News of the change was first reported by MMAJunkie though no specifics as to the cause were revealed. Bisping has also yet to make an official comment on the matter.

Bisping was last seen taking to the Octagon in late January where he was outpointed by top 185-pound contender Chael Sonnen in a fight many felt he should have won. The first hint of his pending separation from Wolfslair may have come while coaching the Ultimate Fighter 14 where his staff lacked some of the gym’s familiar faces in favor of Tiki Ghosn and others.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

In the end Sonnen walked away with a closely contested decision victory that left a number of fans, including UFC President Dana White, with a look of surprise when the scorecards were read. While the outcome was not as outrageous as other examples in the past, debate remains as to whether or not Bisping should have earned the judges’ nod and a title-shot in the process.

Now FOX has released a series of highlights from the fight, allowing fans to re-live the exciting affair and either have their opinions on the result either changed or strengthened based on a second look.

Check it out below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Of course, ask Sonnen and he’s likely to deny any sort of wrongdoing in the matter as only he can. The 34-year old recently discussed his bout with Bisping in an interview with the UFC where, as expected, Sonnen’s silver-tongue was on display.

“I hate terms like ‘hype’ and ‘trash-talk’ because I don’t do that,” Sonnen dead-panned. “I never say anything I don’t mean and I’m not going to insult a guy I have no problem with. But, that said, Bisping is a jerk and I’m going to finish him faster than he can devour a Bovril and meatpie.”

“I am the best fighter in the world,” Sonnen continued. “He thinks he can beat me, I think I can beat him and we are going to see who is right in the only debating forum that matters – the UFC Octagon.”

Sonnen also made it clear his purpose this weekend has nothing to do with making Bisping look bad in the media or even earn a title-shot, saying, “I came to Chicago to do Michael Bisping a lot of physical harm. I don’t come here to ‘talk trash’ because that’s not something I do.”

What Sonnen does do, at least more often than not, is win. Tune in to see if he’s able to meet his own expectations when he and Bisping battle on FOX with the main card broadcast starting at 8:00 PM EST on Saturday.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Bisping addressed the situation in a blog for FoxSports on Tuesday evening where he acknowledged the significant challenge in front of him with less than two weeks’ notice to prepare but also explained it’s a test he’s more than willing to take given the stakes.

“Dana (White) hadn’t even finished saying Munoz was out before I was planning how to beat Sonnen in my head,” wrote the 32-year old Brit. “I’ve accepted fights on short notice for the UFC throughout my career, but this one is a massive, massive chance for me, and I am very grateful to Dana, (matchmaker) Joe Silva, and the UFC. I was already hugely grateful to be asked to fight on FOX, but to fight Chael on FOX … well, there are hundreds of fighters who would kill for this opportunity, and I would have had to be a fool to turn it down.”

The 22-3 Bisping made it clear he has no illusions about Sonnen’s talent in terms of takedowns and top control but has little concern for the 26-11-1 grappler’s abilities beyond those aspects of his game.

“Next week, I’m ready to go all guns blazing. A fight is a fight, and at this level anything can happen, but all things being equal, Chael Sonnen cannot knock me out. He can’t submit me, either,” Bisping began before bottom-lining the situation by adding, “The worst that is going to happen is that he will outpoint me and, if I don’t beat him, I didn’t deserve a title-shot against Anderson Silva anyway.”

Fans can catch Bisping-Sonnen scrap next weekend at UFC on FOX 2 at an event headlined by Rashad Evans meeting Phil Davis with a future date against 205-pound champion Jon Jones up for grabs. Bisping’s original opponent, Demian Maia, will now face unbeaten All-American wrestler Chris Weidman in his place.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Dana White tweeted the news earlier today.

UPDATE: It has since been confirmed unbeaten grappler Chris Weidman will step up and fill in for Bisping against Maia.

Bisping will be looking to add to his four-fight win streak, which includes victories over Dan Miller, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Jorge Rivera, and Jason Miller. The British middleweight is 8-2 at 185, with his only two losses coming against MMA legends Wanderlei Silva and Dan Henderson.

Sonnen returned from a year long suspension due to a failed drug test following his UFC 117 bout for the middleweight strap this past October and made things look easy against Brian Stann, submitting him in the second round with an arm triangle. The Oregon native has won four of his last five bouts.

UFC on FOX 2 is scheduled for January 28 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The night will be headlined by another #1 contenders bout as former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans will face the undefeated Phil Davis, with the winner earning a shot against current 205 king Jon Jones.

*PHOTO CREDIT – UFC*

The UFC announced the match-up earlier today.

Maia is coming off a victory over Jorge Santiago at UFC 136 that improved his mark to 3-1 since a loss to current UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva back in 2010. Bisping’s last four victims have been Miller, Dan Miller, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Jorge Rivera.

UFC on FOX 2 will feature title-eliminator bouts between light heavyweights Rashad Evans and Phil Davis, along with middleweights Chael Sonnen and Mark Munoz. Bisping-Maia will be a featured fight on the FOX show, which will be held inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Bisping spoke about Miller in a recent interview with the UFC promoting their match-up where he elaborated on his current mindset, saying, “With me, the worst thing you could possibly do is piss me off. The worst thing is piss me off because you’re in for an ass-kicking.”

From the sound of it the anger he feels towards Miller helped curb any overconfidence prohibiting his focus on the task at hand even though Bisping clearly sees the colorful Californian as an inferior opponent.

“I could’ve sat on my ass for the last six months eating pizza and still beat Jason Miller. The fact is I’ve just done a training camp like I’m fighting Anderson Silva, so it doesn’t bode well for Jason,” explained Bisping before adding that, when he wins, “I’m not going to be jumping for joy as if I’ve won a world title. He’s only Jason Miller. He’s the Bully Beatdown guy.”

Fans can catch the two TUF 14 coaches’ clash this evening on Spike TV starting at 8:00 PM EST with other fights on the card including the season’s bantamweight/featherweight tournament finals and Yves Edwards vs. Tony Ferguson.

The complete video of Bisping/Miller talking about the fight can be found below:

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

UFC middleweight Michael Bisping found that to be true a little more than two years ago when matched up against Dan Henderson at UFC 100 where he made the mistake of continuously circling into Henderson’s power, eventually paying the price by getting dropped in one of the most memorable finishes in the organization’s history.

However, rather than stay knocked down, Bisping has since gotten back up and actually views the highlight reel stoppage as the best thing to ever happen to him in terms of his development as a Mixed Martial Artist.

“Against Dan Henderson, that was the best thing that ever happened to me. I learned a lot from that fight and I realized a lot of the mistakes I was making,” Bisping explained in an interview with the UFC’s website.

“The Count” capitalized on the experience by improving his game and going 4-1 in the following five fights, the only loss being a hotly-contested decision defeat to Wanderlei Silva. Considering his only other stumble in the ring came against another former champion, Rashad Evans (Split Decision), Bisping is entering this weekend’s TUF 14 Finale headliner with supreme confidence and an intense dislike for opponent Jason Miller.

Still, though Bisping’s personal opinion of “Mayhem” is far from flattering, the 32-year old has used it as motivation in the gym but doesn’t expect any bad blood to carry over to the Octagon.

“I think I fight better when I’m – for want of a better word – pissed off. So for me, that does help. I’m emotional in and out of the ring, and before and after a fight I’m emotional, but generally when I’m fighting, I’m very, very focused and I’m focusing on what needs to be done as opposed to doing anything silly because of letting my emotions get the better of me.”

In fact, Bisping has another goal in mind of far more importance than simply shutting up his rival with the “toilet brush haircut”.

“I’m on a quest for the title, I want my title shot, and I’m almost there,” Bisping explained. “I beat this guy and it’s not gonna give me a title shot, but I have to beat him, and there’s no way Jason Miller is gonna be the guy to stop me.”

Fans can catch Bisping and Miller go at it on Saturday night when the Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale unfolds on Spike TV starting at 8:00 PM EST.

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

The hatred between Ranger Up and Bisping started when the current Ultimate Fighter coach was accused of spitting on Rivera’s corner after their fight at UFC 127 earlier this year. Kennedy, a Strikeforce competitor, has displayed his dislike of “The Count” for quite some time, making several pitches to face off with him on TUF.

Instead, the coaching job went to Jason “Mayhem” Miller, who will get the next shot at punching Bisping in the face when the two meet this Saturday night in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter Finale 14.

Bisping won his third straight fight by knocking out Rivera, adding to wins over Yoshihiro Akiyama and Dan Miller. He is 7-2 since 2008, with his lone losses coming to Dan Henderson and Wanderlei Silva. Miller is on a two-fight win streak, having defeated Kazushi Sakuraba and Tim Stout following a loss to Jake Shields.

Check out the video below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Michael Bisping

Bisping, who is currently coaching opposite Jason Miller and will meet “Mayhem” in December, believes he is the next man to oppose UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva so long as he takes care of “Mayhem” in convincing fashion.

“The Count” has won his last three fights, including a TKO over Jorge Rivera at UFC 127 in February. He is 7-2 since 2008, with the two defeats coming at the hands of Dan Henderson and Wanderlei Silva.

“I feel I deserve a shot. I have got to beat Miller, he is tough. I am not looking past him. (But) it’s me, I’m the contender,” said Bisping, in an interview with Fighters Only Magazine recently. “(Vitor) Belfort has just been beat, Yushin Okami has just been beat, (Chael) Sonnen got beat. What are they going to do…keep beating each other up and then have another shot at him? No, I’m the contender.”

Bisping was nearing a title shot before falling to Henderson after the two coached against one another on TUF. The only other defeat of Bisping’s career came to Rashad Evans by Split Decision in 2007, as he is 21-3 with 13 knockouts.

“I feel I match quite well with Anderson believe it or not, I think stylistically I will give him a good match up,” Bisping said. “I will do a better job than everyone has lately. The last fight Anderson had was against Sonnen.”

Since defeating Sonnen with a fifth round submission, “The Spider” has stopped Belfort in the first round with a front kick and Okami in the second by TKO.

“So yeah, if I get my shot…listen, it’s easier said than done,” Bisping said. “You can sit here and say, ‘You’ve got to do this against Anderson,’ – getting in the cane and doing it to him is a completely different kettle of fish. But I feel I have earned the right to have my shot.”

PHOTO CREDIT – 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

The outspoken Brit blasted both men in a recent conversation with MMAFighting where he assured fans he not only came out shining against Miller as far as team performance went but even when it came to verbal sparring too.

“I definitely get the upper hand throughout the entire season. I’m not (just) talking about the fights, I’m just talking about the one-on-one interaction with Miller,” Bisping replied on the topic. “At the start of the season I thought he was an OK guy. By the end of the season I wanted to kill him. Fortunately, December 3 I’ll have my opportunity.”

The 21-3 middleweight also leveled his aim at Sonnen who will likely earn a title-shot if he beats Brian Stann next month at UFC 136.

“I think it’s complete bulls**t,” Bisping explained when asked about the situation. “Chael Sonnen, who just fought the champ, cheated and took steroids,” before concluding, “I think I am next in line.”

“The Count” has won 1-2-3 straight fights featuring success against Dan Miller, Jorge Rivera, and Yoshihiro Akiyama. He also holds past victories over Denis Kang and Chris Leben.

The Ultimate Fighter Season 14 is set to debut next Wednesday night for the landmark show’s final run on Spike TV. As alluded to by Bisping, the finale will take place on December 3 and feature his match-up with Miller in the main event.

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

It looks like “The Count” was listening, and while he apparently doesn’t share Marquardt’s interest in a match-up he definitely had a few choice words of his own to offer in response to his peer’s statements as he made clear in a recent discussion with The MMA Hour.

“He’s a steroid cheat, let’s not forget that,” the 32-year replied when asked about Marquardt while referring to 2005 suspension for testing positive for a performance enhancing drug (nandrolone). Marquardt later had the suspension reduced after coming back clean in a subsequent test and proving to the NSAC the substance he used was available over the counter.

“He’s had points taken away for illegally kneeing people himself, and then he goes out talking about me as if I’m Satan or something. The guy’s an absolute hypocrite,” Bisping continued.

Marquardt was penalized at UFC 85 after kneeing a downed Thales Leites in a move ultimately playing a role in the Coloradan losing a Split Decision.

The outspoken Bisping didn’t stop at simply questioning Marquardt’s moral fiber but also brought up important past performances where “Nate the Great” didn’t live up to his nickname.

“He sh*t the bed every time he’s in a main event,” Bisping began. “He’s had three #1 contender fights and a title shot and lost them all. I want to fight the top guys and I think Chael Sonnen for me is the biggest possible name I could get, and that’s what I’m hoping for. Nate Marquardt doesn’t excite me.”

Like Marquardt, Sonnen has also lobbied for a chance to get his hands on Bisping even going so far as to write a letter to UFC matchmaker Joe Silva worded in his own unique style.

As far as Bisping’s reasons for wanting to face him, the 21-3 striker made it clear he felt Sonnen was not only an “amazing fighter” but a “challenge” and close second to champ Anderson Silva as indicated in the Team Quest competitor’s razor-thin loss to “The Spider” at UFC 117.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Titled “Spitsbing and His Tainted Victory,” the two-paragraph message was recently revealed on MMAWeekly where Sonnen tore into Bisping’s controversial behavior against opponent Jorge Rivera last weekend at UFC 127.

“If you get a chance to talk with him, please mention to your idiot-in-residence Michael Spitsbing it’ll be a little tougher to knee ME in the head when I’m charging at him like a runaway train and mincing him through the fence like a boiled potato, should we ever have the pleasure of each other’s company for a few (VERY few) moments in the Octagon.

Oh; and I’d suggest to him being a little careful about spitting on any of MY cornermen, since any one of them can beat him up as badly as I can. Thanks ever so much. Hope all is well.”

If the two 185-pounders do eventually meet the match-up could serve as a means of helping repair Sonnen’s reputation in the public eye after his failed UFC 117 drug test and recent guilty plea in a federal money laundering case. Likewise, the same could possibly be said about Bisping based on Sonnen’s aforementioned transgressions.

The 25-11-1 Sonnen is 3-1 in his last four fights with the lone stumble coming in the closing minutes of what would have been a clear-cut decision victory over remarkable middleweight champ Anderson Silva. He holds past wins in his career over respectable adversaries including Trevor Prangley, Jason Miller, Yushin Okami, Paulo Filho, Dan Miller, and Nate Marquardt.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

News of the UFC President’s plan was first reported by MMAFighting. No time table on the sentencing was revealed.

The controversy surrounding Bisping’s behavior started early in last weekend’s match-up when “The Count” blatantly grabbed the cage to prevent being swept in the first round, then later planted an illegal knee cleanly on Rivera’s chin while later claiming the blow had been accidentally thrown a bit early despite video replays appearing to reveal calculation in the shot. Bisping was deducted a point and the fight continued with Rivera severely slowed.

Bisping’s questionable actions continued after finishing “El Conquistador” with strikes in the second round when he decided to spit out of the Octagon towards Rivera’s corner saying it was meant to land on the floor and not boxing coach Matt Phinney.

Five Ounces of Pain contacted Rivera’s management team at Alchemist MMA who responded with their position on the forthcoming action:

“We applaud UFC President Dana White’s announcement that Michael Bisping will be disciplined for his unprofessional manner inside the cage at UFC 127. We (also) hope that the UFC also decides to take disciplinary action against Mr. Bisping for the illegal knee he threw at Jorge Rivera during the first round of their fight. The issue here is standards. As Jorge recovered from the illegal knee, Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg asked, “Does he get five minutes? Does he continue or what’s the norm here?” which underscores how there are no set standards in place for an illegal strike like this one. Jon Jones‘ only loss is due to a DQ from an illegal strike against Matt Hamill. Paul Daley delivered an illegal strike to Josh Koscheck after the bell and got sent out of the organization. Mr. Bisping should also be punished for his illegal strike. There has to be consistency and accountability or the sport will not evolve.”

When asked for his take on the situation in general Bisping apologized while crediting a series of hype-building videos from Rivera with making the match-up personal. However, he has remained firm in the illegal knee’s accidental nature and been dismissive of his phlegm’s direction.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

It started at the weigh-ins where Bisping and opponent Jorge Rivera got into a heated face-off and had to be separated. While the camera rolled to film the event for Dana White’s video blog Bisping dropped an infamous homophobic slur towards Rivera. This word may not have the same social impact as some other vilified terms and phrases, but in the year 2011 it is not an acceptable term to use in a public setting. Of this there can be no argument. The UFC’s production team should have bleeped the word on the video blog, but more importantly Bisping shouldn’t be using it when he’s publicly representing the UFC (or at all, really).

Then we come to the fight itself. After the staredown at the weigh-ins it was clear that emotions would be running high. Regardless of that fact Bisping cannot claim that his illegal knee to Rivera in the first round was unintentional. Bisping is a veteran of more than 20 professional fights, and he has been fighting in the UFC for almost five years. He has never come close to delivering a foul like the one he gave Rivera on Saturday. He claimed in the post-fight press conference that he simply pulled the trigger too early on the knee, but that’s a laughable claim as well considering the fact that Rivera wasn’t even making an effort to get back to his feet. The fight should have been stopped right then and Bisping should have a DQ loss on his record.

Inexplicably the fight was allowed to continue and Bisping eventually “triumphed” with a TKO win in the second round. After getting the win most fighters would be gracious in victory and then proceed to make amends with their opponent for whatever bad blood may have been spilled. Instead Bisping spat at Rivera’s corner before getting in Jorge’s face to demand an apology. I don’t care if Bisping claims he was just trying to spit at the ground in front of Rivera’s corner men. It’s the complete opposite of good sportsmanship and it’s not the sort of thing the UFC should tolerate.

Can you imagine what the NFL would have done if, after winning Super Bowl XLV, Aaron Rodgers had run over to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ bench and spat on the ground in front of them? Rodgers would have probably been fined, possibly suspended next season, and the sports media would have had a field day. White is lucky that Mixed Martial Arts isn’t a bigger sport than it is right now because if that was the case then he’d see one of his homegrown stars dragged through the mud on cable sports networks and talk radio airwaves all over the world.

Some are already trying to claim that Rivera has some responsibility for this whole mess as well. These people want to point a finger at Rivera for the ethnic stereotypes he negatively portrayed in his YouTube videos while claiming that it’s somehow the same as what Bisping did this weekend, but there’s a pretty big difference there. Rivera’s videos may have been in poor taste but the only one that’s represented poorly there is Rivera himself. Bisping’s homophobic slur was on Dana White’s video blog which is posted to the UFC’s YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. His actions during the fight itself were obviously seen by millions of fans around the world. Everything Bisping did wrong was done while he was on the UFC’s dime, and as a representative of the company he failed miserably.

White and the UFC need to start holding their fighters accountable for their actions in the octagon. If a fighter is exhibiting behavior that casts the company in an unfavorable light then the company should punish that fighter. Bisping should be fined a portion of his purse and then either suspended or moved down the card for his next fight. His actions were inexcusable, despite his best efforts to make excuses for them, and the UFC needs to make sure that the rest of their roster knows what kind of behavior is expected of them. The best way to do that is to make an example out of Bisping, and I for one hope that that’s exactly what the UFC brass chooses to do.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC