'Mayhem' and the Octagon's Bright Lights

Jason “Mayhem” Miller has performed on some huge stages during his MMA career. He’s fought a handful of title fights in the United States, competed at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan, and he’s had success in multiple weight classes. He’s even hosted a hit reality show on MTV. But before The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale on Saturday, he’d never fought in a UFC main event before. It showed.

Miller’s scrap was with Michael Bisping, a polarizing British middleweight who was riding a hot streak. The bookmakers had Miller as respectable +160 underdog, leading fans to believe the fight would be competitive. But after a close opening round that saw Miller control Bisping on the floor, he started to fade. He was already breathing heavy between stanzas, despite being relatively unscathed. In the second round, his takedowns became more and more telegraphed, and his style, which he jokingly deems “slap boxing,” became less of a gag and more of a reality.

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What do you guys think? Did Mayhem gas, or did Bisping beat him that bad?

My only argument for "Bisping beating him that bad" would be that Mayhem was very discouraged by not being able to completely dominate Bisping on the ground and that caused his gassing out.

I think if their cardio levels remained even Mayhem would have taken a close decision. Phone Post

He may have. He controlled Bisping well and was landing some decent punches. Still, his striking technique looked pretty regressed to me even when he was fresh.

It seemed to me he was just using the strikes as a distraction for the takedown. He landed cleanly a few times in the first and Bisping seemed to notice them, so it's not like they were entirely ineffective. They weren't going to KO anyone, but they did their job in the first.

West206 - 
What do you guys think? Did Mayhem gas, or did Bisping beat him that bad?


Both.

Mayhem gassed AND Bisping beat him that bad. The Brit was clearly the better fighter that night.

Mayhem is better than he performed that night, no doubt about it. But everyone has off days.

EnderTL - I think if their cardio levels remained even Mayhem would have taken a close decision.


Cardio is part of being a fighter. If a guy gasses and gets his ass whooped, you can't rationalize the ass whooping away.

It is the fighter's responsibility to show up in shape, fight at a pace he can maintain, and control his emotions. Mayhem failed to do at least one of those things and lost because of it. He was just not as good as Bisping that night. Period. The better fighter won, and did so in convincing fashion.

He didnt pace himself properly, wasted a lot of energy trying to end the fight fast and wasnt able to get the job done. If someone of for instance Hendos calibre went at it with that level of aggression he would have finished the fight in the first round

I was very impressed with Bisping Phone Post

Steve4192 -
EnderTL - I think if their cardio levels remained even Mayhem would have taken a close decision.


Cardio is part of being a fighter. If a guy gasses and gets his ass whooped, you can't rationalize the ass whooping away.

It is the fighter's responsibility to show up in shape, fight at a pace he can maintain, and control his emotions. Mayhem failed to do at least one of those things and lost because of it. He was just not as good as Bisping that night. Period. The better fighter won, and did so in convincing fashion.


Valid point, but I've seen Miller fight dozens of times and he's never looked that out of shape before. He was gassed after the first round in which he took very little damage and honestly wasn't exerting himself too much.

Adrenaline dump due to nerves?

That was his second fight in the UFC and he's been bludgeoned pretty good in both. I watched pre-champ GSP make a bloody mess of him at UFC 52, now this.

Maybe a visit to sports psychologist would help?

Sure hes fought in front of lots of people before, but he was never under as much pressure to win a fight as this one.

Steve4192 - 
EnderTL - I think if their cardio levels remained even Mayhem would have taken a close decision.


Cardio is part of being a fighter. If a guy gasses and gets his ass whooped, you can't rationalize the ass whooping away.

It is the fighter's responsibility to show up in shape, fight at a pace he can maintain, and control his emotions. Mayhem failed to do at least one of those things and lost because of it. He was just not as good as Bisping that night. Period. The better fighter won, and did so in convincing fashion.



Thanks for that. I didn't know....


Of course it's the fighters responsibility to be in shape, I didn't say anything different. But if you watch any fighter for long enough you see some fights they come in with a full gas tank and sometimes they don't. Mayhem has been in plenty of fights where he's had more gas then he did against Bisping. All I'm saying is if he showed up to this fight in the type of shape he's been in before, it would have been close.

It's not like I'm making up some sort of crazy X-factor.