For some time now, MMA fans have been hounding UFC president Dana White for answers to the major question that has dominated fan forums. With the upcoming fourteenth installment of the major reality MMA competition to be the first to feature either or both the Featherweight or Bantamweight divisions, which are two of the most action packed divisions, this season demands two head coaches who would help revitalize ratings.
Earlier today Friday, May 27, White himself broke the news that a match up fans had been asking for since acquiring Strikeforce would be granted. White announced that newly re-signed fan favorite Jason "Mayhem" Miller (27-4-0(1))will now take on the face of British MMA Michael "The Count" Bisping (21-3-0)as coaches on TUF14 first before eventually taking each other on in the octagon later this year. TUF14is expected to begin filming in June, and by then there will be clarification on whether both Featherweights and Bantamweights will compete on the show returning to the show's format, or if the new format of showcasing only one and continuing to use the wild card will still be preferred.
"Mayhem" has gained great popularity over these few years fighting in Strikeforce, starting a reality show called Bully Beatdown, and started a rivalry with Strikeforce Welterweight champ Nick Diaz. Immediately after news of Mayhem being signed into the UFC once again, he went on a campaign on Twitter to coach against Bisping, or even Sonnen.
Bisping had plenty of promotion behind him as he become the #1 target of American born fighters hoping to beat a trash talking Brit ever since his stint as a coach on TUF9: TEAM USA vs TEAM UK when he led a team of his fellow countrymen to win in both featured divisions and coaching opposite of MMA legend Dan Henderson. Bisping has earned much criticism and resentment from American MMA fans especially after his last fight at UFC 127: Penn vs Fitch when he landed what appeared to be intentional "illegal" knees to a clearly "downed" Jorge Rivera. A highly promotable grudge match was expected between elite contender Chael Sonnen and Bisping, but it was scrapped after the CSAC prolonged Sonnen's suspension to May of next year.
With a fan favorite in Mayhem and a a trash talker in Bisping, the match up with these two as coaches sets up for some good entertainment. Combine that with the fast pace that the Featherweights and/or Bantamweights will bring to the octagon when they compete to become the first TUF winner(s) in their weight class.
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