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.
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.
(Aw man, he’s a Mormon? We just assumed he was a *normal* insane Christian, like Diego Sanchez. / Props: MMAJunkie)
From what we hear, Brazilian real estate is a buyer’s market right now. That’s good news for Diego Brandao, who earned enough bonus money last night to get his beloved mother a decent ranch house near all the good favelas. The UFC handed out $40,000 performance bonuses to the following TUF 14 Finale competitors:
Fight of the Night: Diego Brandao and Dennis Bermudez for their dramatic one-rounder, in which odds-on favorite Brandao started strong, then nearly got TKO’d, then pulled an armbar directly out of his ass with nine seconds left in the round.
Knockout of the Night: John Dodson, for generating an incredible amount of torque from that tiny body and smashing TJ Dillashaw in under two minutes.
Submission of the Night: Diego Brandao again, for armbarring victory out of the jaws of defeat.
And as we mentioned in yesterday’s liveblog, $25,000 “Best of the Season” bonuses were also awarded to these TUF 14 Finale competitors…
(Aw man, he’s a Mormon? We just assumed he was a *normal* insane Christian, like Diego Sanchez. / Props: MMAJunkie)
From what we hear, Brazilian real estate is a buyer’s market right now. That’s good news for Diego Brandao, who earned enough bonus money last night to get his beloved mother a decent ranch house near all the good favelas. The UFC handed out $40,000 performance bonuses to the following TUF 14 Finale competitors:
Fight of the Night: Diego Brandao and Dennis Bermudez for their dramatic one-rounder, in which odds-on favorite Brandao started strong, then nearly got TKO’d, then pulled an armbar directly out of his ass with nine seconds left in the round.
Knockout of the Night: John Dodson, for generating an incredible amount of torque from that tiny body and smashing TJ Dillashaw in under two minutes.
Submission of the Night: Diego Brandao again, for armbarring victory out of the jaws of defeat.
And as we mentioned in yesterday’s liveblog, $25,000 “Best of the Season” bonuses were also awarded to these TUF 14 Finale competitors…
…meaning that Dodson’s total bonus-take from last night was actually $65,000, which will buy the talented dynamo a whole lot of energy drinks and action figures.
LAS VEGAS — For all of one round, Saturday night’s TUF 14 Finale main event was a competitive fight. Unfortunately for Jason “Mayhem” Miller, it was scheduled for five.
The MTV star and Ultimate Fighter coach managed to use his grappling skills to stymie Michael Bisping for most of the first frame, but late in the opening round he began to fade, and his decline only got worse as the fight wore on.
Bisping, meanwhile, got sharper and crisper with his striking as Miller got slower and sloppier, and the result was a mostly one-sided beatdown for the next two rounds that came to a merciful halt at 3:34 of round three.
After the event, Bisping brushed off suggestions that he’d only managed to stop Miller because of fatigue, saying “Any time I stop someone it’s because they gas. I guarantee Jason didn’t gas. I guarantee Jason could have gone five rounds.”
As Bisping saw it, his win wasn’t a result of Miller’s fatigue so much as Miller’s fatigue was a result of the punishment Bisping doled out over the course of the three rounds.
“This was a big opportunity for Jason. I guarantee he had the cardio to go five [rounds],” Bisping said. “Guess what? You might have cardio, but when someone’s landing big body shots like I was, kneeing you in the stomach and punching you repeatedly in the face, your cardio gets affected. The best runners in the world, you kick the [expletive] out of them, they won’t run quite as well.”
Whatever the cause, Miller was running on fumes by the end of the second round. Bisping kept the strikes coming, bloodying Miller’s face and following him around the cage, while all Miller could do in response was wing looping punches and dive for takedowns that got easier and easier for Bisping to avoid. Near the end of the second frame, Miller even put his hands at his sides and taunted Bisping as the Brit teed off on his face.
“I had Charles McCarthy do that back at UFC 83. He did the same thing. That’s normally the sign of a man who hasn’t got anything else to do. They’re trying to get a bit of bravado because they can’t fight back, so they’ll just try and look tough while they’re getting their asses kicked.”
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The end came for Miller after a failed takedown attempt in round three left him turtled up and helpless to respond as Bisping hammered his head and body. When it became clear that Miller was incapable of fighting back, referee Steve Mazzagatti stepped in to stop it.
“This was a satisfying victory,” Bisping said afterward. “Jason jumped on the bandwagon of that a) nobody likes me, and b) I’m not a very good fighter, and I don’t deserve…all the rewards I’ve received for being a professional fighter all this time. He was quick to discredit me, that I was given hand-picked opponents and things like that. That doesn’t sit well with me, and I find it very offensive. It was nice to go out there and teach him a lesson.”
It was particularly satisfying to end the fight via TKO since Miller had criticized him for a lack of power, Bisping said, saying he had “pillow hands.”
“For someone who has no punching power, I do believe the statistic is that seven out of eight of my last opponents have all gone to the hospital. While I’m sitting here doing this, he’s probably in the back of an ambulance.”
Miller was, in fact, taken to a hospital to get checked out, according to UFC officials. Bisping, however, showed little damage aside from a lump above his left eye that he said was the result of an accidental headbutt.
And while the UFC’s announcement of a number one contender bout between Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz in January likely means that Bisping won’t rocket up to the top of the division as a result of this one win, that’s fine with him, he said — as long as he gets a fight that help to keep moving in that direction.
“I class myself as one of the best in the world. I think I consistently prove that. I want to fight for the belt. I’ve been around the UFC a long time, and that’s what I want to do. That’s what all fighters want to do. Looks like Chael and Mark Munoz, they’re going to fight for number one contender. Fair enough. In the meantime, I want to fight whoever it is that gets me closer to that belt.”
LAS VEGAS — For all of one round, Saturday night’s TUF 14 Finale main event was a competitive fight. Unfortunately for Jason “Mayhem” Miller, it was scheduled for five.
The MTV star and Ultimate Fighter coach managed to use his grappling skills to stymie Michael Bisping for most of the first frame, but late in the opening round he began to fade, and his decline only got worse as the fight wore on.
Bisping, meanwhile, got sharper and crisper with his striking as Miller got slower and sloppier, and the result was a mostly one-sided beatdown for the next two rounds that came to a merciful halt at 3:34 of round three.
After the event, Bisping brushed off suggestions that he’d only managed to stop Miller because of fatigue, saying “Any time I stop someone it’s because they gas. I guarantee Jason didn’t gas. I guarantee Jason could have gone five rounds.”
As Bisping saw it, his win wasn’t a result of Miller’s fatigue so much as Miller’s fatigue was a result of the punishment Bisping doled out over the course of the three rounds.
“This was a big opportunity for Jason. I guarantee he had the cardio to go five [rounds],” Bisping said. “Guess what? You might have cardio, but when someone’s landing big body shots like I was, kneeing you in the stomach and punching you repeatedly in the face, your cardio gets affected. The best runners in the world, you kick the [expletive] out of them, they won’t run quite as well.”
Whatever the cause, Miller was running on fumes by the end of the second round. Bisping kept the strikes coming, bloodying Miller’s face and following him around the cage, while all Miller could do in response was wing looping punches and dive for takedowns that got easier and easier for Bisping to avoid. Near the end of the second frame, Miller even put his hands at his sides and taunted Bisping as the Brit teed off on his face.
“I had Charles McCarthy do that back at UFC 83. He did the same thing. That’s normally the sign of a man who hasn’t got anything else to do. They’re trying to get a bit of bravado because they can’t fight back, so they’ll just try and look tough while they’re getting their asses kicked.”
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The end came for Miller after a failed takedown attempt in round three left him turtled up and helpless to respond as Bisping hammered his head and body. When it became clear that Miller was incapable of fighting back, referee Steve Mazzagatti stepped in to stop it.
“This was a satisfying victory,” Bisping said afterward. “Jason jumped on the bandwagon of that a) nobody likes me, and b) I’m not a very good fighter, and I don’t deserve…all the rewards I’ve received for being a professional fighter all this time. He was quick to discredit me, that I was given hand-picked opponents and things like that. That doesn’t sit well with me, and I find it very offensive. It was nice to go out there and teach him a lesson.”
It was particularly satisfying to end the fight via TKO since Miller had criticized him for a lack of power, Bisping said, saying he had “pillow hands.”
“For someone who has no punching power, I do believe the statistic is that seven out of eight of my last opponents have all gone to the hospital. While I’m sitting here doing this, he’s probably in the back of an ambulance.”
Miller was, in fact, taken to a hospital to get checked out, according to UFC officials. Bisping, however, showed little damage aside from a lump above his left eye that he said was the result of an accidental headbutt.
And while the UFC’s announcement of a number one contender bout between Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz in January likely means that Bisping won’t rocket up to the top of the division as a result of this one win, that’s fine with him, he said — as long as he gets a fight that help to keep moving in that direction.
“I class myself as one of the best in the world. I think I consistently prove that. I want to fight for the belt. I’ve been around the UFC a long time, and that’s what I want to do. That’s what all fighters want to do. Looks like Chael and Mark Munoz, they’re going to fight for number one contender. Fair enough. In the meantime, I want to fight whoever it is that gets me closer to that belt.”
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.
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.
(Props: Heavy via Cagewriter. / Bisping addresses his supporters at the 5:50 mark. )
At yesterday’s weigh-ins for the Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale, Michael Bisping did nothing to support his claims that there’s a somewhat decent person hiding underneath that bristly persona. The UFC middleweight contender missed weight by a quarter-pound — which he shed later — inviting boos from the crowd at the Palms in Las Vegas. After his opponent Jason Miller goaded the crowd further, telling them to “boo this man,” Bisping took the mic:
“I could give a fuck about getting fucking love. All I care about is smashing this dickhead’s head in. Tomorrow night, that’s gonna happen. Fuck you all.”
Our liveblog of the Spike TV main card kicks off at 8 p.m. ET. Check out the full weigh-in results from the TUF 14 Finale after the jump…
(Props: Heavy via Cagewriter. / Bisping addresses his supporters at the 5:50 mark. )
At yesterday’s weigh-ins for the Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale, Michael Bisping did nothing to support his claims that there’s a somewhat decent person hiding underneath that bristly persona. The UFC middleweight contender missed weight by a quarter-pound — which he shed later — inviting boos from the crowd at the Palms in Las Vegas. After his opponent Jason Miller goaded the crowd further, telling them to “boo this man,” Bisping took the mic:
“I could give a fuck about getting fucking love. All I care about is smashing this dickhead’s head in. Tomorrow night, that’s gonna happen. Fuck you all.”
Our liveblog of the Spike TV main card kicks off at 8 p.m. ET. Check out the full weigh-in results from the TUF 14 Finale after the jump…
MAIN CARD (Spike TV)
Michael Bisping (186) vs. Jason “Mayhem” Miller (185.5)
Dennis Bermudez (146) vs. Diego Brandao (145)
John Dodson (134) vs. T.J. Dillashaw (135.5)
Yves Edwards (155) vs. Tony Ferguson (155.5)
Johnny Bedford (136) vs. Louis Gaudinot (136)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)
Marcus Brimage (143) vs. Stephan Bass (145)
John Albert (136) vs. Dustin Pague (136)
Roland Delorme (136) vs. Josh Ferguson (134)
Josh Clopton (144) vs. Steven Siler (146)
Bryan Caraway (145) vs. Dustin Neace (145.5)
LAS VEGAS — This is the TUF 14 live blog for Michael Bisping vs. Jason “Mayhem” Miller, a middleweight bout on tonight’s UFC on Spike TV event at the Pearl at the Palms.
After coaching opposing teams this season on The Ultimate Fighter, Bisping (21-3) and Miller (24-7) will battle in the cage for the final word. On a three-fight win streak, Bisping (21-3) is looking to stay in the running as a title contender in the UFC’s 185-pound division. Miller is returning to the UFC after fighting in numerous promotions the last six years.
Round 1: Miller looks to pressure Bisping early, coming straight in and eating a jab before getting tied up in the clinch against the fence. The crowd breaks into a ‘USA!’ chant, and we’re not more than 30 seconds in. They separate and Bisping tags Miller. He’s showing damage over his right eye already, but I can’t tell if it’s a cut. Miller lands a looping overhand right, then gets a takedown moments later. Bisping is trying to wall-walk up the fence, but Miller has his legs trapped. Miller tries to work some short punches, but can’t do much without letting Bisping get space. Bisping gets to his feet and Miller jumps in with a right. Good counter right by Bisping. Miller responds with a left. Ten seconds left. Miller forces Bisping back and drops for a takedown, but that’s the round. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Miller.
Round 2: Miller goes back to work with those looping punches, but Bisping is tagging him with straight shots. Blood from the nose of Miller now. Miller shoots for a double-leg and then transitions to a single, but Bisping shuts him down. They both step in with punches and Bisping pulls away, touching his eye. Not sure if he thinks he was poked or what, but Miller didn’t seem like he was buying it. After the restart, Bisping’s striking is looking much crisper than Miller’s, and Miller is starting to slow down. Miller misses a takedown and rolls to his back. Bisping pressures him as he tries to stand, then wings a head kick while Miller is on a knee. That would have been totally illegal if it landed, but it went over Miller’s head. Miller looking very tired now, and Bisping is taking advantage, peppering him with everything he can think of. Miller puts his hands down and taunts Bisping, even as Bisping tees off on his face. Miller tries for a takedown and ends up on his back, getting hammered with elbows and just barely surviving the round. MMA Fighting scores it 10-8 for Bisping.
Round 3: Miller comes out looking for the takedown and Bisping stuffs him again, then adds a kick to the body while he’s down. Miller is running on heart and fumes now, and Bisping is stalking him. Miller is circling away with his back on the fence while Bisping pursues with pinpoint strikes. Bisping stops and complains of another eye poke, but we’re not paused for long. Miller tries for another takedown and ends up turtled up while Bisping slams him with punches and digs knees to his body. Miller rolls to his back and eats more punches. Bisping is pouring it on him and Miller is too tired to do much about it. Referee Steve Mazzagatti has seen enough brutality for one night, and he steps in to stop it. Miller rises and curses to himself. He’s clearly still in possession of his wits, but just totally worn out. Bisping takes a bow in the center of the Octagon, to a mix of cheers and jeers. Hey, at least there were some cheers. Baby steps.
Michael Bisping def. Jason “Mayhem” Miller via TKO (strikes) at 3:34 of round three
After the official announcement, Bisping extends his hand to Miller, who takes it. Beef squashed? Maybe. For now, anyway.
LAS VEGAS — This is the TUF 14 live blog for Michael Bisping vs. Jason “Mayhem” Miller, a middleweight bout on tonight’s UFC on Spike TV event at the Pearl at the Palms.
After coaching opposing teams this season on The Ultimate Fighter, Bisping (21-3) and Miller (24-7) will battle in the cage for the final word. On a three-fight win streak, Bisping (21-3) is looking to stay in the running as a title contender in the UFC’s 185-pound division. Miller is returning to the UFC after fighting in numerous promotions the last six years.
Round 1: Miller looks to pressure Bisping early, coming straight in and eating a jab before getting tied up in the clinch against the fence. The crowd breaks into a ‘USA!’ chant, and we’re not more than 30 seconds in. They separate and Bisping tags Miller. He’s showing damage over his right eye already, but I can’t tell if it’s a cut. Miller lands a looping overhand right, then gets a takedown moments later. Bisping is trying to wall-walk up the fence, but Miller has his legs trapped. Miller tries to work some short punches, but can’t do much without letting Bisping get space. Bisping gets to his feet and Miller jumps in with a right. Good counter right by Bisping. Miller responds with a left. Ten seconds left. Miller forces Bisping back and drops for a takedown, but that’s the round. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 for Miller.
Round 2: Miller goes back to work with those looping punches, but Bisping is tagging him with straight shots. Blood from the nose of Miller now. Miller shoots for a double-leg and then transitions to a single, but Bisping shuts him down. They both step in with punches and Bisping pulls away, touching his eye. Not sure if he thinks he was poked or what, but Miller didn’t seem like he was buying it. After the restart, Bisping’s striking is looking much crisper than Miller’s, and Miller is starting to slow down. Miller misses a takedown and rolls to his back. Bisping pressures him as he tries to stand, then wings a head kick while Miller is on a knee. That would have been totally illegal if it landed, but it went over Miller’s head. Miller looking very tired now, and Bisping is taking advantage, peppering him with everything he can think of. Miller puts his hands down and taunts Bisping, even as Bisping tees off on his face. Miller tries for a takedown and ends up on his back, getting hammered with elbows and just barely surviving the round. MMA Fighting scores it 10-8 for Bisping.
Round 3: Miller comes out looking for the takedown and Bisping stuffs him again, then adds a kick to the body while he’s down. Miller is running on heart and fumes now, and Bisping is stalking him. Miller is circling away with his back on the fence while Bisping pursues with pinpoint strikes. Bisping stops and complains of another eye poke, but we’re not paused for long. Miller tries for another takedown and ends up turtled up while Bisping slams him with punches and digs knees to his body. Miller rolls to his back and eats more punches. Bisping is pouring it on him and Miller is too tired to do much about it. Referee Steve Mazzagatti has seen enough brutality for one night, and he steps in to stop it. Miller rises and curses to himself. He’s clearly still in possession of his wits, but just totally worn out. Bisping takes a bow in the center of the Octagon, to a mix of cheers and jeers. Hey, at least there were some cheers. Baby steps.
Michael Bisping def. Jason “Mayhem” Miller via TKO (strikes) at 3:34 of round three
After the official announcement, Bisping extends his hand to Miller, who takes it. Beef squashed? Maybe. For now, anyway.
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