TUF 14 Finale: Was Jason Mayhem Miller Overrated All Along?

On a night when young talents like John Dodson and Diego Brandao displayed incredible heart and skill, translating into UFC contracts, we witnessed the downfall of a "presumed" middleweight contender.

Ultimately, TUF 14 Finale showed us two things.

One being the re-emergence of Michael Bisping as a 185 lb. threat, and the other being the fact that Jason "Mayhem" Miller may have been overrated all along.

Miller, who attempted to back up his trash-talking by standing with a more powerful and technically sufficient striker, ultimately watched his Octagon return wash away at the hands of a hungrier Bisping. 

Whether it's due to his lack of experience at the UFC level, or the fact that everyone predicted he'd be a worthy opponent, something simply didn't add up for Miller Saturday night.

But what went wrong? 

To be honest, nearly everything.  Miller looked downright sluggish.  He was evidently unable to land consistent shots on the bigger Bisping, let alone take him down and try to sink in a submission.  It pretty much looked like Mayhem just wasn't ready to fight again in the UFC.

It had been over six years since he last graced the Octagon, dropping a three-round decision to current UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre in 2005. 

So it may have been a miscalculation by Dana White and company to think that Miller was ready to take on a top contender like Bisping.

But how was anyone suppose to know that Miller would produce one of the lowliest bouts of his career?

The guy always seem to be on top of his game, whether that's because he's one of the most personable fighters in the UFC, or the fact that he never seems intimidated to touch gloves and throw some bombs.  The fact of the matter is that Miller looked nothing like his usual self. 

However, wasn't Miller already coming into this fight with some question marks?

If he wasn't, he should have.  Because before Saturday, Miller hadn't fought in over a year, and that fight was against an aging Kazushi Sakuraba.  Mayhem did land a first-round submission victory, but nothing too impressive to consider him an instantaneous threat at 185 lbs. in the UFC.

Despite his top-notch jiu-jitsu, willingness to fight anyone and his knowledge of the sport, the 30-year-old Miller may be on his last legs. 

Bisping probably won't be his last opponent in the UFC, but another dud like Saturday could force White to cut the mentally intriguing veteran.

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