The gym plays home to a number of pugilistic peers calling the UFC home including one of the key players in Miller’s newfound mindset – Mark Munoz.

“Probably the most important part of this training camp has been Mark Munoz, the nicest guy in MMA. Also, one of the toughest men on Earth at 185 pounds. Mark’s been very helpful in this camp because he’s a former wrestling teammate of Dollaway and also KO’d him in thirty seconds,” said Miller in a Fighter Diary produced by the UFC. “Me and Mark and face-punch friends. Sometimes when we spar we basically fight. It’s hard to find a guy I can spar with that intensity.”

Turning to his bout with Dollaway, Miller made it clear he sees the big picture. Win and he’ll live to fight inside the Octagon another day; lose and he’ll be likely be looking for employment elsewhere.

“I say it’s the most important fight of my life but that’s some cliché bullsh*t I think every fighter says every time they fight. The only difference is this time it’s true,” admitted Miller.

Miller-Dollaway can be seen as part of the FX-bound preliminary card with other match-ups including Jamie Varner-Edson Barboza and Dan Hardy-Duane Ludwig.

You can watch the full Fighter Diary below where Miller also outlines the benefit of having Krzysztof Soszynski handling his diet:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The ensuing strike-based stoppage Miller suffered has stuck with him since, opening his eyes and causing him to approach an upcoming fight with C.B. Dollaway in a new way despite the decade of success behind him.

“I told (Dana) if I put on a show like that again, I’m quitting. That was ridiculous,” reflected Miller on his loss to Bisping in an interview with the UFC’s website. “That wasn’t me out there; that wasn’t me. I threw that fight away, and so it’s up to me to go ahead and really make a statement on the 26th. The best thing that ever happened to me is me getting beat up by Michael Bisping because I’ve approached my entire career in a completely different light.”

When Miller meets Dollaway at UFC 146 the bout won’t receive the PPV rub “Mayhem” may be used to given his popularity but the diminished attention doesn’t both him as much as it might have in the past. Rather, his focus is on one thing – beating Dollaway in dominating fashion.

“I don’t care where it is on the card. I don’t care if I’m fighting him in the back parking lot, Structure C; I’m going to fight just as hard. I’m going to knock his fart-face off, and I’m going to send him packing. There’s no way around it,” explained an excited Miller. “There’s a stark contrast between me and him. You can see that I’m mentally tough, and I’m a bit of a masochist, so I’ll take the abuse, and go through it. When the going gets tough, this guy quits, and I’m gonna make him quit.”

Miller holds an overall record of 23-8 with nineteen finishes including past wins over Tim Kennedy and Robbie Lawler, while Dollaway is 11-4 in his career and has compiled five victories in the UFC since his stint on TUF.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

“Chael berating someone on their test level is like me making fun of someone’s bad haircut,” Miller posted on his Twitter account.

The words struck a chord with Sonnen who quickly replied back on his own Twitter page with, “MayHem: Due to time constraints I am currently confining my Twitter wars to active, relevant, fighters ONLY. Buy a T-shirt on your way out.”

The host of MTV’s Bully Beatdown and ex-Ultimate Fighter coach didn’t let it end there, replying back, “Don’t worry – you’re a beatdown away from obscurity. I’ll be happy to beat your head in – that’s if it’s not still on a pike in Rio.”

Despite their conflict, Sonnen and Miller are not likely to meet up anytime soon inside the Octagon, as Sonnen has a title match set with Silva at UFC 147 in Brazil, while Miller is taking on C.B. Dollaway at UFC 146.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

His current run is Miller’s second stint with the UFC. His first was a one-and-done appearance, as the host of MTV’s Bully Beatdown was defeated by Georges St. Pierre and sent packing. With so much riding on this fight, Miller has put as much pressure on himself as any fan or Zuffa executive, a point he made clear on MMA Uncensored Live this past week.

“I’m on my own chopping block,” explained Miller when asked if he felt his job was at stake in the bout. “If I lose to him, I’m quitting! I don’t even deserve to be in there! There’s not an easy fight. In the UFC, there’s no easy fight (but) he doesn’t deserve to be in there with me, and I’ll prove it.”

Miller has gone 2-2 in his last four fights, though the UFC was very close to cutting him after the defeat against Bisping based on how lackluster his showing was. Dollaway, meanwhile, also enters the bout following a rough patch, dropping two straight since racking up a three-fight winning streak.

“We’re both in a similar spot in our career I guess,” Miller said of Dollaway. “We’re both on the chopping block. That’s fine. I’m really happy with that.”

Miller-Dollaway will be part of the prelims for the PPV event. The entire main card is made up of heavyweight fights including a headlining tilt between champ Junior dos Santos and #1 contender Alistair Overeem.

Check out video of Miller’s interview below:

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE/UFC

“I’m at a point in my life where I don’t care what I look like,” said Miller in the released released episode. “All I care about is winning a fight.”

Though Miller went on to lose his post-TUF bout he’ll face C.B. Dollaway next in May.

Watch the full video below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/TAPOUT

News of the May 26 match-up was confirmed by the UFC, as well as Miller who went on Twitter to write, “Gonna show the naysayers and more importantly, us monkeys what I’m capable of.”

Prior to his loss to Bisping the 31-year old Miller had won two in a row. However, he has not beaten a relevant adversary in more than four years, taking out Tim Kennedy in December 2007 before making a 4-3 run with victories over Katsuyori Shibata, Kala Hose, Tim Stout, and Kazushi Sakuraba, so “Mayhem” will have a lot to prove come showtime at UFC 146. He is 23-8 overall with nineteen stoppages including submissions of Denis Kang and Robbie Lawler.

Dollaway will also be out to show fans (and his employers) he still belongs in the UFC after being finished in a pair of consecutive clashes. The 11-4 Ultimate Fighter finalist has gone 5-4 since his time on the show.

No other fights have been revealed for the card though it is believed heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos will defend his title against Alistair Overeem in headlining action. More bouts are expected to be announced on this week’s episode of UFC Tonight.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

For Miller, who made a name for himself with his outlandish entrances and as host of MTV’s Bully Beatdown, waiting has been very difficult for him.

“You guys Tweet Dana that you want to see me fight,” said Miller, while recently serving as a guest on The MMA Hour.  “I want to fight as soon as possible. So, the more pressure from anybody who wants to see me fight, the more pressure they put on the brass, well, guess what? I’ll fight sooner.”

Of his next fight, Miller went on to say, “I’ve gotten a head nod, but nothing official,” in regards to if the UFC will give him a chance to redeem himself inside the Octagon. A return to Strikeforce could also be an option for Miller, as he competed there before taking the position as TUF coach.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE/UFC

White’s assessment of the 30-year old’s showing against Bisping was harsh to say the least, labeling Miller with possessing the worst stand-up he’d ever seen and calling it an incredibly “lopsided” bout.

While some fighters might get defensive about White’s comments or make excuses for a lackluster display it appears Miller actually agrees with his employer’s take, writing about it recently on his blog.

“I am very disappointed about (the loss), but have used the past couple weeks to reflect on everything and have come to some conclusions,” Miller began before frankly stating, “Dana White was right. He made some disparaging comments about my performance, and I agree with him. I displayed the worst of everything that night in the Octagon. I was tense in round one and I locked up after that. I didn’t perform to my potential, and I take full responsibility for it. That wasn’t a UFC caliber performance, and I’m not happy about it”

Miller continued on to urge his fans to live and learn, talking about his own journey thus far in both MMA and the bigger picture.

“I made a lot of mistakes in this story – during the camp, during the fight- but the key to living life is learning from your mistakes and making positive change. I feel very positive right now, and I hope you feel the same way, I would be absolutely nothing without persistence and positive thinking…”

The colorful competitor didn’t elaborate on when he expected to fight again, only explaining he was in Holland training with Golden Glory (renowned for their striking as coincidence would have it). Miller’s loss to Bisping dropped his record to 23-8 and 2-2 in his last four fights with an additional defeat to Jake Shields and victories over Tim Stout/Kazushi Sakuraba.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Preliminary Predictions

* Brian Caraway to defeat Dustin Neace by Submission in Round 2
* Steven Siler to defeat Josh Clopton by Decision
* Roland Delorme to defeat Josh Ferguson by Decision
* Dustin Pague to defeat John Albert by TKO in Round 2
* Stephen Bass to defeat Marcus Brimage by Submission in Round

Main Card Predictions

* Johnny Bedford to defeat Louis Gaudinot by Decision
* Tony Ferguson to defeat Yves Edwards by TKO in Round 2
* T.J Dillashaw to defeat John Dodson by Decision
* Diego Brandao to defeat Dennis Bermudez by TKO in Round 1

Middleweight Fight: Michael Bisping vs. Jason “Mayhem” Miller

Perhaps the most glaring disparity between both fighters is on the feet, as Bisping, despite some flaws in his stand-up game, is the superior striker. Miller’s relative inactivity could have resulted in him benefiting from the time off to work on his striking in the gym, but he is unlikely to have closed the gap enough to where he can afford a pure stand-up battle with Bisping. In particular, Bisping’s footwork and constant movement will trouble “Mayhem.” In fact, while Bisping is often guilty of circling to his opponent’s power hand, or backpedaling straight into the fence when his pressed, Miller lacks the necessary tools in his striking to take advantage.

Miller possesses a decent jab, but he is not comfortable enough to use it to set the tone of the fight or control the distance. He also lacks the counter-punching ability and power to punish Bisping for his iffy head movement and lazy mistakes he tends to commit on the feet. For his part, Bisping will look to get on the bicycle, land some jabs, throw plenty of body kicks, and mix them up with some combinations. Bisping does a good job of setting up the high kick, but he lacks the power to polish his opponent off. His right cross in particular is something Miller needs to be wary of, and to his credit, Bisping rarely throws it as a single punch or with little set-up.

Miller doesn’t have great double leg from the outside, but in close-quarters, he is deceptively savvy. He would be smart to capitalize on one of Bisping’s many body kick to catch it and get a trip takedown, and if that opportunity doesn’t arise, he will need to find a way to close the distance. The good news for Miller is that Bisping isn’t exactly a power puncher, and he is unlikely to end Miller’s night with a single strike should “Mayhem” move in a bit carelessly. This is especially crucial, as Miller doesn’t have the striking to set-up the takedown, and may well need to charge forward at the right moment.

Miller’s wrestling on the inside is underrated, and if he gets double underhooks, “The Count” could well be planted on his back. However, Bisping has long proven to be tough to take down and more importantly, even more difficult to hold down. The latter could be the determining factor in this fight, as in a twenty-five minute period, Miller will likely get his opponent down at some point, but to win the fight, he will need to enjoy a significant amount of time on top. That is something Bisping rarely allows, as he possesses some surprisingly good hips that make him quite scrappy on the ground.

It is important to note however, that Miller’s top game is something that would give most fighters fits. If he is successful in keeping Bisping down, he is an expert at capitalizing on the smallest opportunity and use it to pass guard, or work for submissions. His victory over a broken down Kazushi Sakuraba may have been nothing to write home about, but the way Miller transitioned from controlling Sakuraba’s wrists from the top to landing ground and pound to locking in an arm triangle in the blink of an eye is the sign of a true grappler. However, Miller needs to be a bit more measured should he end up on top, as his game tends to leave openings for scrambles and Bisping will likely jump at any opportunity to get back to his feet. Conversely, scrambles provide Miller with the chance to secure the back, which remains his biggest path to victory. Miller’s back control is truly excellent, and he is quite patient in that regard, as he is more than content to get overhooks, wrist control, and from there simply wait for the smallest mistake.

While Miller will have his moments, it is tough to envision him getting repeated takedowns  in order to be able to use his top game and potentially polish the Brit off with a submission. Instead, Bisping will use his solid defensive grappling to stay out of trouble, and dominate the striking on his way to a decision victory.

Official Prediction: Michael Bisping to defeat Jason Miller by Decision

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

However, much like many before him have found out, Bisping is difficult to like. Miller quickly took to itching for December 3 to roll around so the two could square off at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale, an event taking place this Saturday night.

Miller and Bisping spent six weeks going back-and-forth, but the two had to avoid any actual punches during that time. That all changes when they close the Octagon door behind them and the bell rings.

“I didn’t have an opinion. I didn’t formulate one. I didn’t care. I never really paid attention to the guy. I thought as far as a fighter, I thought, ‘Oh, I can beat this guy,’” said Miller, in an interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “I fell in line with everyone else’s opinion that he’s a giant douche or a turd sandwich. One or the other. I can’t wait to kick his ass on December 3.”

Miller has faced some of the best fighters in the world, including the likes of Jake Shields, Tim Kennedy and Robbie Lawler, but finding motivation to face Bisping was not difficult at all.

“I’ve thought about nothing but beating up Michael Bisping since we filmed that show. He’s super overrated,” Miller said. “They put him up in there with guys he gets to have an easy little kickboxing match with, and he gets to dictate the pace by throwing jabs out there and his right hand. He’s not going to be able to do that with me. He bit off more than he can chew. He’s going to feel bad about the day he agreed to fight me.”

Fans can watch the middleweights square off in the main event of Spike’s 8:00 PM EST broadcast of the show. Other bouts include Tony Ferguson vs. Yves Edwards and the respective finals from TUF 14‘s bantamweight/featherweight tournaments.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE/UFC

Debuting September 21, Season 14 will mark the final run of TUF on Spike TV before heading to the FOX family and will culminate in a live finale scheduled to feature a fight between Miller and Bisping.

Before the curtain drops on TUF 14, newly anointed rivals Bisping and Miller will sit down with media today at 2:00 EST for a conference call. As always, Five Ounces of Pain will be on hand to relay all the relevant quotes and other nuggets of information back to readers.

Check below for live updates from the call as they unfold in real time:

Michael Bisping:

- Makes fun of Miller having multiple personalities / “I hate him. I think most people around him find him very, very annoying.”
- Explains the fights on the show were incredible and he really enjoyed working with the members of his team
- Says some of the members of his team were shocked that he wasn’t an “asshole” after how he’d been portrayed in the media
- Miller wasn’t as annoying as Jorge Rivera because Rivera made it personal while Miller was “just idiotic” / “His mouth is definitely bigger than his brain. He’s very childish and easy to get one up on him.”
- Jokes that Miller sounds like he’s trying to sweeten him up and not beat him up so badly on December 3, makes fun of Miller’s assault case against his sister
- Gave Miller the benefit of the doubt before the show but it didn’t take long for “Mayhem” to get under his skin
- Never hesitated to be a coach, calls the opportunity “prestigious”, but the downside is that he’s been out of action for ten months and that beating Miller isn’t the type of opponent to earn him a title-shot
- Thinks Anderson Silva hasn’t cleaned out the division because he hasn’t fought him yet
- “I definitely got the respect from my team. I hope I get the same from the viewers.”
- “This was always a big opportunity for Jason. He went from fighting on the undercard to fighting me.”
- Ready to send Miller back to the undercard
- His coaching staff is a bit different than his season against Dan Henderson based on no other reason than availability
- “I wouldn’t say I hate him. Hate is a strong word. Do I find him annoying and irritating? Yes I do. Do I want to knock him out on December 3? Yes I do? Do I want to see harm befall him and his family? No.”
- Jokes that he’s excited about the show’s debut next week because people who ask him who he’s fighting next will know who Miller actually is with TUF on
- Laughs at Miller for bringing a chiropractor as part of his coaching staff

Jason Miller:

- Says Michael is a complex character who you can write many volumes of knowledge on / “Yes, as the season went on I hated his guts…and then I didn’t like him that much…and now I hate his guts again!”
- Apart from the incredible fights and talented group of contestants, he feels he and Bisping but a “damn good show on” because they have a strong personality and knew they were bound to clash
- “I’m gonna smash your face and choke you.”
- “The coaching aspect really got me amped to train. I was like, ‘Wow, look how much effort these guys are putting in the room!’ and it got me reinvigorated…”
- Bisping “proved himself to be a prick” within a few weeks
- Credits the quality of the contestants / “These guys were well-developed athletes…great fighters…and so it was all about the competition. We didn’t have one lackluster fight all season.”
- “There were some upsets. There were some guys who the media have heard of and covered their fights before. Guess what – they’re not coming in the house.”
- As much as he wanted to stay active over the past year he knew TUF was better for his career and the UFC than “fighting in Vegas with no hype around me”
- Thanks Bisping for the opportunity to beat him up
- Didn’t feel any pressure because he knew the UFC did a great job of casting this season, contributed to the lack of ratings last season because even HE wasn’t interested in watching their personalities on TV
- Laughs at the assertion he might have mocked Bisping’s team members like on “Bully Beatdown”
- Was slightly caught offguard by the amount of cameras involved and couldn’t imagine living in the TUF house because at least he got to go home every night
- Hates Bisping but there is a mutual respect on some level because they’ll be in the cage across from each other / “As a person, I hate him, but at the end of the day we’re all fighters and there is a brotherhood amongst fighters. All of us.”
- Cracks on Bisping’s coaching staff

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

UFC President Dana White stated the organization’s intent to pair the outspoken middleweights in late 2011 when the season concludes at the post-UFC 130 press conference where he also explained the decision to do so was only related to TUF 14 and not a permanent change in format.

Miller and Bisping were named as coaches last week after months of speculation on who would fill the roles and one of the frontrunners, Chael Sonnen, forcibly bowing out due to licensing issues. Taping is expected to begin next month with the first episode airing in early September.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/STRIKEFORCE

News of the coaching selection was confirmed by Dana White through a conversation with The Underground.

Miller had been previously scheduled to face Aaron Simpson at UFC 132 in his return to the promotion after a successful run outside of the UFC but today’s news likely means “Mayhem” will be replaced in the affair though nothing official has been announced.

“Guess my fight is off with (Miller),” Simpson wrote on Twitter in response to the situation. “Was looking forward to it. It is a smart move for him. He will beat Bisping. Wish him the best of luck.”

“Sucks for me,” he glumly added shortly thereafter.

When Miller finally meets Bisping after the season he will have been out of action for nearly fifteen months with his last fight coming against Kazushi Sakuraba at DREAM 16 in September 2010. Prior to the two-minute victory the host of MTV’s “Bully Beatdown” had won eleven of his previous fourteen fights (minus a No Contest) including in-ring success against Niko Vitale, Tim Kennedy, and Robbie Lawler.

Though the announcement of Miller may have come as a relative surprise, Bisping’s role as an Ultimate Fighter 14 coach had been long rumored with Chael Sonnen originally playing the role of adversary before his latest licensing issues with the CSAC prevented his partaking in the show.

TUF 14 will feature the UFC’s newest divisional additions with bantamweights and featherweights filling the fighter slots. Filming is scheduled to start next month with the debut coming at some point in September.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Aaron Simpson shadow boxing

According to a statement on the UFC’s Twitter page Miller has drawn accomplished grappler Aaron Simpson at UFC 132, the organization’s July 2 extravaganza headlined by bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz’s title defense against former 145-pound title-holder Urijah Faber.

The bout will mark the second time “Mayhem” has fought under the UFC banner with the first and only other occurrence taking place in 2005 against welterweight ace George St. Pierre. Though he ultimately lost the bout by Unanimous Decision, Miller went on to make a name for himself in Japan and Hawaii as one of the most entertaining middleweights in MMA.

Miller is 24-7 in his career with past victories over Niko Vitale, Tim Kennedy, and Robbie Lawler. Though healthy and having won back-to-back fights, he has been out of action since a September win over Kazushi Sakuraba due in part to the contractual issues assisting in his return to the UFC.

The 36-year old Simpson made a name for himself as a successful wrestler and coach in the collegiate ranks before deciding to give MMA a go in 2007. Since then he has compiled an 8-2 record including seven straight at one point. He was last seen outpointing Mario Miranda in March at UFC Fight Night 24.

Other match-ups for UFC 132 include Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim, Tito Ortiz vs. Ryan Bader, and Chris Leben vs. Wanderlei Silva.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE / 5 OZ

The story was first reported by MMAFighting.com

The host of MTV’s Bully Beatdown had not competed in Strikeforce since their April 2010 Nashville event, where he posted a first round TKO victory over Tim Stout. Later in the night, Miller got into a scuffle with Nick Diaz, Jake Shields and other members of Team Cesar Gracie. The “Nashville Brawl” led to a three month suspension for him and others involved. He returned to action at DREAM. 16 in September 2010, submitting the legendary Kazushi Sakuraba in just over two minutes.

Miller had been scheduled to fight Tim Kennedy at Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson but was pulled from the fight for unknown reasons. A fight between Miller and Diaz had been talked about since the incident in Nashville but the two fighters and the Strikeforce organization could never reach an agreement for various reasons.

No word yet on when Miller will make his UFC re-debut or who his opponent will be.

Mark Munoz Targeting C.B. Dollaway’s Chin UFC Live 3 (Versus.com)

Eddie Alvarez vs. Pat Curran Made Official for Bellator 39 (5thRound.com)

Jorge Masvidal Talks Match-Up with Billy Evangelista (Lowkick.com)

A Closer Look at Last Weekend’s BAMMA 5 Event in Photos (MiddleEasy.com)

The Top 10 Fighters in Strikeforce are… (BleacherReport.com)

Dana White Thought B.J. Penn Deserved the Nod Over Jon Fitch at UFC 127 (MMAConvert.com)

Gilbert Melendez is a Man on a Mission (FIGHT! Magazine)

Strikeforce Almost Booked Chad Griggs vs. Dan Cormier this Weekend (CagePotato.com)

Martin Kampmann Talks Beating Diego Sanchez Later Tonight on Versus (MMAFighting.com)

News of the pairing first came by way of MMAMania last week with multiple outlets now reporting both camps are on board and awaiting an official green light from Strikeforce.

Five Ounces of Pain spoke to Kennedy who explained nothing was concrete but expressed his excitement at the bout’s possibility and was hopeful it would take place.

Though the men are as different as could be from as personality standpoint they have had a few things in common as of late including an itch to compete and the inability to scratch it for reasons out of their control.

The 12-3 Kennedy was most recently seen in a hard-fought decision loss to promotional title-holder Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza at “Strikeforce – Houston” in August. Shortly after the defeat the decorated military veteran began articulating his interest in getting back into the ring again as soon as possible and was even linked to a New Year’s Eve fight in Japan.

Meanwhile, Miller had been lobbying for a catch-weight clash with 170-pound champion Nick Diaz for the better part of 2010 based on their heated rivalry stemming from a multi-man assault the MTV host endured after an event earlier in the year. However, he and Diaz were never able to find a manageable mark they were comfortable agreeing to. His last in-ring appearance involved a first-round submission over Kazushi Sakuraba at DREAM 16 and was his third win in four official results.

Gray Maynard Talks Frank Edgar and More (FIGHT! Magazine)

Jason Miller Talks About Diaz Pulling a “Nick-Tuck” in Relation to Their Fight (MMAFighting.com)

WEC 53′s Ratings Not in Company’s “Top 5″ All-Time (HeavyMMA.com)

Wanderlei Silva Discusses a Training Session He Once Had with Chael Sonnen (WatchKalibRun.com)

Dana White Shows Soft-Side by Helping Family in Need (MMAScraps.com)

Controversial Decision Loss for Hermes Franca Ruled “No Contest” (MiddleEasy.com)

Todd Duffee May or May Not Be Alistair Overeem’s Opponent on New Year’s Eve (MMAConvert.com)

Ariel Helwani Picks his Award-Winners of 2010 (Versus.com)

A Side-by-Side Comparison of Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard (CagePotato.com)

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

According to digital-representative of Diaz, GracieFighter, the host of MTV’s “Bully Beatdown” has declined to meet Diaz at a catch-weight of 178 this January at an event scheduled for the organization’s home-base of San Jose, California.

While Miller fought at welterweight at one point in his career, his last bout at 170-pounds came five years ago, and the colorful competitor has generally fought as a middleweight for the bulk of the span since then. It is believed “Mayhem” open to stepping into the ring against Diaz at 183 pounds but the controversial champion has never weighed in north of the 180 mark for a fight and doesn’t appear interested to testing those waters against Miller. Unfortunately, based on the report, it looks as though unless a compromise can be eventually found the five clicks on the scale making up the difference in desired weights will be an insurmountable distance where the culmination of their feud is concerned.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay!

Welcome to “Grappling with Issues”, our site’s regular weekly feature highlighting insight and opinion from Adam Tool and myself on six subjects plucked from the Mixed Martial Arts landscape. However, just because we staffers get the fancy set-up, please don’t feel precluded from dishing out your own thoughts on each matter in the comments section at the bottom of the column.

With Jose Aldo potentially out of UFC 125, how do you think the UFC should handle the co-headlining vacancy?

Tool: The easy answer would be to simply move the Clay Guida/Takanori Gomi match-up into the co-main event slot while sliding the Brandon Vera/Thiago Silva fight up from the preliminary card. We already know that Josh Grispi is now likely to face Dustin Poirier, and Grispi will be lucky if he’s kept on the main card. I know I’m not alone in being completely bummed that Aldo’s first defense of the UFC Featherweight Championship will be delayed, but maybe there’s a way to keep two title fights on the card.

My suggestion would be to make Dominick Cruz the UFC Bantamweight Champion and move his defense against Scott Jorgensen from WEC 53 to UFC 125. Yes, the fans going to the WEC’s final show get screwed out of a title fight but that card already has a pretty good title fight headlining the event. There’s also the simple fact that the preliminary portion of WEC 53 is packed with intriguing match-ups, and removing the Cruz/Jorgensen fight from the televised broadcast opens up airtime for at least two more fights. The ratings for WEC 53 will be irrelevant since the organization will be non-existent once the show is over. At the same time the year end PPV is a big deal for Zuffa, and without a truly compelling title fight in the main event (apologies to all the Frank Edgar/Gray Maynard fans, wherever you may be) the show needs all the extra juice it can get.

Conlan: Tool’s solutions both make sense and I can’t find fault with either other than perhaps feeling as though, regardless of ratings, WEC deserves to go out with a bang rather than a whimper. To add another option into the mix, if Guida vs. Gomi were to move up, I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing Marcus Davis’ lightweight debut against Jeremy Stephens get the nod over Silva/Vera. Both men love to stand and exchange, plus each is coming off a loss so they’ll undoubtedly be looking to impress at the event.

Also, assuming the involved individuals were able to push their training schedules up, either light heavyweight pairing scheduled for a month later at UFC 126 would be perfectly suited for the co-headlining vacancy. Forrest Griffin vs. Rich Franklin features former champions, both immensely popular even on a mainstream level, and Jon Jones vs. Ryan Bader is a battle between two of the organization’s brightest rising stars. A set of 205-pounders will in a sense be a “third wheel” over Superbowl Weekend, so why not reap the marketability of one of the two to properly promote a major show like UFC 125?

Who would you like to see Matt Hughes face next in an attempt to rebound from his first-round knockout at UFC 123?

Tool: I still don’t know if we really need to see Hughes finish out another trilogy be trying for a third time to beat Dennis Hallman, so let’s see what else we can come up with. Since Hughes has been so picky in his fight selections for the last year (at least, if the boys at American Kickboxing Academy are to be believed) this could get a bit tricky. It’s also tough to create fresh fights for somebody who’s been around for so long and done so much.

I’ve got an idea, but it involves doing something I never do when I play fantasy match-maker. I’m going to assume that somebody will lose their next fight, and I’d like to see that person matched up with Hughes. I’m talking about the most popular man in the UFC: Josh Koscheck. Barring some minor miracle, we all know Koscheck is losing to Georges St. Pierre next month. Koscheck will need to beat a respectable opponent in order to bounce back from his French-Canadian clowning, and Hughes gets to keep a prime spot on the card against a well-known opponent.

Conlan: I’ll stick to present possibilities in my response (though I like the idea of Hughes vs. Koscheck simply from the standpoint it would be fun to see the former welterweight champ be the focus of raucous cheering rather than booing).

As far as his future in the Octagon, Dan Hardy and Martin Kampmann are both currently without official opponents and pose interesting match-ups for Hughes. Each is excellent on the ground with well-rounded striking but both have struggled at times against high-level wrestlers. Comparably, Hughes’ grappling is his gravy and his stand-up still somewhat questionable. Kampmann/Hardy are also respected enough competitors to lend momentum back to Hughes’ career if he’s able to win without damaging it too much if he falls again, not to mention are fairly recognizable fighters meaning the match-up could easily be slotted in as a PPV’s co-headlining bout.

TRUE/FALSE – Lyoto Machida was robbed of a win on Saturday night.

Tool: FALSE. While I thought Machida won after watching the fight, it was a close enough contest that I would be willing to say either man could have gotten it. I try to reserve the term robbery for fights where the winner is clear to everybody except the judges, like the recent Sean Sherk/Evan Dunham decision. If Machida had won either of the first two rounds as convincingly as he did the third, then we would have a robbery on our hands.

Conlan: Agreed – FALSE. Though Machida easily earned the third round, I don’t believe he did enough in the bout’s opening ten minutes to merit a definitive decision victory. His style, often appearing as a lack of willingness to engage, may have hurt him in the judges’ eyes in comparison to Jackson’s obvious openness to striking with the Brazilian when the officials thought back on the action after each round’s conclusion. The irony is that Machida’s stand-up actually looked good enough to have possibly put “Rampage” in real trouble had he been a little more aggressive or at least won him another of the fight’s frames. Had the bout involved a title, and another pair of rounds, I think the win would have easily been Machida’s. However, within the context of what I saw last weekend, I don’t think the outcome was anything worth getting overly upset about.

Which result from Saturday was more upsetting: Nik Lentz’s decision win over Tyson Griffin or the early ending of round one in the Maiquel Falcao/Gerald Harris fight?

Conlan: Neither was particularly upsetting per say, but I’d say the lack of professionalism involved in the first round of Falcao vs. Harris was inexcusable whereas a controversial judges’ decision is something fans have grown to expect over the past few years. I can grasp how three individuals might have incorrectly scored a bout, though in fairness I never saw exactly how “off” their opinions were based on the match-up never being aired, but I fail to understand how a timekeeper could shed 5-6 seconds off of a round, especially in a situation where one of the two competitors was on the cusp of tapping out.

Tool: I guess maybe I was a bit more upset about the Falcao/Harris fiasco just because of what it cost the people involved. Consider this hypothetical, and extremely likely, scenario that might have been the result of this fight had the timekeeper not messed up. With Harris locked up tight in a rear naked choke, another six seconds means that Falcao would have won this fight via submission in round 1. As a result Falcao would have been in the running for a “Submission of the Night” bonus, and reviews of his performance would have been glowingly positive. Now instead we have nearly everyone in the fight world watching Falcao’s next fight with extra scrutiny to see if he tries to win a round via staring once again.

Obviously things are much worse for Gerald Harris since he’s now out of a job. If he had he lost by submission in the first round there would be little shame in that, since he was facing a (mostly) unknown fighter making his UFC debut. Instead Harris’ effort in the third round, or lack thereof, was his undoing as he was inexplicably cut from the UFC after winning three fights and two “KO of the Night” bonuses. There’s no way to know whether or not Harris would have kept his job had he been submitted, but it’s safe to say that this fight would have been far better for everybody if it had ended in the first five minutes like it was supposed to

Do you agree with the UFC making George Sotiropoulos vs. Dennis Siver for UFC 127, and if not, who would you match Sotiropoulos up with to get him on the Australia card?

Conlan: I’m okay with the match-up from the standpoint Siver has won six of his last seven fights and provides not only a worthwhile adversary for Sotiropoulos but also a relatively beatable opponent for the Aussie to secure a title-shot with in front of his countrymen. There’s no reason for the Ultimate Fighter Season 6 alumnus to sit idly by while the UFC’s lightweight title situation works itself out, especially when he can fight in Australia. Though Siver is far from a guaranteed victory, he’s also far from a favorite, and another win over someone with his past success would surely cement Sotiropoulos’ contedership as opposed to potentially getting leap-frogged by another apt 155-pounder.

Tool: The fight should be entertaining to say the least, but beyond that it seems like another step sideways when Sotiropoulos should be stepping up. If only there was some former UFC Lightweight Champion without a fight scheduled who could provide Sotiropoulos with the kind of test that would show whether or not he’s ready for the top levels of the sport. Oh wait, there totally is: Sherk. I’m one of many fans who thinks that Dunham should have won against Sherk at UFC 119, but even if you disagree with the decision you have to agree that Sherk looked much better than expected following a sixteen month layoff. Sherk may or may not have one more run at the top in him and a fight against the surging Sotiropoulos makes so much damn sense that I really have to wonder why it’s not happening.

Are you still interested in a potential Nick Diaz/”Mayhem” Miller fight?

Conlan: Absolutely. Strikeforce is hurting for welterweight contenders and doesn’t have a lot of options for any of the fighters on their roster. Putting Diaz and Miller in the ring together at a catch-weight would create one of the few marquee match-ups the promotion has at its disposal by capitalizing on their personal dislike of one another, their well-rounded skill-sets, and the reality both men are extremely talented when it comes to promoting a fight through soundbytes/interviews. My feeling is that Strikeforce is at a point where they can’t afford to bypass bouts like Diaz vs. Miller based on both marketability and necessity, and to do so would hammer one more nail into their proverbial coffin where mainstream relevance is concerned.

I want to also add I genuinely believe Strikeforce would love to deliver “The Smoker” vs. “The Joker” but it’s out of their hands unless Miller agrees to drop to 178 pounds or Diaz relents on his refusal to fight at middleweight. Perhaps an undisclosed bonus would do the trick?

Tool: By now it’s clear that Strikeforce isn’t exactly in the position of giving us a lot of fights that make sense, but even now this match-up still has plenty of appeal to it. I’ve said it before that Strikeforce is wasting the talents of (arguably) the most famous fighter on their roster, Miller. He’s not fighting all that often which seems strange given the built-in audience he could bring to the sport with his mainstream success on MTV. Diaz is one of the best (if not the best) fighters in the company, so if you’re not going to match him up with the best fighters in his division why not give him the biggest fights you can make?