UFC 114 Preview: The Main Card
Bisping vs. Miller
May 25, 2010
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Michael Bisping vs. Dan Miller
Coming off consecutive losses to Demian Maia
and Chael
Sonnen, Miller probably has a good feel for what it’s like to
be Michael
Bisping -- that is, a quality middleweight stuck in the gray
area between gatekeepers and title contenders. If either man is
going to shed that distinction, it’s going to require a resolution
to the stylistic issues created by their one-dimensional fighting
styles.
Not an altogether realistic goal for two veteran fighters. That leaves the question of whether or not Bisping can stuff Miller’s takedowns and work his punch-and-judy boxing style. That right there is Bisping’s main problem, as he actually has solid takedown defense and, more importantly, knows how to clear his hips after getting taken down and escape back to the feet. Yet Bisping doesn’t have the KO power to keep opponents from simply getting right back in his face and restarting the cycle.
This is where the fight gets complicated. Miller has the wrestling to get Bisping down but not the grappling or ground-and-pound to overwhelm him from there. This is key, as Bisping’s ability to escape to the feet means Miller has to try and get past Bisping’s guard before he can clear his hips. The limitations of Miller’s game will become apparent here, though, because Bisping excels at controlling his opponent’s posture from the guard.
That is the polar opposite of what Miller wants. His game is at its best in scrambles where he can advance position and make better use of his grappling as opposed to relying on his substandard ground-and-pound inside the guard. It should also be noted that Bisping showed incredible savvy in his bout with Denis Kang, managing to survive multiple threatening positions against a well-respected grappler. The flipside of that is Bisping ultimately had to rely on Kang self-destructing like Chernobyl in order to pull off a win.
Miller has the conditioning and focus to assure that he won’t end up like Kang. His uncoordinated striking is a serious liability in this fight, however. While Bisping isn’t going to KO anyone with a halfway decent chin, he does know how to rack up points by throwing strikes in volume. If Miller chooses to stand his ground on the feet, he’ll certainly get outpointed, but it doesn’t make any sense for him to do so.
Against Maia, Miller clearly felt that his opponent posed too much of a threat with submissions to take him down. Against Sonnen, he was simply outwrestled. Bisping doesn’t pose the same threats, but his takedown defense and busy punching style should be just enough to eke out a decision win.
Michael Bisping File Photo: Sherdog.com
Michael Bisping vs. Dan Miller
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Not an altogether realistic goal for two veteran fighters. That leaves the question of whether or not Bisping can stuff Miller’s takedowns and work his punch-and-judy boxing style. That right there is Bisping’s main problem, as he actually has solid takedown defense and, more importantly, knows how to clear his hips after getting taken down and escape back to the feet. Yet Bisping doesn’t have the KO power to keep opponents from simply getting right back in his face and restarting the cycle.
This is where the fight gets complicated. Miller has the wrestling to get Bisping down but not the grappling or ground-and-pound to overwhelm him from there. This is key, as Bisping’s ability to escape to the feet means Miller has to try and get past Bisping’s guard before he can clear his hips. The limitations of Miller’s game will become apparent here, though, because Bisping excels at controlling his opponent’s posture from the guard.
That is the polar opposite of what Miller wants. His game is at its best in scrambles where he can advance position and make better use of his grappling as opposed to relying on his substandard ground-and-pound inside the guard. It should also be noted that Bisping showed incredible savvy in his bout with Denis Kang, managing to survive multiple threatening positions against a well-respected grappler. The flipside of that is Bisping ultimately had to rely on Kang self-destructing like Chernobyl in order to pull off a win.
Miller has the conditioning and focus to assure that he won’t end up like Kang. His uncoordinated striking is a serious liability in this fight, however. While Bisping isn’t going to KO anyone with a halfway decent chin, he does know how to rack up points by throwing strikes in volume. If Miller chooses to stand his ground on the feet, he’ll certainly get outpointed, but it doesn’t make any sense for him to do so.
Against Maia, Miller clearly felt that his opponent posed too much of a threat with submissions to take him down. Against Sonnen, he was simply outwrestled. Bisping doesn’t pose the same threats, but his takedown defense and busy punching style should be just enough to eke out a decision win.
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