TUF 14 Finale: Keys to a Mayhem Miller Victory

Michael Bisping might be a 2-1 favorite over Jason “Mayhem” Miller in The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale, but Mayhem is more than capable of pulling off the upset.

Has there ever been a more hated fighter in UFC history than Michael Bisping? Just the thought of his arrogant voice makes me want to wrap my hands, but I’ll leave that to the professionals.

Because of overwhelming hatred that MMA fans share for Bisping, Mayhem is facing a lot of pressure going into this matchup. Not to mention this is Mayhem’s first fight back in the UFC since 2005, and though he’s fought around the world, I expect him to have jitters Saturday night.

The UFC is the highest level of MMA competition, and all eyes will be on Mayhem to shut Bisping’s mouth and deny him a title shot. Fans are counting on it, and for the most part, the MMA community has rallied around Miller going into this contest.

So how can Mayhem pull off this victory? This is how Miller proves the oddsmakers wrong once again and give the MMA community a victory they won’t soon forget.

Take Bisping Down

It sounds like going into his contest against Bisping, Miller wants to strike with him, but that would be playing to Bisping’s advantage.

Miller said in a recent interview that Bisping would try to take him down before he shot on Bisping.

This might be a tactic by Miller to get into Bisping’s head, but I don’t like the strategy. Don’t get me wrong, Miller is no slouch with his striking on the feet, but he’s far better on the ground.

Bisping has solid striking skills, and the advantage Miller has over Bisping is his Jiu-Jitsu. If Miller wants to beat Bisping, he needs to take this fight to the ground.

Avoid the Takedown

While Miller needs to get this fight to the ground, he needs to avoid being on the bottom of Bisping.

We’ve seen it time and time again in Bisping’s victories. Bisping gets the better of the standup, but he lacks that one-punch knockout, so he’ll end up taking the fight to the ground and win the fight with ground-and-pound.

Miller is a wizard on the ground, so he might pull off some sweeps or catch Bisping in a submission, but it would fare well for Miller to avoid this situation altogether.

Stay Out of the Clinch

Miller is a great grappler and can hold his own with just about anyone, but Bisping’s wrestling skills are underrated.

Should they get into the clinch, I see Bisping’s size advantage being the difference-maker in this area of the fight. I just don’t see a scenario where Bisping isn’t muscling Miller around against the cage and eventually getting the takedown.

Miller needs to keep his distance and shoot at the right opportunity to try and work his top game on Bisping.

Mix It Up

While everything I’ve said is important for Miller to win this fight, mixing it up is essential for Miller to win this fight.

He needs to work his Muay Thai while mixing in takedowns and going for submissions. Bisping has been working toward getting the knockout power he’s lacked for years, and I guarantee he’s going to be going into this fight trying to keep this fight standing.

I thought he mixed it up very well when fought Kazushi Sakuraba at Dream 16. He did well in the striking department, stuffed a takedown, wore him down with ground-and-pound and eventually got the tapout.

That's exactly what Miller needs to try employ in this matchup. He has a lot of weapons so use them all against Bisping.

Bisping wants to make a statement by being the first fighter to stop Miller in five years. That’s why it’s important for Miller to mix in striking with his takedowns. Who knows? Miller might even catch Bisping’s suspect chin.

Prediction: Mayhem via 3rd Round Rear-Naked Choke

This is a really tough fight to pick because of their styles and how closely-matched I think both fighters really are, but I’m going with Miller.

Bisping has a slight advantage with his standup, but I think Miller will be able to strike with him and eventually get this fight to ground.

I look for the first two rounds to be closely contested and for both fighters to find success. After going back-and-forth, I think Mayhem will sink in a rare-naked choke in the third round and Bisping haters around the world rejoice.