Armchair Matchmaker: TUF 14 Finale Edition


Tebowing: None of you are doing it right.

Another season of The Ultimate Fighter has come and gone, and we’re not certain what the future holds for it. The entire format of the show we knew and loved, then decided to ignore for a while, then were all like “Dude there’s no way Kimbo gets past Roy Nelson”, then went back to ignoring it when we were proven right, then decided “Well maybe Mayhem will be fun to watch” is about to change yet again. Raise your hand if you got lost during that last sentence.

If there’s one thing we understand at Cage Potato, it’s consistency. No matter how much the show changes, we’ll be around to give you our opinions on what to do with the finale’s biggest names. So let’s get to it, shall we?

Michael Bisping: Since losing to Wanderlei Silva back at UFC 110, Michael Bisping has gone 4-0 and established himself as a Top Ten Middleweight. Or at least that’s what I keep hearing, even though the guys he’s defeated in that time period have been on the lower to middle end of the middleweight division. In his post fight-interview with Ariel Helwani, Bisping hinted that his next fight has already been booked, and it’s against someone he hasn’t fought before. A fight against Alan Belcher makes sense, and should establish the winner as a legitimate contender in the middleweight division. Don’t act too surprised if the UFC uses Bisping as a litmus test for 7-0 (3-0 UFC) prospect Chris Weidman, either.


Tebowing: None of you are doing it right.

Another season of The Ultimate Fighter has come and gone, and we’re not certain what the future holds for it. The entire format of the show we knew and loved, then decided to ignore for a while, then were all like “Dude there’s no way Kimbo gets past Roy Nelson”, then went back to ignoring it when we were proven right, then decided “Well maybe Mayhem will be fun to watch” is about to change yet again. Raise your hand if you got lost during that last sentence.

If there’s one thing we understand at Cage Potato, it’s consistency. No matter how much the show changes, we’ll be around to give you our opinions on what to do with the finale’s biggest names. So let’s get to it, shall we?

Michael Bisping: Since losing to Wanderlei Silva back at UFC 110, Michael Bisping has gone 4-0 and established himself as a Top Ten Middleweight. Or at least that’s what I keep hearing, even though the guys he’s defeated in that time period have been on the lower to middle end of the middleweight division. In his post fight-interview with Ariel Helwani, Bisping hinted that his next fight has already been booked, and it’s against someone he hasn’t fought before. A fight against Alan Belcher makes sense, and should establish the winner as a legitimate contender in the middleweight division. Don’t act too surprised if the UFC uses Bisping as a litmus test for 7-0 (3-0 UFC) prospect Chris Weidman, either.     

Jason “Mayhem” Miller: Um, wow. That happened. Admittedly, we’ve seen much worse, but Miller’s wild striking and poor cardio won’t exactly silence his critics. Nor will they guarantee him a second fight in the UFC, as Dana White seems hesitant to give Mayhem another shot after last night’s performance. But for now, let’s assume that Miller will be given another chance. If that’s the case, Miller deserves a gatekeeper like Alessio Sakara in order to properly gage whether or not he belongs in the organization. Because we’re dealing with a marketable Strikeforce middleweight who fell flat in his UFC debut, my inner sadist won’t stop bringing up Cung Le as well. Regardless of the opponent, it’ll be crystal clear that it’s “go big or go back to Strikeforce” for Jason Miller.  

Diego Brandao: The TUF 14 Featherweight champion showed off a surprising ground game with his armbar victory over Dennis Bermudez. Or maybe it wasn’t surprising at all whatsoever, considering that the guy is a BJJ blackbelt. Regardless, we weren’t expecting him to win via submission. Because four of Brandao’s seven career losses have come via TKO, don’t expect the UFC to book him against a dangerous striker in his post-TUF debut. Rani Yahya, with zero victories by knockout, makes perfect sense.  

John Dodson: The TUF 14 bantamweight champion is in a pretty interesting situation. A natural flyweight, Dodson could- and probably will- stay on the sidelines until the UFC unveils its flyweight division in 2012. But let’s assume that he sticks around at bantamweight until given a specific date for when the UFC will start booking fights at flyweight. An experienced veteran like Jeff Curran or Cole Escovedo would be an interesting, winnable fight for Dodson. Especially Cole Escovedo, if we’re leaning towards “winnable”- as the UFC tends to with its TUF champions in their post-TUF debuts.

Tony Ferguson: Ferguson looked good in his victory against “Thug-jitsu” black belt Yves Edwards last night. Unfortunately for Ferguson, it’s going to take more than a good performance against a gatekeeper like Edwards to earn a contender at lightweight. Ferguson did well stuffing takedown attempts from Edwards, but matching him up against a wrestler like Shane Roller would be a good test for him. Likewise, the winner of the upcoming tilt between Jacob Volkmann and TJ Grant makes sense.

That’s all we have for now. You can decide the fates of the other winners and/or the losers not named “Jason Miller” from last night on your own. Choose wisely.

The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale — Live Results & Commentary


(You maaaad, you maaaaad, you maaaaad!” Photo via MMAMania)

Tonight, TUF as we know it comes to an end. Before us lies a shadowy, uncertain world of live fights aired on F/X on Friday nights and international spin-offs. But no matter what comes next, you can feel secure in the fact that we’ll still be complaining about the show just as much as we always have, because we know no other way to live.

Welcome, friends, to our liveblog of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller Finale. On the menu this evening — Diego Brandao and Dennis Bermudez battle to decide the first featherweight TUF winner in UFC history, while John Dodson and TJ Dillashaw do the same for the bantamweights. Plus, heavy-handed TUF 13 winner Tony Ferguson steps up against seasoned vet Yves Edwards, and in the main event, Michael Bisping looks to remove the smirk off the face of his latest rival, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, who will be making his first Octagon appearance in over six years.

Round-by-round results from the TUF 14 Finale main card on Spike TV will be piling up after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.


(You maaaad, you maaaaad, you maaaaad!” Photo via MMAMania)

Tonight, TUF as we know it comes to an end. Before us lies a shadowy, uncertain world of live fights aired on F/X on Friday nights and international spin-offs. But no matter what comes next, you can feel secure in the fact that we’ll still be complaining about the show just as much as we always have, because we know no other way to live.

Welcome, friends, to our liveblog of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller Finale. On the menu this evening — Diego Brandao and Dennis Bermudez battle to decide the first featherweight TUF winner in UFC history, while John Dodson and TJ Dillashaw do the same for the bantamweights. Plus, heavy-handed TUF 13 winner Tony Ferguson steps up against seasoned vet Yves Edwards, and in the main event, Michael Bisping looks to remove the smirk off the face of his latest rival, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, who will be making his first Octagon appearance in over six years.

Round-by-round results from the TUF 14 Finale main card on Spike TV will be piling up after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.

Preliminary card results:

– Marcus Brimage def. Stephen Bass via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28)

– John Albert def. Dustin Pague via TKO, 1:09 of round 1

– Roland Delorme def. Josh Ferguson via submission (rear-naked choke), 0:22 of round 3

– Steven Siler def. Josh Clopton via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)

– Bryan Caraway def. Dustin Neace via submission (rear-naked choke), 3:38 of round 2

We open the Spike broadcast with the traditional pan through the Las Vegas crowd. A fat guy with a thick red beard screaming his lungs out will surely be the subject of an animated GIF tomorrow. We’re reminded that later on the show they’ll be announcing the Fight of the Season, Knockout of the Season, and Submission of the Season awards from TUF 14, each one worth $25,000 to a hungry castmember.

Louis Gaudinot vs. Johnny Bedford

Bedford got a haircut, and Gaudinot’s green mop is even more insane tonight. He’s like a bantamweight Clay Guida/Kermit the Frog hybrid. Bedford is seven inches taller and has an eight-inch reach advantage. Gaudinot is basically just killing time until the UFC opens up a flyweight division.

Round 1: Gaudinot misses a leg kick and gets tagged with one in return. Bedford with a long right straight and a takedown. Elbow from the top from Bedford. Gaudinot rolls to stand and Bedford grabs a headlock. Gaudinot stands and Bedford lands a knee, then a punch in the clinch. Another knee from Bedford and they separate. Bedford with another takedown and he moves quickly to mount. Punches from the top, and Gaudinot can’t do much except cover up. He bucks, but it doesn’t work. Bedford tying up Gaudinot’s arms. Gaudinot rolls to his knees and Bedford takes his back. Gaudinot trying to get to his feet, but Bedford stretches him back out on the mat. Gaudinot returns to his back, establishes half-guard. Bedford gets some space and throws down a punch. Gaudinot scrambles to a knee and eats a pair of punches. Gaudinot gets up, Bedford knees him in the gut and strolls off at the bell. 10-8 Bedford; Gaudinot did zero offensively in that round.

Round 2: Leg kick Gaudinot. Gaudinot gets in with a punch and kick, and exits. Bedford returns fire. He misses a spinning backfist but scores with a takedown. Gaudinot gets up, but Bedford is landing on him. Bedford goes for the ankle pick and gets it after some struggle. Bedford on top of Gaudinot in half guard. Bedford with punches to the body. A solid elbow. Bedford briefly gets mount again, but Gaudinot escapes. Bedford throws down a barrage of punches, and again, Gaudinot can’t do much except minimize damage. Gaudinot twists his body around and Bedford goes to north/south. Mount again. Bedford smashes Gaudinot with elbows. Bedford grabs an arm and tries for a straight armbar, but Gaudinot defends it on sheer muscle. There’s the bell. Either 10-9 or 10-8 for Bedford. I guess it doesn’t matter at this point; Gaudinot is going to need a miracle stoppage in round three.

Round 3: Bedford clinches up, throws a pair of knees. Gaudinot tries a leg kick. Another clinch/knee series from Bedford. Gaudinot fakes low and lands a backfist. Bedford makes him pay, swarming with strikes and dropping Gaudinot with a body shot and knee. He follows it up with a soccer-kick to the ribs, and slugs him with punches and knees from the top. Referee Steve Mazzagatti has finally seen enough.

Johnny Bedford def. Louis Gaudinot via TKO, 1:58 of round 3. “That’s fun to watch right there,” Bedford says, admiring the replay of his body shots. A good debut for Bedford, though beating up Louis Gaudinot doesn’t guarantee that he’ll be a force at 135 in the UFC.

Hey, an ad for Gina Carano’s Haywire! OPENING DAY, SON.

Tony Ferguson vs. Yves Edwards

Round 1: Leg kick Ferg. Another. Edwards throws back a jab, and Ferguson lands three leg kicks in quick succession. Edwards scores with a stright left to the grilland one to the body. Ferguson tries a teep to the body. Ferguson with a leg kick that’s checked, then throws two jabs. Edwards lands a punch then a head kick. Edwards lands a left in a firefight. Punch/leg kick from Edwards that spins Ferguson around. Leg kick again from Ferguson. Another. Edwards lands a punch but gets countered hard. Ferguson pushing forward with punches. Ferguson lands uppercut, then blitzes forward with punches. Edwards is hurt and covering up as Ferguson bombs out on him. Edwards returns a head kick then shoots in. Ferguson defends with an omoplata and gets to his feet. Awesome finish to the round. You gotta give it to Ferguson 10-9 for putting Edwards in trouble.

Round 2: Ferguson with a lead uppercut. He goes inside with the leg kick. Edwards lands a great right hand counter, then a head kick and a leg kick that stumbles Ferguson. Edwards fires a flying knee and one more in a clinch. Leg kick Ferguson. Ferguson switches to southpaw, jabs, and goes back to orthodox. Ferguson fires a hard right hook, then an uppercut that makes solid contact. Ferg misses a jab and Edwards lands in return. Ferguson lands the better punches in a boxing exchange. Edwards tries the head kick again. Edwards shoots, gets stuffed. Ferguson shoots and gets his takedown but the round ends before he can do anything with it.

Round 3: Ferguson touches Edwards with his jab. Edwards lands a great leg kick at the end of a punch combo, but slips and has to retreat. Body kick Ferguson. Ferguson kicks high. Edwards lands another leg kick that puts Ferguson off balance. Ferguson lands a left. They trade low kicks. Edwards with a straight left. Ferguson with a superman jab. Edwards responds with a leg kick. Edwards with another head kick that rolls off Ferguson’s shoulder. Leg kick Edwards. Side push kick from Ferguson. Head kick from Edwards. Edwards shoots, gets stuffed. Ferguson trying to land some punches, but missing. That’s the end. Tough one to call.

Tony Ferguson def. Yves Edwards via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28). Damn, Ferguson is sponsored by Jimmy John’s? I want to be sponsored by Jimmy John’s.

On the next page: The TUF 14 winners are decided.

Tony Ferguson Talks About Why He Was So Nervous Prior to TUF 14 Finale

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LAS VEGAS — Watch below as Tony Ferguson talks about why he deserved to beat Yves Edwards at TUF 14 Finale, why he was so nervous going into the fight, what he learned from the win, his weight cut, and more.

 

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LAS VEGAS — Watch below as Tony Ferguson talks about why he deserved to beat Yves Edwards at TUF 14 Finale, why he was so nervous going into the fight, what he learned from the win, his weight cut, and more.

 

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Tony Ferguson Stays Unbeaten in the UFC, Decisions Yves Edwards

Filed under: UFCFormer Ultimate Fighter winner Tony Ferguson got the most significant victory of his MMA career on Saturday night, taking a unanimous decision from Yves Edwards at the Ultimate Fighter Finale.

The victory, which improves Ferguson to 3-…

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Tony Ferguson punches Yves Edwards at TUF 14 Finale.Former Ultimate Fighter winner Tony Ferguson got the most significant victory of his MMA career on Saturday night, taking a unanimous decision from Yves Edwards at the Ultimate Fighter Finale.

The victory, which improves Ferguson to 3-0 in the UFC (not counting his wins on the Ultimate Fighter reality show) and 13-2 overall, came after 15 very entertaining minutes of action.

“I didn’t think it was going to go all three but I’m glad it did,” Ferguson said afterward. “I learned a lot from this fight and I had a hell of a time.”



The first round was sensational, with Ferguson doing most of the damage with his trademark hard punches and getting Edwards on wobbly legs late in the round. But Edwards also landed a couple of good head kicks, and they had a great exchange on the ground, with Ferguson attempting to roll into an omoplata, in the final minute of the round as well.

Both men appeared to be a bit worn down after that fast and furious first five minutes, but the second round had plenty of action as well, with Edwards hitting Ferguson with some clean shots, but Ferguson showing off a good chin and charging forward and hitting Edwards with plenty of his own.

By the third round neither fighter had as much pop on his strikes as they had early on, but it remained an entertaining kickboxing battle for five more minutes. At the final horn either man could have been declared the winner, but the judges scored it 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 for Ferguson.

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TUF 14 Finale Live Blog: Yves Edwards vs. Tony Ferguson Updates

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Yves Edwards throws a head kick at TUF 14 Finale.LAS VEGAS — This is the TUF 14 live blog for Yves Edwards vs. Tony Ferguson, a lightweight bout on tonight’s UFC on Spike TV event at the Pearl at the Palms.

Edwards (41-17-1) won in October with a head kick followed by punches against Rafaello Oliveira. Ferguson (12-2) won the season 13 title in June and went on to beat Aaron Riley at UFC 135.

The live blog is below.




Round 1: Ferguson pumps out the jab as each man tries to gauge the distance. Edwards bounces around on the outside, but makes absolutely no effort to check Ferguson’s leg kicks. Ferguson sees this, and tosses out a couple more in rapid succession. Nice head kick by Edwards fools Ferguson and lands flush, but he takes it well. Edwards digs to the body and then chops at the leg. Ferguson goes to work with a nasty uppercut that just misses its mark. More stinging leg kicks by Ferguson. There’s that uppercut again, and this time it may have clipped Edwards. Ferguson flips out a straight right and Edwards is on wobbly legs. Ferguson goes on the attack and Edwards is barely staying upright. He recovers another to smack Ferguson with another head kick that stops the assault. Edwards goes for a takedown and Ferguson rolls into a nifty oma plata before the round ends. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Ferguson.

Round 2: Round 2: Edwards punches his way in and takes a right hand behind the ear. Moments later Edwards catches Ferguson coming in and cracks him with a brutal right, followed by a head kick. Somehow Ferguson maintains his poker face, but Edwards looks positively menacing as he presses the attack. Ferguson weathers it well and blows a mix of blood and snot out his nose once the onslaught subsides. That might not have been a great idea if his nose is broken, which it may well be. Ferguson lands that right uppercut again and Edwards may have gone cross-eyed for just a moment. A looping left hand from Edwards smacks of Ferguson’s jaw. Seconds later, there’s that head kick again. Ferguson’s corner screams for him to get his hands up. He’s getting caught with that entirely too much. Edwards tries for a takedown in the final 30 seconds, but Ferguson defends and then gets one of his own before the horn. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Edwards.

Round 3: Round 3: Brutal, close fight so far, and neither man looks too tired as they start the final round. Ferguson does a nice job of staying in the pocket and landing some sharp counterpunches, but Edwards comes back with that head kick yet again. They trade kicks, and Edwards seems a tad reluctant to trade in close. “Get ready to drop that hammer,” says Ferguson’s corner. Another Edwards head kick sends sweat flying off Ferguson’s head. He tries to respond, but it’s blocked. Edwards is touching Ferguson to the body, but getting out of there in a hurry. Stiff right pops Edwards’ head back. Both men feeling a sense of urgency in the final minute, and Edwards gets the blood flowing from Ferguson’s nose again with a looping right. Good left hand from Edwards before the horn, and they two men exchange smiles, confident in the performance they put on. As for how this decision will go, neither can feel terribly confident right now. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Edwards, but the consensus opinion on press row is that the last round is almost a toss-up.

Tony Ferguson def. Yves Edwards via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Edwards looks stunned, and there’s a lot of eye-rolling on press row at the two 30-27s.

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Yves Edwards throws a head kick at TUF 14 Finale.LAS VEGAS — This is the TUF 14 live blog for Yves Edwards vs. Tony Ferguson, a lightweight bout on tonight’s UFC on Spike TV event at the Pearl at the Palms.

Edwards (41-17-1) won in October with a head kick followed by punches against Rafaello Oliveira. Ferguson (12-2) won the season 13 title in June and went on to beat Aaron Riley at UFC 135.

The live blog is below.




Round 1: Ferguson pumps out the jab as each man tries to gauge the distance. Edwards bounces around on the outside, but makes absolutely no effort to check Ferguson’s leg kicks. Ferguson sees this, and tosses out a couple more in rapid succession. Nice head kick by Edwards fools Ferguson and lands flush, but he takes it well. Edwards digs to the body and then chops at the leg. Ferguson goes to work with a nasty uppercut that just misses its mark. More stinging leg kicks by Ferguson. There’s that uppercut again, and this time it may have clipped Edwards. Ferguson flips out a straight right and Edwards is on wobbly legs. Ferguson goes on the attack and Edwards is barely staying upright. He recovers another to smack Ferguson with another head kick that stops the assault. Edwards goes for a takedown and Ferguson rolls into a nifty oma plata before the round ends. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Ferguson.

Round 2: Round 2: Edwards punches his way in and takes a right hand behind the ear. Moments later Edwards catches Ferguson coming in and cracks him with a brutal right, followed by a head kick. Somehow Ferguson maintains his poker face, but Edwards looks positively menacing as he presses the attack. Ferguson weathers it well and blows a mix of blood and snot out his nose once the onslaught subsides. That might not have been a great idea if his nose is broken, which it may well be. Ferguson lands that right uppercut again and Edwards may have gone cross-eyed for just a moment. A looping left hand from Edwards smacks of Ferguson’s jaw. Seconds later, there’s that head kick again. Ferguson’s corner screams for him to get his hands up. He’s getting caught with that entirely too much. Edwards tries for a takedown in the final 30 seconds, but Ferguson defends and then gets one of his own before the horn. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Edwards.

Round 3: Round 3: Brutal, close fight so far, and neither man looks too tired as they start the final round. Ferguson does a nice job of staying in the pocket and landing some sharp counterpunches, but Edwards comes back with that head kick yet again. They trade kicks, and Edwards seems a tad reluctant to trade in close. “Get ready to drop that hammer,” says Ferguson’s corner. Another Edwards head kick sends sweat flying off Ferguson’s head. He tries to respond, but it’s blocked. Edwards is touching Ferguson to the body, but getting out of there in a hurry. Stiff right pops Edwards’ head back. Both men feeling a sense of urgency in the final minute, and Edwards gets the blood flowing from Ferguson’s nose again with a looping right. Good left hand from Edwards before the horn, and they two men exchange smiles, confident in the performance they put on. As for how this decision will go, neither can feel terribly confident right now. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Edwards, but the consensus opinion on press row is that the last round is almost a toss-up.

Tony Ferguson def. Yves Edwards via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Edwards looks stunned, and there’s a lot of eye-rolling on press row at the two 30-27s.

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Gambling Addiction Enabler: TUF 14 Finale Edition

The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale is just two days away, and though the bookies haven’t given us much to work with, we decided to throw y’all some last minute betting advice come fight night in case you plan on bluffing the piss out of Johnny Chan in the Palms Casino afterward. Check out the betting lines, courtesy of BestFightOdds, along with the almighty wisdom of the Great Potato, below.

Main Card (Spike TV)
Michael Bisping (-185) vs. Jason Miller (+160)
T.J. Dillashaw (-205) vs. John Dodson (+165)
Diego Brandao (-320) vs. Dennis Bermudez (+250)
Tony Ferguson (-255) vs. Yves Edwards (+205)

The Main Event: Let’s get right to it. Bisping has a lot of advantages going into this fight: he’s never been submitted, which is Miller’s bread and butter, he’s fought more in the past year, and he has considerably less pressure on him than Mayhem, who is out to prove to casual and hardcore fans alike that he is more than just a goofball TV personality. And we all know that Bisping will do anything, and I mean anything, to destroy those who slander him publicly, so Miller will most definitely be facing at a steep hill to climb for his first appearance in the octagon since 2005. But there are a couple crucial outside factors here. As Miller has stated, he is one hard headed son of a bitch, and despite what Bisping’s record says, have we ever seen him truly overwhelm an opponent as tough as Mayhem on the feet? You could argue Denis Kang, but I would respond to that argument with a pat on your head and a condescending chuckle.

The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale is just two days away, and though the bookies haven’t given us much to work with, we decided to throw y’all some last minute betting advice come fight night in case you plan on bluffing the piss out of Johnny Chan in the Palms Casino afterward. Check out the betting lines, courtesy of BestFightOdds, along with the almighty wisdom of the Great Potato, below.

Main Card (Spike TV)
Michael Bisping (-185) vs. Jason Miller (+160)
T.J. Dillashaw (-205) vs. John Dodson (+165)
Diego Brandao (-320) vs. Dennis Bermudez (+250)
Tony Ferguson (-255) vs. Yves Edwards (+205)

The Main Event: Let’s get right to it. Bisping has a lot of advantages going into this fight: he’s never been submitted, which is Miller’s bread and butter, he’s fought more in the past year, and he has considerably less pressure on him than Mayhem, who is out to prove to casual and hardcore fans alike that he is more than just a goofball TV personality. And we all know that Bisping will do anything, and I mean anything, to destroy those who slander him publicly, so Miller will most definitely be facing at a steep hill to climb for his first appearance in the octagon since 2005. But there are a couple crucial outside factors here. As Miller has stated, he is one hard headed son of a bitch, and despite what Bisping’s record says, have we ever seen him truly overwhelm an opponent as tough as Mayhem on the feet? You could argue Denis Kang, but I would respond to that argument with a pat on your head and a condescending chuckle.

Now let’s talk about grappling, shall we? Miller showed that he could roll with the best in his five rounder against Jake Shields, at one point even managing to catch the Cesar Gracie black belt in a rear naked choke late in the second round. Granted he would go on to lose that fight, but it’s not crazy to think that if Miller can take this fight to the ground, then he could hold a distinct advantage. But Miller has said that he plans to keep it standing, so it really comes down to whether you think Bisping can finish Miller on the feet (or at least jab and jog a decision over him) and whether or not Mayhem will allow that to happen.

The TUF Finals: Since we’ve recently been made aware of the fact that Dodson has the ability to KO you back to your hometown, he’s looking pretty good as a modest underdog. He’s easily the quicker of the two, and probably more athletic. But if Dillashaw can do anything, it’s take you to the mat and unleash a clinic of ground-and-pound. And though Dodson has been able to spring to his feet quickly after being taken down in his time on the show, he has still shown the ability to be taken down, and to far inferior grapplers than Dillashaw, nonetheless. The wrestling game is going to determine the winner of this one, and I think Dillashaw will come out on top.

I’m not totally counting out Dennis Bermudez, but I’m pretty damn close to. Diego Brandao is a killer, ladies and gentlemen, and if Akira Corissani was able to tag Bermudez as much as he did, then someone with Brandao’s power will surely put him away. Plus, can any of you remember the last TUF contestant to run through all three of his opponents on the show via first round TKO? I’ll give you a hint; he’s also fighting Saturday, and he won last season’s The Ultimate Fighter. Brandao has got this one.

The Other Fight: Yves Edwards is a tough, well rounded veteran who has the tools to put just about anyone in trouble, and given Ferguson’s lack of octagon experience, we’ve yet to see both his chin and ground game tested. But Ferguson is a precise striker that has an ability to punish your jaw worse than a Now & Later, and since Sam Stout already showed him the road to Edwards’ off button, expect Ferguson to sprinkle that road with the teeth of the “Thugjitsu Master” en route to a second or third round TKO.

Official CagePotato Parlay: We’re going balls out for this one and parlaying the entire main card. Since the fate of mankind lies in his hands (and we’ve always loved a good underdog) it’s going something like this:

Miller + Dillashaw + Brandao + Ferguson

50 bucks gets you just under a 300 dollar payout.

-The Great Potato