UFC 114 - Bisping vs. Miller Breakdown
Posted by Philip Simkins on May 22nd, 2010
Pictured: Michael Bisping will be looking for the knockout against Dan Miller at UFC 114
A middleweight bout between Michael Bisping and Dan Miller will take place at UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans on May 29th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The fight represents an opportunity for both fighters to get back on track after suffering losses in their last UFC outings. Bisping lost a closely fought decision to Wanderlei Silva at UFC 110 and Miller dropped a unanimous decision to Demian Maia at UFC 109. At one point, both Bisping and Miller were both on the verge of top title contention.
It may also prove to be Miller’s last UFC appearance if he loses, following back to back losses against Demian Maia and Chael Sonnen. The Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt has amassed an 11-3 MMA and 3-2 UFC record, but is desperately in need of a win.
The fight has also been promoted to the co-main event of the evening after Forrest Griffin was forced off the card due to a shoulder injury. Michael Bisping comes into the fight with an 18-3 MMA and 8-3 UFC record after a loss to Wanderlei Silva. That fight could have easily gone Bisping’s way though, with the judges giving the win to Silva after his late flurry of punches. Bisping has a very good, underrated clinch game and has good striking and showed he has knockout power in his hands by knocking out former PRIDE veteran Denis Kang at UFC 105.
Miller is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert, with 7 of his 11 career wins coming via submission, and before losing twice in a row, had defeated Rob Kimmons, Matt Horwich and Jake Rosholt in his first three UFC fights. It’s much like the recent Josh Koscheck and Paul Daley fight; Bisping will want to keep the fight standing while Miller will want to take Bisping down and look for a submission. If Bisping can keep the fight upright and defend takedowns, then I can see Bisping finishing Miller or grinding out a decision win. While Bisping’s takedown defence has increased over the last couple of years, he can still be put on his back. Josh Koscheck was able to take down and keep down Daley for the entire three rounds at their recent UFC 113 clash. I’m not sure Miller can keep Bisping down for three whole rounds, but he can still put Bisping in serious trouble if they are on the ground.
It may appear that this fight is a classic “Striker vs. Grappler”, but there are many reasons why this makes for a good comeback fight for Bisping. Although he’s predominately a stand up fighter, he has excellent ground and pound. He is very quick on his feet, likes to switch ranges, and is comfortable moving forward or counter striking. His fight against Chris Leben showed his ability to contain an aggressive opponent with effective counter punching. But he can be equally as aggressive, with Jason Day, Charles McCarthy and Elvis Sinosic all being stopped by the Brit. Bisping also possesses great cardio and never falters in his fights.
Dan Miller however, is known for submissions and cardio, but lost out to Maia in a bout that was largely contested on the feet. That showed Miller had some work to do in the boxing department, as he was outpointed by Maia. He does fight for takedowns though and is always looking for submissions. While he lacks the knockout power on the feet to really threaten Bisping, he can still push the pace and usually get his opponent down.
This will be an interesting UFC middleweight fight, but I believe Bisping has the edge because of his powerful striking and better than average ground game. The Brit has never lost a fight via submission, so Miller will have to do something no one has ever done before. Miller’s best bet for winning this fight will be to takedown Bisping, but he will be getting punches, knees and kicks when he comes in. Bisping will look to land a solid punch with every unsuccessful takedown attempt and I expect this fight to go the way of Bisping. This fight will be the perfect situation for Bisping to get back on track, but Miller will face an uncertain future after his 3rd consecutive loss.