 

Sonnen won the first four rounds of the fight on all judges’ scorecards before “The Spider” managed to lock on a triangle choke midway through the fifth and final round, securing the submission victory. 

Since then, Silva has successfully knocked out Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami, while Sonnen worked his way to a rematch by submitting Brian Stann and winning a close decision over Michael Bisping. 

The July 7 main event bout in Las Vegas, Nevada, promises to be one of biggest fights in UFC history, and don’t expect trash-talker extraordinaire Chael Sonnen to let anyone think otherwise.  

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Jason "Mayhem" Miller: Fighter or Entertainer? UFC Says You Can’t Be Both

Poor, poor Jason Miller. The man held a special place in many MMA fans’ hearts, simply because he actually seemed like he was having fun out there. Make no mistake, he was a deceptively good fighter (this stayed under the radar for many years). His rol…

Poor, poor Jason Miller.

The man held a special place in many MMA fans’ hearts, simply because he actually seemed like he was having fun out there.

Make no mistake, he was a deceptively good fighter (this stayed under the radar for many years). His role on MTV’s Bully Beatdown made him famous to all, but his actual skills went somewhat unnoticed.

He had one of the better ground games in the middleweight division and had solid stand-up. A short UFC career and a lack of respect from Strikeforce fans due to his feud with the ever-popular Cesar Gracie camp made it so his cage savvy consistently took his reputation’s backseat.

Ultimately, though, the UFC (and basically any pro sport) asks “what have you done for me lately?”

So what has he done for them lately? He gave them a lukewarm season of The Ultimate Fighter. He gave one of the single worst performances in UFC history in his Coaches’ Fight with Michael Bisping. He gave a less-than-awesome performance against CB Dollaway. He gave them a mysterious locker room incident.

That was enough for Dana White to give him a slip that matched his pink trunks, pink boa and pink boombox.

Even the most irrational of Miller-haters would say that his two most recent fights are not representative of his actual skills. White said the locker room incident was not physical, which automatically makes this incident more benign than almost anything Nick Diaz has done.

Ultimately, this seems to be building to a decree that has actually been years in the making.

The UFC brass wants the Octagon to be a fun-free zone. In an interview following UFC 146, Dana White said of Miller, “When you get embarrassed the way he did against Michael Bisping, then you show up in that pink whatever that thing was, I’m not into that stuff. It’s not my thing…If you want to be a clown do that stuff on your reality show.”

This is far from the first time the UFC President has taken issue with somebody who has treated MMA as something other than a soul-numbing job. After all, he wagged a finger at Roy Nelson for his celebratory belly-rubbing and choice in walk-out music (he had Weird Al Yankovic’s “Fat” for his first few fights).

Dennis Hallman is another example. Hallman, who allegedly lost a bet that resulted in him wearing some teeny-tiny trunks into the cage, “horrified” White to the point where he instituted a dress code. Seriously!

Though Miller certainly earned his way out of the UFC, many fighters have gained fans by reminding everyone that mixed martial arts is still fun.

This writer will admit it is a bit early to declare Dana White the disgruntled Dean of Students to Pat Barry and Tom Lawlor’s “Animal House.” Still, it is a bit disappointing that the UFC is taking an increasingly hard stance on something that fans clearly enjoy.

Over the top walk-out entrances, unfortunately, seem to be going the way of the touchdown dance. While you may enjoy Tom Lawlor doing his impression of Apollo Creed, Dana White does not.

As has been illustrated many times now, Dana gets what Dana wants.

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Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller: Did He Ever Stand a Chance in the UFC?

Jason “Mayhem” Miller is without a doubt one of the most popular and entertaining characters in MMA today. The only problem is his entertainment value has yet to earn him a UFC victory. Following his UFC 146 loss to CB Dollaway last night, Mi…

Jason “Mayhem” Miller is without a doubt one of the most popular and entertaining characters in MMA today. 

The only problem is his entertainment value has yet to earn him a UFC victory. 

Following his UFC 146 loss to CB Dollaway last night, Miller was involved in a backstage incident that led to him being cut from the UFC. 

It’s no surprise that Miller was cut from the company, though.

In his return fight to the UFC against Michael Bisping, Miller looked gassed and sloppy. 

Miller did try to strike with Dollaway, but once the fight got to the ground, he did not have an answer. 

Both fights were bad for Miller. His most memorable moment from either one may have been when he gave Dollaway a noogie in the middle of the fight. 

Miller has been known for this type of crazy antics mid-fight.

But his two most recent UFC fights have proven that unless you’re a Diaz brother or clearly have control of the fight, the Octagon is no place for those types of actions. 

Miller has always been an interesting character, but as a fighter this may be the worst that Miller has looked in his career. 

Whenever he’s been put on his back, he has not had an answer for his opponents. 

Miller may still have potential to be a great fighter, but he may also be a guy who just is not cut out for the UFC. 

Entertainment value alone can’t get you anywhere if you don’t produce wins.

And if you don’t play the rules backstage, Dana White won’t be afraid to cut you, no matter how good or popular you are. 

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UFC 146: Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller Is Ready and Focused to End C.B. Dollaway

Jason “Mayhem” Miller walks into UFC 146 as a man who is out to justify his identity as a UFC performer inside of the Octagon.
In his last fight that took place against Michael “The Count” Bisping on The Ultimate Fighter Finale featured main …

Jason “Mayhem” Miller walks into UFC 146 as a man who is out to justify his identity as a UFC performer inside of the Octagon.

In his last fight that took place against Michael “The Count” Bisping on The Ultimate Fighter Finale featured main event. Miller came out and seemingly performed as he said he would, dominating the first round against the Brit. What followed was somewhat of a complete shocker: a fatigued and exhausted Mayhem Miller getting picked apart by a pouncing Michael Bisping until the bout was stopped in Round 3.

Needless to say, that has left a bad taste in Miller’s mouth and there is only one cure—redemption.

Embarrassed, angered, and wanting to prove that he is indeed a top-level performer, Jason Miller has taken all the necessary steps to right his wrongs.

Revamping his entire training camp and endurance program and conforming to a diet designed by Krzysztof Soszynski, Miller looks to be in the best physical shape of his career.

Not only does he look in great shape, he appears focused and determined to make short work of C.B. Dollaway in order to erase any doubts or question marks that anyone might have labeled upon him.

In more simpler terms, Mayhem isn’t going into this fight with any intention of losing.

Miller seems to be very confident heading into UFC 146, and he should be. A veteran of 36 contests with a record of 27-8-0-1 NC, Mayhem is the more seasoned fighter.

Confidence is especially important in a case where possibly two men enter and one man leaves. This isn’t only on simple terms as a winner and a loser, since quite possibly the latter will be released from any future UFC obligations.

Miller is a slight favorite heading into this contest, but with his preparation and focused mentality, don’t look for him to be playing any games on Saturday night. Mayhem is determined to make a statement to Dana White and the entire UFC Middleweight division.  

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