Filed under: UFCDENVER — Michael Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller make for an unlikely movie date, but in some bizarre way the pairing works. The two showed up at the Paramount Theater on Wednesday night for a private screening of The Ultimate Fighte…
DENVER — Michael Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller make for an unlikely movie date, but in some bizarre way the pairing works. The two showed up at the Paramount Theater on Wednesday night for a private screening of The Ultimate Fighter season 14 premiere looking less like rivals and more like…well, not friends exactly, but also not quite enemies.
“He’s not a bad guy. He’s alright,” Bisping admitted, nodding over at Miller who was, at the very moment, practically shouting into a video camera a few feet away. “But trust me, that in your face for six weeks? You’re going to kill the guy.”
Now that filming is over and Bisping can get back to dealing with Miller “in small doses,” the two seem to get along just fine. Or at least, that’s how it seemed as they sat down together with a handful of media members to watch the first episode of the Spike TV reality show inside the 80-year-old art deco theater.
The show’s first episode didn’t give the coaches all that much to do, however. After a brief introduction, complete with highlight reels, they spent the bulk of the episode separated by UFC president Dana White, watching TUF hopefuls scrap for a spot on the show inside the empty Mandalay Bay Events Center. Not that there weren’t a few barbs here and there, of course.
When Bisping appeared on screen, describing Miller’s current bleached blonde look as a cross between “Josh Koscheck and a toilet brush,” even Miller reared his head back and laughed along with the rest of us.
And all night long, both on screen and in person, the one thing they agreed on was a mutual respect for the talent level of the fighters in this season of the show. Miller estimated that at least eight of the competitors were worthy of UFC contracts, regardless of how they fared during the reality show tournament.
But while seeking refuge in the lobby during the final half-hour of the show, Miller hinted that some days had been tougher than others when working alongside his British counterpart.
“I wanted to hit him,” he said. “I’d be like, today I’m going to hit him.”
What stopped him, he explained, was that he worried it would make him look like a jerk once the show aired. “And then my mom would get mad,” he added.
The six weeks of filming in Las Vegas and the ensuing media tour to hype the show have ensured that Miller and Bisping hardly go a day without talking about one another. For a fight that’s still more than two months away, that’s an uncommon amount of preamble, even in the UFC.
In fact, Miller said, it’s taken almost every bit of patience he has to keep from freaking out with so much time to think about the fight. In his younger days, he said, this is exactly the kind of thing that might have sent him looking for trouble at a local bar.
“Or I’d start an argument with my girlfriend, just for the drama,” he said.
These days, as he jets from southern California to New York for talk shows, then to a private screening in Denver, more often than not it’s Bisping who is his date. And as they bickered about practical jokes and busted one another’s chops on stage following the show’s premiere, they seemed not unlike an old married couple — though maybe one that’s headed for divorce.
“During the show, I wanted to kill him,” Bisping said. “I’m going to kill him.”
Miller just rolled his eyes, flashing the same unimpressed expression we’d seen just moments before on the giant screen behind him.
“Save your breath for cooling your pies,” he said.
“Whatever that means,” Bisping shot back.
As with any couple, few battles are as fierce as the fight for the last word.
Just a friendly reminder that the final Spike TV-affiliated season of The Ultimate Fighter — TUF 14kicks off tonight at 9:00 pm ET. Judging by the clip above, Jason Miller’s role on the show is to bug the shit out of perma-heel Michael Bisping and he’s doing a bang-up job of it.
He definitely seems to be getting under the skin of “The Count,” which explains why the cocky Brit has made no secret of the fact that he despises “Mayhem” in any of the interviews he’s done about his coaching gig on the show. At least they’ll get the opportunity to hug it out in December.
This season features bantamweights and featherweights and tonight’s episode will have all 16 qualifier bouts between the final 32 selected to fight for the remaining 16 beds in the TUF house.
(Video courtesy of YouTube/UFC)
Just a friendly reminder that the final Spike TV-affiliated season of The Ultimate Fighter — TUF 14kicks off tonight at 9:00 pm ET. Judging by the clip above, Jason Miller’s role on the show is to bug the shit out of perma-heel Michael Bisping and he’s doing a bang-up job of it.
He definitely seems to be getting under the skin of “The Count,” which explains why the cocky Brit has made no secret of the fact that he despises ”Mayhem” in any of the interviews he’s done about his coaching gig on the show. At least they’ll get the opportunity to hug it out in December.
This season features bantamweights and featherweights and tonight’s episode will have all 16 qualifier bouts between the final 32 selected to fight for the remaining 16 beds in the TUF house.
Sprinkle in equal parts alcohol, idiocy and testosterone and a ferocious feud between coaches as volatile as the one between Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz, and it looks like the series will be leaving Spike with a bang before it packs up and heads over to Fox next year for its “new and improved” live incarnation.
I may actually watch this season if it’s half as exciting as the preview makes it look. The marketing department earned its pay this time around. I’m just glad they fired the script writer who came up with the spoogy sushi.
No details have emerged in regards to possible weight classes or coaches for the series, but one name that must be in the mix is none other than “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” himself, Mark Munoz. Coming off a big win over Demian Maia at UFC 131, Munoz has gone 6-1 since his drop to middleweight, with the lone loss coming to most recent title contender Yushin Okami. Pairing him with the winner of the Belfort-Le scrap could make for an interesting title picture at 185, and with Anderson Silva riding the pine until then, the division is in need of a few high profile fights to fill the void.
With the recent success of OneFC, there is no question of the potential talent that could become a part of this series; the likes of Eduard Folayang and Eric Kelly could present some intriguing match-ups at lightweight and featherweight, respectively, though the likelihood of the UFC doing two straight seasons of lighter weight-classes seems slim. Then again, the last heavyweight season of The Ultimate Fighter didn’t exactly leave us begging for more.
Ultimate Fight Night 25 goes down tonight in New Orleans, and all that hot sauce and bourbon has whipped us into a fight picking frenzy. Representing the home team will be Louisiana’s own Seth Falvo, who will be doing battle against Head to Head newbie (read: loser) Jared “DangadaDang” Jones. Which Jake will reign supreme? Will it be a good night for The Ultimate Fighter, or a complete disaster? Will the stars of Swamp Peopleget roped into a video interview with Joe Rogan? Find out all this and more, and then tell us what we forgot in the comments section.
Let’s skip the foreplay: Shields or Ellenberger, who ya got?
JJ: As unimpressed as I’ve been with Jake Shields’ UFC career thus far, I just can’t see how Ellenberger wins this one. Though his submission defense looked great, his takedown defense looked pretty exploitable against Carlos Eduardo Rocha, and if Dan Henderson can’t knock out Shields, then it ain’t happening, homie. I got Shields by UD in a match that I forget about quicker than every Saturday Night Live sketch of the past 10 years. The real question is, will the recent loss of Shields’ father have an effect on his game plan?
SF: In any other city, I’d be inclined to agree with you, Jared. But this is New Orleans. A city where the underdog has recently been able to thrive. A city renowned for its Voodoo culture. And, as anyone who has had one too many hand grenades and went home with a dress wearing local they found on Bourbon Street can tell you, a city where not everything is what it seems. Not that that’s ever happened to me or anything.
You’re only as good as your last fight. When we last saw Jake Shields, he was completely unable to take Georges St. Pierre to the ground and didn’t fare better trading punches with the champion until he managed to steal the fifth round. Jake Ellenberger, meanwhile, dominated Sean Pierson in a fight he took on only seventeen days notice. When you add on not only the death of Jake Shield’s father, but also that other distraction Team Cesar Gracie has been dealing with, it’s possible that Jake Shields isn’t as focused as he needs to be. This one has the potential to get interesting. Maybe not “Ellenberger pulls off the upset” interesting, but at least “watchable while sober” interesting.
Pictured: Seth giving Jared a tour of Louisiana.
Ultimate Fight Night 25 goes down tonight in New Orleans, and all that hot sauce and bourbon has whipped us into a fight picking frenzy. Representing the home team will be Louisiana’s own Seth Falvo, who will be doing battle against Head to Head newbie (read: loser) Jared “DangadaDang” Jones. Which Jake will reign supreme? Will it be a good night for The Ultimate Fighter, or a complete disaster? Will the stars of Swamp Peopleget roped into a video interview with Joe Rogan? Find out all this and more, and then tell us what we forgot in the comments section.
Let’s skip the foreplay: Shields or Ellenberger, who ya got?
JJ: As unimpressed as I’ve been with Jake Shields’ UFC career thus far, I just can’t see how Ellenberger wins this one. Though his submission defense looked great, his takedown defense looked pretty exploitable against Carlos Eduardo Rocha, and if Dan Henderson can’t knock out Shields, then it ain’t happening, homie. I got Shields by UD in a match that I forget about quicker than every Saturday Night Live sketch of the past 10 years. The real question is, will the recent loss of Shields’ father have an effect on his game plan?
SF: In any other city, I’d be inclined to agree with you, Jared. But this is New Orleans. A city where the underdog has recently been able to thrive. A city renowned for its Voodoo culture. And, as anyone who has had one too many hand grenades and went home with a dress wearing local they found on Bourbon Street can tell you, a city where not everything is what it seems. Not that that’s ever happened to me or anything.
You’re only as good as your last fight. When we last saw Jake Shields, he was completely unable to take Georges St. Pierre to the ground and didn’t fare better trading punches with the champion until he managed to steal the fifth round. Jake Ellenberger, meanwhile, dominated Sean Pierson in a fight he took on only seventeen days notice. When you add on not only the death of Jake Shield’s father, but also that other distraction Team Cesar Gracie has been dealing with, it’s possible that Jake Shields isn’t as focused as he needs to be. This one has the potential to get interesting. Maybe not “Ellenberger pulls off the upset” interesting, but at least “watchable while sober” interesting.
With 8 participants, this card is practically flooded (no offense Seth) with TUF alum. That said, who will have the best night? The worst?
SF: That’s cold-blooded, son. It’s not my fault your school isn’t cool enough to have its own campus swamp. Or, let me guess: You’re an Oregon Ducks fan.
I’ll go against the grain and say that Matt Riddle will have the best night. Matt Riddle has been out of action for eight months after losing to the aforementioned Sean Pierson at UFC 124. It’s more than likely win or go home in his tilt against UFC newcomer Lance Benoist, a 5-0 submission specialist who has never been out of the first round. Before you get too excited about Lance Benoist, keep in mind that only two of his past opponents have winning records. Factor in Matt Riddle’s grappling prowess and Octagon jitters for Benoist, and Matt Riddle is bound to have a pretty good night. As for the worst night, is there anyone reading this that actually thinks Shamar Bailey is going to beat Evan Dunham? Didn’t think so.
JJ: I want to say McGee has the best night, but I vowed never to bet against South Korea after watching Oldboyfor the first time. I’m going with the dark horse here and picking my boy Cody McKenzie for the win. Word is he’s been spending some time at Team Alpha Male since his loss to Yves Edwards, and if you combine the already lethal power of “The McKenzietine” with those Alpha boys’ well known guillotine, it’s a wrap for Vagner Rocha, who showed absolutely nothing against Donald Cerrone other than a willingness to take leg kicks. As for the worst night, that’s going to Jonathan Brookins. Say what you want about his grappling ability, but his stand up looked awful against Michael Johnson, and Eric Koch is a straight up beast on the feet.
And as for my school, we opted for indoor plumbing and a library over a glorified sinkhole. In other words, you chose poorly.
Since the main event most likely won’t win any awards, which match will take FOTN?
JJ: This one’s easy: Alan Belcher vs. Jason Macdonald. Both guys are looking to establish themselves, Belcher due to the layoff, Macdonald due to his somewhat lackluster Octagon run as of late, and both guys are known for putting on exciting fights each and every time. Expect a back and forth brawl until Belcher puts Macdonald’s lights out late in the second. And that’s that.
SF: Hard to argue with that. But you can almost say the exact same thing about Court McGee vs. Dongi Yang. McGee has been out of commission for almost a year, and has the TUF Winner expectations to live up to as well. Likewise, Dongi Yang has shown that he’s more than capable of living up to his reputation as a fight finisher, but a loss to Court McGee would put him at an uncomfortable 1-2 in the UFC. Don’t expect either guy to retreat during this one, folks. And don’t blink, either.
You’ve got $50. You could spend this money at Taco Bell, like you planned to, and eat for the rest of the week. Or, you could opt to feed your crippling gambling addiction. What is the safest way to do both tonight?
SF: Truth be told, there really aren’t too many “safe” bets on this card. But if you’re looking for “safe”, then why are you eating at Taco Bell in the first place? Cognitive Dissonance, anyone?
There are some pretty attractive underdogs on this card, such as Cody McKenzie and Dongi Yang. Even Clay Harvison, as mediocre as he’s looked, has a pretty favorable matchup against the one dimensional Seth Baczynski (especially given his conditioning issues). But if we’re going for “safe”, then the safest parlay I can come up with is Koch-Dunham-Riddle-Waldburger-Lopez. You won’t get rich off of this, but at least you’ll be able to upgrade to Raising Cane’s for the next week or two.
JJ: Am I really going to let someone from the land of fried squirrel and alligator attacks lecture me on safety? I think I’ll stick to triple steak burritos back here in civilization, thank you very much. I’d say that Evan Dunham is my ticket to the aforementioned taco glory, but at -500 there’d be next to no return on that bet, so I’m opting for a moderately safe parlay of Shields-Koch-Yang-Belcher. And with that, I’ll be resting easy on my pillow-sized tortilla shell while you are busy catching bullfrogs or whatever it is you people do for fun down there when it isn’t Mardi Gras.
Ultimate Fighter 14 coaches Michael Bisping and Jason Miller took shots at each other for over 30 minutes at a media call held yesterday to pump up the show. Here’s how the conversation ended (skip to the 35:28 mark to hear it):
Miller: [Bisping’s] coaching staff are a lot of guys that I trained with back in the day and [I] moved on because they weren’t up to par for what I needed. So that just goes to show you Mike’s level of coaching staff.
Bisping: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’d just like to elaborate that Jason brought a chiropractor as one of his staff. He refers to himself as a doctor, but we all know a chiropractor isn’t a doctor, and certainly isn’t an MMA coach. But good for crackin’ your back.
Ultimate Fighter 14 coaches Michael Bisping and Jason Miller took shots at each other for over 30 minutes at a media call held yesterday to pump up the show. Here’s how the conversation ended (skip to the 35:28 mark to hear it):
Miller: [Bisping’s] coaching staff are a lot of guys that I trained with back in the day and [I] moved on because they weren’t up to par for what I needed. So that just goes to show you Mike’s level of coaching staff.
Bisping: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’d just like to elaborate that Jason brought a chiropractor as one of his staff. He refers to himself as a doctor, but we all know a chiropractor isn’t a doctor, and certainly isn’t an MMA coach. But good for crackin’ your back.
Miller: My chiropractor actually helped train a few world champions, maybe you’ve heard, Randy Couture and this guy Dan Henderson. So he’s not just a chiropractor. We’re talking about Ryan Parsons, of course.
Bisping: He’s a chiropractor. He’s a gay chiropractor. [unintelligible] He’s most likely been taking it up…
Miller: I don’t think he’s gay, Mike. I mean, at least he’s bi because he has two kids.
Like any dumbass teenager, Michael Bisping just loves to throw the gay-bomb — and related insults — at folks he doesn’t care for. He called Chael Sonnen gay for referring to his fight against Brian Stann in comic-book terms, explained that he didn’t want to look like a faggot when he got some Vaseline in his eye at UFC 114, then called Jorge Rivera a faggot at the UFC 127 weigh-ins for the trifecta. Now, Ryan Parsons is gay, according to homosexuality-expert Michael Bisping.
If this is a reflection of Bisping’s maturity level, he probably didn’t do as well in his on-set verbal exchanges with Miller as he thought he did, and it’s a safe bet that you’ll be rooting against him (again!) by the end of the season. Seriously, I’m beginning to think that this is one of those “the lady doth protest too much” situations…
The 14th season of The Ultimate Fighter kicks off next week, and Spike has released this eight-minute preview to give you a lil’ taste — and already, we can see it’s not business as usual. TUF 14‘s much-ballyhooed elimination fights took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, which is quite a step up from the cheaply-assembled TV set the guys usually fight in. For the first time in TUF history, viewers will be able to vote on the season’s best knockout, submission, and fight, with the recipients all scoring $25,000 checks at the TUF 14 finale. Also, the cast includes a pair of brothers, bantamweights Josh and BJ Ferguson. Tune in next Wednesday at 9 p.m. to see how it all shakes out…
The 14th season of The Ultimate Fighter kicks off next week, and Spike has released this eight-minute preview to give you a lil’ taste — and already, we can see it’s not business as usual. TUF 14‘s much-ballyhooed elimination fights took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, which is quite a step up from the cheaply-assembled TV set the guys usually fight in. For the first time in TUF history, viewers will be able to vote on the season’s best knockout, submission, and fight, with the recipients all scoring $25,000 checks at the TUF 14 finale. Also, the cast includes a pair of brothers, bantamweights Josh and BJ Ferguson. Tune in next Wednesday at 9 p.m. to see how it all shakes out…
DENVER — Michael Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller make for an unlikely movie date, but in some bizarre way the pairing works. The two showed up at the Paramount Theater on Wednesday night for a private screening of The Ultimate Fighter season 14 premiere looking less like rivals and more like…well, not friends exactly, but also not quite enemies.
