The past few weeks have been filled with exciting action. Almost every Saturday has been packed with events and important fights. After taking the brief break that was the Thanksgiving holiday, we can now look towards the upcoming Ultimate Fighter 14 finale. Although it has flown under the radar, the Michael Bisping versus Jason Miller fight is an important contest in the middleweight division.
Both Michael Bisping and Jason Miller are competitors who have sat on the edges of being title contenders in one form or another. After winning the third season of the Ultimate Fighter, Bisping has not been able to rise to the position of top contender, although he has come close. Losses to Rashad Evans, Dan Henderson and Wanderlei Silva are the only blemishes on his record, and kept him away from becoming a number one contender in the UFC.
Miller, on the other hand, is a cult favorite among mixed martial arts fans. He achieved mainstream popularity through his show “Bully Beatdown,” and is known for saying the most ridiculous things possible, yet sometimes people forget that he is a very solid fighter. His well-documented feud with the Cesar Gracie “Skrap Pack” dates back to his middleweight title bout with Jake Shields in 2009. While he was unable to defeat Shields, he truly tested the longtime pound-for-pound stalwart, and many felt that he deserved a second shot at the belt. This situation blew up during the Strikeforce: Nashville brawl that transpired live on network television. The focus then turned to Nick Diaz, however the two were never able to get into the cage.
Miller will make his return to the UFC against Bisping in a fight that represents an interesting contrast of styles. Bisping typically uses a standup style that generates “points” on judges’ scorecards, but he does have the ability to stop his opponent if the opportunity presents itself. Miller is a submission artist, with 14 of his 24 wins coming by tap out. Along with this, Miller has the ability to use his striking effectively enough to secure a takedown when needed.
Looking at this bout, I believe that Miller will be able to grind his way to a victory. This will be a five-round affair, and it should go the full 25 minutes. Miller will be unable to secure the submission victory, but he will be able to control the positioning of the fight which will rack up points. Bisping has had trouble with wrestlers in the past, and in Miller he will have to deal with a fighter who has the wrestling abilities to take him down, as well as the submission skills to finish the fight.
The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale will go down on December 3rd from the Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada.
