Jason 'Mayhem' Miller On His Disappointing UFC Debut: "Dana White Was Right"

by Jeflee on Dec 22, 2011 3:07 PM EST

Jason 'Mayhem' Miller's TKO loss to Michael Bisping in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale was one of the biggest letdown performances of 2011. Even though most analysts pegged Bisping for the win, Miller's tentative and amateurishly awkward showing had his boss questioning the former Strikeforce star's place in the big leagues and had MMA fans scratching their heads. This was the guy promoted heavily for months with a coaching position on Spike's final season of TUF?

Immediately following the fight, UFC President Dana White said Miller's striking display was the worst he had ever witnessed. "I don't know if I've ever seen standup that bad...it was embarassing," he said.

In a recent blog post, Miller writes that he agrees.

From mayhemmiller.com:

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- I won’t, however, write a worthless diatribe on myself, because that is not constructive. I elect instead to take this misstep and make something positive out of it.

The whole entry is focused on positive thinking, appropriate for this time of year when resolutions are a constant theme.

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.

Thankfully, Miller's positivity is balanced with pragmatism, as per this tweet earlier in Decemeber:

Going to Holland to learn how to kickbox.

Miller is currently training with Golden Glory's Siyar Bahadurzada and Martijn de Jong, but will that be enough to turn the tide of public and professional opinions? Was his lackluster performance against Bisping a case of UFC jitters and lack of striking know-how, or is the reality TV star just not cut out for the UFC? Either way, Miller is on an uphill climb. Despite White saying he's uncertain of Miller's future with the organization, there hasn't been any news of him being released and it's probably safe to say at this point that we'll be seeing Miller in the cage again next year. A lot will be riding on that performance.

Positive affirmations aside, there will be many questions surrounding Jason Miller in 2012.

(Image via cdn2.sbnation.com)

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Comments

I recall seeing a comment regarding Miller’s gameplan, that he tried to re-create what Henderson had done to Bisping. It certainly seems possible that this is what Miller had in mind, considering those Leonard Garcia-esque hooks he was throwing at Bisping and ultimately ruined his cardio. Or maybe he was just un-prepared. Who knows? Either way, he can only improve by training with Golden Glory and I’m still looking forward to seeing him compete again.

by KyroJudo on Dec 23, 2011 9:48 PM EST reply actions

Agreeing with Dana

certainly won’t hurt his staying in the UFC. I hope his next match will bring out the best Mayhem yet.

by GreyedOut on Dec 24, 2011 6:06 AM EST via mobile reply actions

That was certainly an uncharacteristic showing for Mayhem. However, I don’t think someone with a solid base in striking could ever put up a display like that, whether they’re nervous or exhausted. Good strikers hit pads and spar until it’s a part of their natural reflex. It’s hard to imagine a striker with proper training would throw all form and technique out the window like that. That being said, without this base in striking, does Mayhem have even time to develop the necessary skills before his next fight?

by andy.chien1 on Dec 24, 2011 6:15 AM EST reply actions