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?

“King Mo” Lawal Ready to Talk Trash Again (MMAFighting.com)

Jason Miller Thinks Nick Diaz is a “Bitch” (CagePotato.com)

Kenny Florian Throws Down with Dave Camarillo…in Street Fighter II (MiddleEasy.com)

Cain Velasquez Hits the Talk-Show Circuit (WatchKalibRun.com)

Want a Chance to Win Some Gear from JACO? (FIGHT! Magazine)

Get to Know Rising Prospect Charles Oliveira (MMAScraps.com)

Winner of Yushin Okami vs. Nate Marquardt Guaranteed a Title Shot (Heavy.com)

An Update on the Shane Carwin Injury-Situation (MMAConvert.com)

Five Lessons Learned from UFC 121 (Versus.com)

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.

What’s your preference for Nick Diaz’s next fight: a catch-weight bout with “Mayhem” Miller or another defense of the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship?

Conlan: The choice between the options should be a no-brainer for most in terms of creating both an entertaining and competitive fight. Strikeforce’s 170-pound roster isn’t particularly top-heavy and is stacked would-be contenders like Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos, Paul Daley, and Tyron Woodley rather than an established group of highly-touted competitors. While those three, as well as a handful of other Strikeforce welterweights, are unquestionably talented they’re not currently sellable as true adversaries for someone on Diaz’s level. The notion KJ Noons – typically a lightweight with no divisional victories – was given a shot at the Gracie-trained champion’s belt should tell fans all they need to know in terms of Strikeforce’s confidence in their welterweight group.

Matching Stockton’s favorite son with Jason Miller would not only give the afore-mentioned welters an opportunity to further cement their claim to a title-bout, but Strikeforce would also have Miller/Diaz’s name-recognition and personal dislike of one another to use for marketing purposes. It’s one of the few relevant pairings the company can create in terms of attracting mainstream attention, actually making it somewhat crucial that Strikeforce finds a way to make the fight happen as far as their future prospects go. Whether doing so means paying Diaz’s snack-bill for the next five years or hiding some cameras in a backyard, getting the rivals together, and doing things Kimbo-style, Scott Coker’s crew should be trying to intensely negotiate the deal before the opportunity to do so slips away.

Tool: I also have to favor a grudge match with “Mayhem” over a predictable title defense against one of the aforementioned names in the division. Miller is arguably the biggest star on Strikeforce’s roster, but you wouldn’t know that with the way they’ve used him. He should be towards the top of their cards and a fight like this with a built-in storyline is perfect for an upcoming main event. Diaz has made it clear lately that he’s just looking to get paid, so here’s hoping that Coker can fork over the necessary cheddar to make this match happen as each man’s next fight.

BUY/SELL – Josh Thomson should have to win one more fight before earning a third meeting with Gilbert Melendez.

Conlan: This is a “SELL” for me for similar reasons to those mentioned in the above-answer. While Strikeforce has a slightly deeper pool of 155-pounders to work with in comparison to their welterweight division, none have really solidified themselves as being more deserving or must-see than Thomson (who has the rubber-match angle to his advantage as well). For that reason, I have no problem seeing Thomson vs. Melendez III take place in the next few months, but I also don’t think Strikeforce has a lot of say-so in the matter since there aren’t many choices outside of Thomson to work with.

However, I’d have no problem with Thomson facing Lyle Beerbohm or KJ Noons if Melendez was suddenly scheduled to give Shinya Aoki a rematch on Japanese soil or partook in a super-fight with Bellator champ Eddie Alvarez.

In fact, were he healthy, I think a case could be made for Noons getting the nod over “The Punk” in terms of being named top contender to Melendez’s lightweight strap. The well-coiffed Hawaiian-by-way-of-Houston just got done hanging with one of the best welters in the sport for five rounds in a main event and had won six consecutive bouts prior to his hard-fought loss to Diaz, all of which were at a lesser weight. On the other hand, prior to his win over JZ Cavalcante, Thomson had only beaten Pat Healy since last losing to “El Nino” and was close to being finished by the ATT-trained Brazilian in the first round of their epic scrap last weekend.

Tool: I’ve got to go with a “buy” on this one, and my reasons for such have already pretty much been laid out by Brendhan. For one, I’d much rather see Melendez square off with Alvarez before he rematches Aoki or Thomson. There’s also the fact that Noons has a pretty good claim as the number one contender. Granted he did just lose a title fight in a heavier weight class, but that didn’t stop Strikeforce from putting Marloes Coenen into a title bout this past weekend.

I can certainly get behind the idea of Melendez vs. Thomson III, simply on the basis of the outstanding fights these two have given us before. There’s no reason to believe that a third bout wouldn’t follow that tradition, particularly if it’s done at a time when Josh Thomson is 100% healthy. Unfortunately those windows of opportunity seem to be practically microscopic (as “The Punk” was in fact injured going into his fight with Cavalcante), so I guess Strikeforce should probably just put this fight together whenever they have the opportunity to do so.

Give your best guess as to which UFC 120 bout will end up winning “Fight of the Night.”

Conlan: Without a doubt it will be Rob “It’s Already Been” Broughton’s (not his real nickname unfortunately) much-anticipated undercard brawl with Scrabble-friendly opponent Vinicius Kappke de Quieroz…but seriously, I think there’s little question Dan Hardy vs. Carlos Condit has bonus-check written all over it.

Both 170-pounders fight with passion, have a number of tools in the proverbial shed with which to work, and don’t particularly like each other either. Their match-up should also merit an enormous response from the crowd throughout its duration, as Hardy is beloved in his home-country of England and Condit has already stated he’ll be using the USA’s National Anthem as his entrance music. With the audience on its feet and two men who don’t know the meaning of the word quit slugging it out until one crumples, how could Condit vs. Hardy be anything other than fantastic whether five or fifteen minutes long?

Tool: I’m just as pumped for Hardy/Condit as everybody else, but to keep things interesting I’ll take another fight for my pick. We’ve already spoken a bit about John Hathaway, and I’m very excited to see his fight with Mike Pyle. A lot of people seem to be writing off Pyle in this fight (fun fact: Pyle is the only man in history to have submitted Jon Fitch), but even if he loses it should still be a highly-entertaining scrap given each fighters’ style. Hathaway should have the edge on the feet, but Pyle’s aggressive submission-based offense could give the Brit trouble if the fight hits the ground. Both fighters are looking to make a name for themselves in the field of up-and-coming welterweights, and while they may not be contending for gold anytime soon there can be little doubt that this fight is incredibly important for each man’s career.

Do you see Miesha Tate faring any better against Marloes Coenen than Sarah Kaufman did last weekend?

Tool: I do, but then again I figured that Kaufman would retain her belt this past weekend. I don’t want to underestimate Coenen too much as she’s certainly one of the best female fighters in the world, but then again so is Miesha Tate. I didn’t see anything in Coenen’s stand-up that would make me think that she’ll smoke Tate in the striking, but it’s more likely that the outcome of this fight will be determined on the ground. Tate is at the top of the food chain for wrestling in MMA, and unlike Kaufman she’s not likely to get careless from the top position. Tate’s experience will allow her to be more controlled in her ground and pound, and unless Coenen can stuff repeated takedown attempts then I see this one ending with another new champion.

Conlan: I disagree with Adam for a few reasons, and I hope his comment about Tate being one of MMA’s elite wrestlers was more hyperbole than his actual opinion on her grappling ability. She may be talented in comparison to her peers on the somewhat-thin female scene, but she doesn’t dominate opponents with the same ease seen from the true cream of the sport’s wrestling crop.

That point aside, I don’t feel “Takedown” Tate will do any better against Coenen from a results standpoint than Kaufman did, and I actually won’t be surprised if the Dutch champ finishes her with the same technique she used to procure the Strikeforce title. Tate gives up a few inches in height and a bit of reach to “Rumina”, meaning she could be susceptible to damage in the clinch (as Kaufman was), and has no noticeable advantage when purely standing either. If she relies on her takedowns and spends a lot of time throwing strikes in Coenen’s guard her arms will be left relatively vulnerable (as Kaufman’s were). Coenen’s success with armbars is well-documented, and because Tate’s go-to attack is based on ground-and-pounding her way to victory I think it’s very possible she could get caught from the bottom and tapped, especially if she starts to get frustrated on her feet.

Who do you see as the superior welterweight prospect – Jon Hathaway or Tyron Woodley?

Tool: It’s hard not to go with Hathaway after the way he dominated Diego Sanchez, and assuming he gets past Mike Pyle this weekend he’s liable to find a spot in the upper levels of the division in 2011. He’s got great striking and unlike most British fighters he’s more than comfortable with the wrestling aspect of the sport. It’s all but impossible to stand-out in the crowded field of the UFC’s welterweight division, so the fact that Hathaway’s already starting to make a name for himself speaks volumes about his potential.

We certainly can’t discount Woodley either, as he’s quickly climbing the ladder to emerge as a potential contender in Strikeforce. Obviously the pool for contenders in Strikeforce is far more shallow than it is in the UFC, but it’s a credit to Woodley for making his way up to the main cards after a few quality showings on the Challengers events. We still need to see how he performs against a higher quality opponent, and I for one would love to see “T-Wood” matched up with the winner of the upcoming Paul Daley/Scott Smith scrap to determine Nick Diaz’s next contender.

Conlan: I’d also have to say it’s the 14-0 Brit, and to elaborate on Tool’s take, not only did Hathaway beat Sanchez in the manner mentioned but he also took home a pair of unanimous decisions against Paul Taylor and Rick Story, who are tough, talented fighters in their own right, prior to the bout.

He’s 5-6 years younger than Woodley, a fact meriting consideration when examining where both are currently in their careers and how much more time each theoretically has to develop as an overall Mixed Martial Artist. He’s also 6’2″, making him one of the UFC’s tallest 170-pounders meaning he typically enters the ring with a reach advantage over his opponent. Additionally, beyond simply his ability and physical dimensions, Hathaway has the added benefit of being British where “star” potential is concerned. The UFC has already invested a lot of time/money/energy into the European market and as a result created relative icons overseas in the form of Michael Bisping and Dan Hardy simply because of their nationalities and success in the cage. The same could easily be true for Hathaway if he keeps on winning, especially in front of his fellow Englanders.

Woodley is exceptionally skilled and his combination of athleticism, wrestling, and submissions are enough to beat a lot of his in-ring adversaries and take him a long way in MMA. However, until he faces a comparable level of opposition to “The Hitman” or Hathaway falls in a few fights, I don’t think the Strikeforce 170-pound contender can be viewed as the superior prospect when matching the two up from top to bottom on paper.

Has the “UFC Primetime” special featuring Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez influenced your opinion on either individual or on how their upcoming match-up will unfold?

Tool: Not necessarily, but that’s mainly due to the fact that I pegged Velasquez to win this bout as soon as Lesnar beat Shane Carwin. It’s reaffirming to watch Velasquez train the way he does, and to hear the people closest to him talk about the level of talent that he brings to the sport. I’ve had a front-row seat aboard the Cain Velasquez bandwagon since he first came into the UFC, and I’m not about to abandon ship just because he’s facing the top guy in his division.

As for Lesnar, I have to wonder just how well he’s preparing for this fight. It’s obvious by now that Lesnar has a fair amount of confidence in himself, and being surrounded by his friends all day at training certainly can’t hurt his ego. To me it seems as though Lesnar may already be too comfortable in his gym, as his strict policies against outsiders could lead to a situation where he’s not challenging himself enough. His natural gifts make up for a lot of that, but I’ll be interested to see if he’s truly prepared for what Velasquez brings to the table.

Conlan: I can vouch for Tool’s long-standing support of Velasquez, though I personally entered the series with a lot more faith in Lesnar than I exited it with. There’s no question the UFC’s heavyweight title-holder is working his ass off under the DeathClutch roof and will be in prime condition at UFC 121, but at the end of the day I think he is still burdened by his build when it comes to movement. Perhaps it was simply the trickery of post-production editing, but Cain looked very crisp in training while Brock just appeared to be building strength/cardio. I think Velasquez’s wrestling background could very well allow him to hold off Lesnar’s advances, while movement and angles may open up an opportunity to either pepper the champ enough times to win rounds or even rock him as Carwin did a few months back. If that’s the case, rest assured Velasquez won’t fade faster than the average reality television star’s post-series career as was the case with Carwin at UFC 116.

I still feel Lesnar is going to walk away from Anaheim with the big, shiny beltbuckle around his waist, but I can honestly admit the bits of insight provided on “UFC Primetime” definitely have me feeling a little more positive about Velasquez’s chances of maintaining his unbeaten record and becoming champion.

Among the group of fighters finding success on the ground was now dual-divisional DREAM champion Gegard Mousasi. The 25-year old, who had previously held the promotion’s middleweight strap before voluntarily relinquishing it, beat Tatsuya Mizuno by way of Rear-Naked Choke a little more than midway through the opening round of their bout. The performance brought Mousasi’s record to 30-3-1 and was his second consecutive victory since dropping Strikeforce’s light heavyweight belt to Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal this past April.

Also a winner by submission, Jason “Mayhem” Miller lived up to his promise of tapping out Japanese icon Kazushi Sakuraba and became the first fighter to do so since Kimo Leopoldo in Sakuraba’s MMA debut (circa 1996). Miller, who donned an orange-stripe in his hair rather than red out of respect for “Saku”, controlled the fight throughout its two-minute duration, even taking a moment to pause and flash his patented peace-sign pose while in top position. After raining down a few stiff shots shortly thereafter, Miller eventually locked in an Arm-Triangle Choke and fulfilled a life-goal in the process. The loss dropped Sakuraba’s record to 2-2 since the beginning of 2009 and was his second in a row.

As expected, the bulk of the action between submission-specialists Marcus Aurelio and Shinya Aoki took place on the mat. However, Aoki’s dominance and overall aggressiveness likely opened a few eyes. The “Tobikan Judan” offered little room for Aurelio’s offense, taking him down early and holding him there while doing a good deal of damage from the top as well. In fact, a large portion of the bout involved a slick double-leg triangle that kept Aurelio immobilized on the bottom for the most part. Aoki eventually went on to win the ground-war by way of unanimous decision.

Here is a complete rundown of DREAM 16 results:

Yusuke Kawaguchi def. James Thompson via Split Decision
Mitsuhiro Ishida def. Akiyo Nishiura via Split Decision
Kazuyuki Miyata def. Takeshi “Lion” Inoue via Unanimous Decision
Joachim Hansen def. Hideo Tokoro via Submission Round 2 (Triangle Choke)
Michihiro Omigawa def. Cole Escovedo via Submission Round 2 (Inverted Armbar)
Hiroyuki Takaya def. Chase Beebe via Knockout Round 1 (Strikes)
Satoshi Ishii def. Ikuhisa “Punk” Minowa via Unanimous Decision
Shinya Aoki def. Marcus Aurelio via Unanimous Decision
Jason “Mayhem” Miller def. Kazushi Sakuraba via Submission Round 1 (Arm-Triangle Choke)
Gegard Mousasi def. Tatsuya Mizuno via Submission Round 1 (Arm-Triangle Choke)

Similar to Miller, the 41-year old Sakuraba is not only known for being a fantastic grappler who embodies the sport’s “warrior spirit” like few others, but also as someone who has been wowing audiences throughout his career with entertaining entrances and pre-fight antics guaranteed to draw a smile on any onlooker’s face.

The man who once hid an Xbox in his pants during a weigh-in and often dons a pro-wrestling style mask en route to the ring also happens to be 26-13 with notable wins over larger competition like Kevin Randleman, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Ken Shamrock, and Vitor Belfort (not to mention his domination of the Gracie family in PRIDE’s earlier years).

Miller had recently been lobbying for a bout against Strikeforce 170-pound champion Nick Diaz as a result of their in-ring altercation last April but saw the opportunity go up in smoke this week when it was announced Diaz would be fighting KJ Noons instead this October. However, the 23-7 “Mayhem” has expressed a great deal of admiration for Sakuraba in the past and shouldn’t disappoint when it comes to preparation for the grizzled veteran or matching the Japanese icon’s humorous behavior.

DREAM 16 will air on HDNet and is also scheduled to feature a bout between featherweights Joe Warren and Michihiro Omigawa, as well as Gegard Mousasi looking to win his second consecutive bout since falling via decision to “King Mo” Lawal at “Strikeforce – Nashville” earlier this year.

Jake Shields and Jason “Mayhem” Miller may have settled things in the cage, but both are taking their fight to a new arena…Twitter.

There is no denying the dislike these two fighters have for each other. Prior to their match up at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers, both had spewed verbal assaults to one another, but the bad blood was thought to have ended after the decision win for Jake Shields.

Not so fast.

Miller started the internet exchange by posting on his Twitter account:

Jake, the worst damage you did was give me staph, zit covered leg humper

Shields countered with a picture of himself next to his belt collection, tweeting:

You seem upset

Never one to be outdone, Miller struck back in obvious reference to the near fight ending rear-naked choke that was cut short by the bell in the pair’s match-up:

hugged your way to all those? Let’s do it again, I’ll hold on after the bell this time

Which prompted Shields to (stay with me here) tweet:

I’m on to bigger & better fights like always. I mean ur last real win was when you beat up your girlfriend and got arrested

Finally, Miller went all-out and posted a picture of, what he claimed was, “The lone damage from his fight- Staph Infection.”

While the Strikeforce Middleweight championship belt has been settled, it appears the beef between the two fighters will continue, at least on the internet….

The Strikeforce middleweight champion has officially stepped down from his position according to CEO Scott Coker in a report from MMAWeekly.com.

Cung Le, who has been busy making movies the past year or so, hasn’t defended the title since winning it against Frank Shamrock back in March 2008.

With the decision of Le stepping down, Jake Shields vs. Jason Miller will now decide the vacant middleweight title. The title bout is now set for the newly announced November 7th card on CBS. The event will be headlined by the heavyweight bout between Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers

Speaking on Cung Le’s decision, Coker said “I had a conversation with Cung and he has a lot of respect for Jake and Jason, and he’s got another movie coming up, so he’s asked me if he could step down, which we’re going to honor his request. By no means does that mean he’s going to be retired, but he’s going to be unavailable for the next two months.”