TUF Coaches To Title Contenders: Bisping vs. Miller – The Road to Anderson Silva

Michael Bisping vs. Jason Miller

After coaching opposite him on season 14 of the Ultimate Fighter, Michael Bisping will welcome back Jason “Mayhem” Miller to the UFC, in a middleweight contest that’s been slated for December 3rd in Las Vegas.

The fight is a surprisingly high profile one to be given to “Mayhem” for his first bout back. He’s currently riding a two-fight win streak with his last one coming via first round submission against MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba in Japan. He was originally scheduled to fight Aaron Simpson at UFC 132.

Outside of fighting, “Mayhem” has earned a degree of notoriety for his role as presenter on the MTV show Bully Beatdown.

The fight with Bisping is a massive opportunity for Miller as a win will catapult him directly into the mix for the title. With his already established fame and popularity, UFC bosses may be convinced to overlook more deserving fighters in favour of a more commercial matchup.

The same goes for Bisping. Currently riding a three fight win streak, a win over Miller may be enough to earn him a shot. However if Nate Marquardt wins against Rick Story, he may have one more obstacle in his path.

Then there’s Brian Stann who himself is currently riding a three fight win streak and looked very impressive in his UFC 130 knockout victory over the highly rated Jorge Santiago. Stann has looked like he could prove to be a force within the division since he started training with Greg Jackson.

Also if Wanderlei Silva can beat Chris Leben at UFC 132 in Las Vegas, he would be a popular choice with fans to step up to fight the winner of Silva and Okami. Wanderlei is the last man to beat Bisping but has had a long layoff since he had to pull out of his UFC 116 fight with Yoshihiro Akiyama due to broken ribs.

At UFC 133, the last man to face the champion returns to the octagon as Vitor Belfort faces Yoshihiro Akiyama. Akiama, although riding a two fight losing streak, is still considered a major player within the weight class. A win for either man will propel them back from defeat to the top of the division.

Jiu-Jitsu specialist Damian Maia has won his last two since his fight with Anderson Silva. He faces grappler Mark Munoz at UFC 131.

However if Okami does manage to pull off the unthinkable, you would have to imagine that Silva will be granted an immediate rematch. This will prolong the wait for those below.

As Chael Sonnen struggles for clemency from the commissioners, a chance to grab his spot is open for a number of fighters. The middleweight division has a giant cluster of contenders who all feel deserving of a title shot. Over the next few weeks, that cluster will be cut in half as the winners and losers will polarise the division.

So who do you think will be the next number one contender?

provided by AHB (A HUNDRED BATTLES)