Ramsey Nijem - Finishing Fights is the First Priority at 155

"I'm always trying to finish my fights because that's what people want to see. You can be a wrestler, but you can be exciting as a wrestler.” - Ramsey Nijem

THIS CONTENT REQUIRES ADOBE FLASH PLAYER 10 OR HIGHER.

Get Flash Player

 

 

UFC lightweight and Ultimate Fighter alum Ramsey Nijem

“Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.” - Oscar Wilde

Simply put, it was a rookie mistake. On June 4th in the season 13 final of The Ultimate Fighter, Ramsey Nijem fouled up his UFC debut with a first round TKO loss to Tony Ferguson. Nijem got too excited, said goodbye to his gameplan and just started exchanging punches with Ferguson. Even the best of fighters forget themselves the first time they’re in the Octagon, especially in the main event. But the key to a fighter’s future is to recognize the slip up and learn from it, and Nijem has done just that.

“It was definitely a big rookie mistake,” admits Nijem. “I let my pride get in the way instead of sticking to my gameplan. I didn't play to my strengths. I played into someone else's strengths. I didn't even try to take him down once. When we hit the ground, I tried to stand right back to my feet to continue on my feet. I think part of it is that I hit him a couple times and I felt some good connections. I saw I stunned him a little bit, so I got a little fired up. I have a kill switch, which is good sometimes and gets me in trouble other times.”

At 23 years old, let’s chalk Nijem’s mishap up as a factor of youth. The former NCAA Division I wrestler from Utah Valley University was the youngest fighter in the house and, arguably, the least experienced, having only competed for two and a half years prior to the show. Nevertheless, Nijem’s greenness didn’t hold him back as he ran through the TUF competition to get to the finals. The problem wasn’t training or preparedness; Nijem got sidetracked trying to prove something in the fight and not just trying to win it.

“I had a really good training camp and I felt ready,” tells Nijem. “I had worked a lot on my standup, but I got caught up in the moment and forgot what got me to the dance. I started reading what people had been saying on the internet that I couldn't standup with him or I would get knocked out. Leading into the fight, I definitely had a chip on my shoulder and a little bit too much pride.”

What got Nijem to the dance is his wrestling, coupled with his ability to finish. During TUF 13, Nijem tapped Charlie Rader and Clay Harvison with rear naked chokes and TKOed Chris Cope to propel “Stripper Ramsey” to the finals. Nijem’s 5-2 pro record adds another pair of rear naked choke victories and a TKO win from local shows in his hometown Orem, Utah. Wrestlers are accused of only muscling their way to decisions, and Nijem is looking to disprove that by building an Octagon career on stopping opponents.

“I'm looking to finish all my fights,” asserts Nijem. “I don't just want to be a wrestler who grinds out decisions. It's boring for the fans, but it's awful to do yourself. It isn't very fun to out grind someone. I'm always trying to finish my fights because that's what people want to see. You can be a wrestler, but you can be exciting as a wrestler.”

Now, he has the opportunity to get back to his previous winning ways against Roufusport product Danny Downes at UFC 137. On October 29th, Nijem will make his second debut in the UFC by changing weight classes: welterweight to lightweight. Awaiting Nijem at 155 pounds will be the 8-2 “Danny Boy”. The Marquette University alum is mostly known for his standup, especially coming from a highly touted gym overseen by kickboxing legend Duke Roufus.

“He's got a good record and he comes out of a good camp,” explains Nijem. “I'm going to be dropping down to 155 and I'm going to be pretty big for 155. I feel like I'm going to have the athletic edge on him: size, strength and explosion. Obviously, I think I'm going to be the better wrestler/grappler. He's a tough kid, but I watched Jeremy Stephens take him down and manhandle him. I think I'm a better wrestler than Stephens. That's obviously the plan going into this fight.”

To prepare for the Downes bout, Nijem has been battling in a couple pits - literally. Nijem cuts his training time between John Hackleman’s illustrious “The Pit” in Arroyo Grande, California, and its sister school “The Pit Elevated” in Orem, Utah, which is run by Jason Mertlich. Nijem is sharpening up his fists and feet under Hackleman, and strengthening his submissions and ground control under Mertlich. Plus, Nijem is working with friend/TUF winner Court McGee, housemate/former opponent Harvison, as well as some of Hackleman’s best kept secrets like The Pit black belt Luke Riddering.

“I'm training with John Hackleman at The Pit, which is a prestigious camp,” says Nijem. “We kind of do it old school out here. We're outside, it's nothing fancy, it's just hard work, just sweat and blood. Back home, I have Jason Mertlich, who is a jiu-jitsu black belt, so I'm always working with him to improve my submission game. He has really good combat style jiu-jitsu (Four7). You're never really lying on your back, you're on top and it's a vicious style of grappling. I do think I've made more progress by leaps and bounds working with my coaches John Hackleman and Jason Mertlich. Obviously after my last fight, I'm a grappler/wrestler and that's my strength, so that's what I'm going to stick to in this fight. I'm going to put him against the fence, beat him up and take him to the ground.”

Lastly, Nijem is poised to get his first W in the Octagon, but, most of all, this fight is another opportunity for him to do what he enjoys doing the most: fighting. “If I was wealthy and retired, I would be doing the same thing I'm doing now: training for fights and fighting,” affirms Nijem, who honestly loves fighting and is pursuing it as a career because it’s fun and he wants to win at it. “I hope people see the passion and the competitive drive in me. Once I get in there and we start fighting I'll be having fun and I enjoy having fun and I enjoy fighting. This is just how I'm having fun now: punching someone in the face.”

On October 29th at UFC 137, Nijem and Downes will clash in a lightweight bout, both hoping to rebound from their first Octagon losses. “I'm going to be a lot more calm in the cage going into this fight,” states Nijem, who will look to score a win by systematically taking apart his opponent like a veteran, despite his youthful appearance. “It's not that I have to go and out wrestle this kid. In my book, that's not performing. I want to go out and look for finishes and win every single position.”

TUF 14 - Episode Five Recap

 

A recap of episode five of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller...

Follow contestants' weekly blogs on the following sites:
TJ Dillashaw – Heavy
Dennis Bermudez – MMA Junkie
John Dodson – Sherdog
Diego Brandao – MMA Fighting
Bryan Caraway – Bleacher Report
Johnny Bedford – USA Today
Akira Corassani – SB Nation
Dustin Pague – MMA Weekly
Roland Delorme – 5th Round / Canadian Press
John Albert – MMA Torch
Steve Siler – Pro MMA Now
Louis Gaudinot – MMA Diehards
Stephen Bass – MMA Valor
Dustin Neace – Around the Octagon

CAUTION: SPOILERS INCLUDED – Coach Jason “Mayhem” Miller has led his squad to a commanding 4-0 lead on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller, and tempers are beginning to flare on the opposing side.

Following Dustin Pague’s win over Louis Gaudinot, Team Bisping’s Diego Brandao gets into it with Team Miller’s Steven Siler.

“I’m going to take your head off,” yells Brandao, but he gets a talking to from his coach when he punches the wall, risking injury.

“Diego’s a little emotionally unstable,” said Bisping. “He’s pissed off and he wants to fight.”

Miller visits his team in the house and finds out that the mole on the squad who is telling Team Bisping the upcoming matchups is John Dodson.

“Now that we know the situation, I’ll try to use it to our advantage,” said Miller, who takes a proposed Siler-Brandao bout off the table in favor of a bout between Dustin Neace and Akira Corassani.

“It’s gonna give us a decided advantage,” said Miller. “Akira will be really fat, Dustin will be really in shape, and Diego will be really pissed.”

Adding to the fire between Neace and Corassani is their continued bad blood with each other over various pranks, and when things extend to the gym, the two need to be separated by Bisping.

At the fight announcement, things keep escalating, but “Mayhem” ends the suspense by announcing the Neace-Corassani bout. Things are calm for just seconds though, as the staredown kicks off a brawl, causing the coaches to step in to break everything up. Then it’s Miller pushing Bisping, and the peacemakers keep jawing at each other.

Once it’s time to fight for real, the action is close until Neace trips to the mat, allowing Corassani to land some ground strikes and take the top position. Neace stays busy in between strikes from his opponent, and he locks in a heel hook and nearly submits Corassani. With a minute left, the two scramble and stand, with Neace finishing his scoring for the round with a takedown.

Between rounds, Neace insists that Corassani tapped out in the first, but he still has to fight another round. In the second, Corassani starts out strong, with his striking attack scoring some points for him, and with three minutes left, he drops Neace hard with a left hook. Neace is able to weather the storm, but Corassani keeps the pressure on from the top position, allowing him to stay in control and wrap up the round.

That isn’t the end of it though, as Corassani taunts his foe after the final bell and Neace jumps at him. The two are kept apart, but Miller squirts water at Bisping and the coaches are at it again. Corassani also gets warned by Keith Kizer, Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission for his post-fight actions.

Corassani wins a majority decision and moves on to the next round, securing Team Bisping’s first win of the season in the process.

Team Miller stays in the lead in the competition 4-1. Here’s how the teams look:

TEAM BISPING
Diego Brandao
Akira Corassani 1-0
Marcus Brimage – Eliminated in episode two by Bryan Caraway
Stephen Bass – Eliminated in episode four by Dennis Bermudez
Louis Gaudinot – Eliminated in episode four by Dustin Pague
TJ Dillashaw
John Albert
Josh Ferguson – Eliminated in episode three by Johnny Bedford

TEAM MILLER
Dennis Bermudez 1-0
Bryan Caraway 1-0
Dustin Neace - Eliminated in episode five by Akira Corassani
Steven Siler
John Dodson
Johnny Bedford 1-0
Dustin Pague 1-0
Roland Delorme

For weekly recaps of The Ultimate Fighter, as well as fighter profiles, stay tuned to UFC.com.

Thomas Gerbasi: TUF 14 - Episode Four Recap

A recap of episode four of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller...

 

Follow contestants' weekly blogs on the following sites:
TJ Dillashaw – Heavy
Dennis Bermudez – MMA Junkie
John Dodson – Sherdog
Diego Brandao – MMA Fighting
Bryan Caraway – Bleacher Report
Johnny Bedford – USA Today
Akira Corassani – SB Nation
Dustin Pague – MMA Weekly
Roland Delorme – 5th Round / Canadian Press
John Albert – MMA Torch
Steve Siler – Pro MMA Now
Louis Gaudinot – MMA Diehards
Stephen Bass – MMA Valor
Dustin Neace – Around the Octagon

CAUTION: SPOILERS INCLUDED – The fights are heating up on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller, as coach Michael Bisping tries to get his squad back on track after falling behind 0-2. Can they right the ship this week?

If Team Bisping is going to get on the board in the TUF14 competition, they’ve at least got a head start, as Team Miller’s John Dodson has told his buddies on the other side that the next matchup will pit Bisping’s Stephen Bass against Miller’s Dennis Bermudez.

In response, Bisping and Co. put Bass through an intense training session in order to get ready for the upcoming bout. As the official fight announcement for the Bermudez-Bass bout is made, Bisping is not in the building, so Miller puts a punching bag up in his place.

“I think Bisping not showing up sends a clear message to his team,” said Miller. “‘I don’t care about you.’”

Bisping does show up the fight though, and Bass does some good work early on. Bermudez eventually gets him to the mat, and he keeps him there for the rest of the round, pounding away with a series of strikes in the process.

Beaten up in the first round, Bass doesn’t see things get any better in the second. In fact, they get worse as Bermudez drops his foe with a knee and then eludes a submission attempt before forcing referee Josh Rosenthal to halt the bout after an unanswered series of strikes just before the three minute mark.

The next fight announcement is right up next, and the 3-0 Team Miller keeps control of the picks. This time, Miller sends Dustin Pague in against Team Bisping’s Louis Gaudinot. It’s another bout Bisping and his squad knew ahead of time thanks to Dodson.

“I’m not sure how Bisping’s team knows the matchups,” said Miller. “But I don’t care if they knew every damn matchup we’re gonna put up. What are they gonna do? They better train harder, but it’s kinda hard to train with no coach.”

That coach, Bisping, isn’t too happy when Bass tells him that he felt overtrained for his loss to Bermudez.

“Anybody else feel the same way,” asks Bisping of his team.

No one does.

“You’re out of order for saying that Stephen,” said Bisping, who has high hopes for Gaudinot to finally get his team on the board.

But it’s Pague who nullifies a strong start from Gaudinot with a couple hard knees that allow him to close the gap and take his foe to the mat. Gaudinot rises and gets back to business, but with under two minutes left, Pague begins teeing off with his knees again, allowing him to finish the round strong.

In the second, the two battle it out at a fast pace, but a right hand by Pague puts Gaudinot on the mat. Gaudinot gets up, but Pague keeps him within reach, and the knees start flying again, sending the green-haired Gaudinot to the canvas again. This time, Pague takes his opponent’s back and finishes matters with a rear naked choke.

After two wins this week, Team Miller takes a 4-0 lead in the competition. Here’s how the teams look:

TEAM BISPING
Diego Brandao
Akira Corassani
Marcus Brimage – Eliminated in episode two by Bryan Caraway
Stephen Bass – Eliminated in episode four by Dennis Bermudez
Louis Gaudinot – Eliminated in episode four by Dustin Pague
TJ Dillashaw
John Albert
Josh Ferguson – Eliminated in episode three by Johnny Bedford

TEAM MILLER
Dennis Bermudez 1-0
Bryan Caraway 1-0
Dustin Neace
Steven Siler
John Dodson
Johnny Bedford 1-0
Dustin Pague 1-0
Roland Delorme

For weekly recaps of The Ultimate Fighter, as well as fighter profiles, stay tuned to UFC.com.

Thomas Gerbasi: TUF 14 - Episode Three Recap

Spoiler Alert - click below for a recap of episode three of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller...

 

CAUTION: SPOILERS INCLUDED – The first bantamweight elimination bout of the second round is on tap on this week’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller. Who will move on?

Team Miller breaks the tension of practice with a little fun in the UFC Training Center to open things up, but as this is going on, Team Bisping’s coaching staff decides to respond to last week’s prank that was played on them by taking all four tires off Miller’s car. Miller takes the prank well, but he promises that things are just getting heated up.

“It has just begun,” said Miller. “Well done.”

Team Bisping’s sparring sessions are pretty intense, and things quickly get out of control, forcing coach Bisping to get involved to break up Marcus Brimage and Diego Brandao.

“Diego is definitely a bit of a ticking time bomb,” said Bisping. “He’s so emotional it’s ridiculous. But I’m an emotional guy too, so I can relate to that.”

Back in the house, Akira keeps his teammates entertained with his antics and various pranks, but the next day there’s some fight business to take care of, and with Team Miller in control of the board, they choose Johnny Bedford to face Josh Ferguson, and things quickly go to a whole new level when Ferguson writes “$%^% you Bedford” on a piece of paper and shows it to his foe.

“I felt like I was in the middle of a country-western bar about to get stabbed,” said Miller.

The showdowns aren’t finished yet though, as Dustin Neace has finally had enough of Akira’s antics, and he takes it out on Corassani’s bed. Corassani confronts Neace and a rivalry is born.

Also adding to the intrigue is the alliance started by Ferguson, Louis Gaudinot, and John Dodson. Dodson, of Team Miller, tells Team Bisping’s Ferguson that his opponent, Bedford, is coming into the fight with an injured hand.

Bedford is clearly favoring his right as the bout begins, as he almost exclusively uses his left hand after taking Ferguson to the mat. While standing, Bedford also focuses on using his left hand and his kicks, but since it’s working well for him, there are few concerns. With a little over a minute left, Bedford almost locks up an armbar, but Ferguson escapes and gets back to his feet. A final takedown before the bell locks up the round for the Team Miller member.

There’s more of the same in the second round, with Ferguson giving a scrappy effort, but Bedford just one step ahead of him in all aspects of the game, allowing him to take the unanimous decision and move on to the next round.

Team Miller takes a 2-0 lead in the competition. Here’s how the teams look:

TEAM BISPING
Diego Brandao
Akira Corassani
Marcus Brimage – Eliminated in episode two by Bryan Caraway
Stephen Bass
Louis Gaudinot
TJ Dillashaw
John Albert
Josh Ferguson – Eliminated in episode three by Johnny Bedford

TEAM MILLER
Dennis Bermudez
Bryan Caraway 1-0
Dustin Neace
Steven Siler
John Dodson
Johnny Bedford 1-0
Dustin Pague
Roland Delorme

For weekly recaps of The Ultimate Fighter, as well as fighter profiles, stay tuned to UFC.com.

Ben Fowlkes: A Night at the Movies with 'Mayhem' Miller and Michael Bisping

DENVER -- Michael Bisping and Jason "Mayhem" Miller make for an unlikely movie date, but in some bizarre way, the pairing works. The two showed up at the Paramount Theater on Wednesday night for a private screening of The Ultimate Fighter season 14 premiere looking less like rivals and more like...well, not friends exactly, but also not quite enemies.

"He's not a bad guy. He's alright," Bisping admitted, nodding over at Miller who was, at the very moment, practically shouting into a video camera a few feet away. "But trust me, that in your face for six weeks? You're going to kill the guy."

Now that filming is over and Bisping can get back to dealing with Miller "in small doses," the two seem to get along just fine. Or at least, that's how it seemed as they sat down together with a handful of media members to watch the first episode of the Spike TV reality show inside the 80-year-old art deco theater.

The show's first episode didn't give the coaches all that much to do, however. After a brief introduction, complete with highlight reels, they spent the bulk of the episode separated by UFC president Dana White, watching TUF hopefuls scrap for a spot on the show inside the empty Mandalay Bay Events Center. Not that there weren't a few barbs here and there, of course.

When Bisping appeared on screen, describing Miller's current bleached blonde look as a cross between "Josh Koscheck and a toilet brush," even Miller reared his head back and laughed along with the rest of us.

And all night long, both on screen and in person, the one thing they agreed on was a mutual respect for the talent level of the fighters in this season of the show. Miller estimated that at least eight of the competitors were worthy of UFC contracts, regardless of how they fared during the reality show tournament.

But while seeking refuge in the lobby during the final half-hour of the show, Miller hinted that some days had been tougher than others when working alongside his British counterpart.

"I wanted to hit him," he said. "I'd be like, today I'm going to hit him."

What stopped him, he explained, was that he worried it would make him look like a jerk once the show aired. "And then my mom would get mad," he added.

The six weeks of filming in Las Vegas and the ensuing media tour to hype the show have ensured that Miller and Bisping hardly go a day without talking about one another. For a fight that's still more than two months away, that's an uncommon amount of preamble, even in the UFC.

In fact, Miller said, it's taken almost every bit of patience he has to keep from freaking out with so much time to think about the fight. In his younger days, he said, this is exactly the kind of thing that might have sent him looking for trouble at a local bar.

"Or I'd start an argument with my girlfriend, just for the drama," he said.

These days, as he jets from southern California to New York for talk shows, then to a private screening in Denver, more often than not it's Bisping who is his date. And as they bickered about practical jokes and busted one another's chops on stage following the show's premiere, they seemed not unlike an old married couple -- though maybe one that's headed for divorce.

"During the show, I wanted to kill him," Bisping said. "I'm going to kill him."

Miller just rolled his eyes, flashing the same unimpressed expression we'd seen just moments before on the giant screen behind him.

"Save your breath for cooling your pies," he said.

"Whatever that means," Bisping shot back.

As with any couple, few battles are as fierce as the fight for the last word.

Thomas Gerbasi: TUF 14 - Episode One Recap

Spoiler Alert - click below for a recap of episode one of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Miller vs. Team Bisping...

 

 

For the first time in the history of The Ultimate Fighter, the bantamweight and featherweight divisions are being featured on the Spike TV reality series, and leading these 32 hopefuls into battle on what promises to be one of the most action-packed seasons yet will be middleweight contenders Michael “The Count” Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller.

“I’m really excited to help a batch of new guys start their UFC careers right here,” said Miller.

“I’m back here for season 14, I’m not gonna do anything differently,” said Bisping winner of TUF season three and a successful coach on season nine. “You either like me, or you don’t.”

As this season opens, UFC President Dana White doesn’t meet the fighters in the UFC Training Center. Instead, the Octagon at the Mandalay Bay Events Center is the setting for his introduction to the 32 competitors.

“The reason I brought you here today is because I want you to feel it,” said White. “I want you to take it in and look around at some of the banners up here. Not only some of the biggest UFC fights in history, but some of the biggest fights ever have been held here at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.”

And the next series of fights, to whittle the field down from 32 to 16, will be held in this renowned arena. In another new twist, fans will vote for the best fight, knockout, and submission of the season, with the winners getting $25,000 each at the finale.

After the coaches are introduced, the fights begin.

Josh Ferguson is up first against 21-year old Casey Dyer in a bantamweight bout. Ferguson wastes no time sending Dyer home, dropping him with the first right hand he landed and finishing him off with ground strikes in less than 20 seconds.

Featherweights Diego Brandao and Jesse Newell get called to the Octagon next, and Newell has some striking success early, but it’s Brazil’s Brandao who finishes things later in the first round with a left hook followed by a flying right forearm.

John Dodson was impressive with his punches and kicks throughout his bantamweight bout against Brandon Merkt, and it was a body shot that spelled the beginning of the end, with follow-up ground strikes forcing referee Steve Mazzagatti to halt the first rounder moments later.

East coasters Dennis Bermudez (New York) and Jimmie Rivera (New Jersey) squared off in a featherweight matchup. Rivera was in total control in the first round, dropping, slamming, and almost submitting Bermudez. The New Yorker got back in the fight in round two though, and after getting Rivera to the mat and taking his back, he finished off his foe with strikes. Bermudez goes to the TUF house via second round TKO.

Josh Ferguson’s brother BJ gets the next call to face Winnipeg’s Roland Delorme in a bantamweight scrap, but he won’t be joining his sibling, as Delorme finished matters in the first round with a triangle choke.

In featherweight action, Marcus Brimage was impressive in his stoppage of game Bryson Wailehua-Hansen. It didn’t look good for Brimage early, as he was controlled on the mat for much of the first round, but after reversing position, getting back to his feet, and opening up with his thudding strikes, he battered the steel-chinned Hawaiian for the rest of the round. In the second, Brimage picked up where he left off, and after another series of strikes, Mazzagatti stopped the fight, sending Brimage to the house.

Texas veteran Johnny Bedford scored the upset in an exciting bantamweight battle, using his wrestling and striking to set up a submission via choke of Carson Beebe, the brother of former WEC bantamweight champion Chase Beebe.

Tokyo native Tateki Matsuda is the first Japanese fighter to compete in TUF, but after two closely-contested rounds, it was Dustin Pague earning the majority decision win in the bantamweight bout.

In a back and forth bantamweight match, Paul McVeigh and Louis Gaudinot went to a sudden victory round, but in the third, Gaudinot surged ahead to earn the decision win.

WEC veteran Bryan Caraway moved on the final 16 at featherweight with a two round unanimous decision win over Eric Marriott, and joining him was veteran Dustin Neace, who upset unbeaten Josh Clopton via unanimous decision.

Highly-touted bantamweight TJ Dillashaw lived up to expectations, stopping Indiana’s Matt Jaggers via first round TKO, but in the biggest upset thus far, unheralded Steven Siler submitted WEC vet Micah Miller via guillotine choke in the third round to move on to the TUF house.

Earning the final bantamweight slot in the tournament was John “Prince” Albert, who submitted Orville Smith via rear naked choke in the first round. And in the final two featherweight bouts of the elimination round, Stephen Bass submitted Karsten Lenjoint via triangle choke in the second round, and Sweden’s Akira Corassani knocked out Brian Pearman in the first round.

Next week, the coaches pick teams. Here’s the final 16:

FEATHERWEIGHTS
Diego Brandao
Dennis Bermudez
Marcus Brimage
Bryan Caraway
Dustin Neace
Steven Siler
Stephen Bass
Akira Corassani

BANTAMWEIGHTS
Josh Ferguson
John Dodson
Roland Delorme
Johnny Bedford
Dustin Pague
Louis Gaudinot
TJ Dillashaw
John Albert

For weekly recaps of The Ultimate Fighter, as well as fighter profiles, stay tuned to UFC.com.

TUF 14 Cast Revealed; Season To Debut On Sept. 21

16 Bantamweights and 16 Featherweights To Vie For Six-Figure Contracts With The Ultimate Fighting Championship® Two-Hour Premiere To Feature All The Preliminary Fights On Wednesday, September 21 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Spike TV
The fourteenth season of Spike TV’s popular original series, The Ultimate Fighter,® will kick off on Wednesday, September 21 at 9 p.m. ET/PT with a special two-hour premiere featuring all of the preliminary fights in their entirety. Tune in as 32 of the world’s most promising mixed martial arts competitors begin the quest to advance into the The Ultimate Fighter house. Beginning Wednesday, September 28, new episodes will premiere at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
For the first time in franchise history, the bantamweight (145) and featherweight (135) weight classes will be showcased. Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Michael “The Count” Bisping will compete as coaches this season and will eventually meet in the Octagon® at The Ultimate Fighter Finale in December.
The Ultimate Fighter®: Team Miller vs. Team Bisping cast, whose hometowns range from Gothenburg, Sweden to Winnipeg, Manitoba to Glasgow, Scotland to Yonkers, N.Y. include the following:
BANTAMWEIGHTS
JOHN ALBERT
Fighting out of: Puyallup, Wash. / Victory Athletics
Record: 6-1-0
Age: 24
JOHNNY BEDFORD
Fighting out of: Watuga, Texas/ F3 Alliance
Record: 17-9-1
Age: 28
CARSON BEEBE
Fighting out of: Western Springs, Ill. / Gilbert Grappling
Record: 6-1-0
Age: 22
ROLAND DELORME
Fighting out of: Winnipeg, Manitoba / Winnipeg Academy of MMA
Record: 6-1-0
Age: 27
TJ DILLASHAW
Fighting out of: Sacramento, Calif. / Team Alpha Male
Record: 4-0-0
Age: 25
JOHN DODSON
Fighting out of: Albuquerque, N.M. / Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts
Record: 11-5-0
Age: 26
CASEY DYER
Fighting out of: New Castle, Ind. / No Affiliation
Record: 6-1-0
Age: 21
BJ FERGUSON
Fighting out of: Louisville, Ky. / All-American MMA
Record: 6-2-0
Age: 29
JOSH FERGUSON
Fighting out of: Louisville, Ky. / All-American MMA
Record: 7-3-0
Age: 22
LOUIS GAUDINOT
Fighting out of: Yonkers, N.Y. / Team Tiger Schulmann
Record: 5-1-0
Age: 26
MATT JAGGERS
Fighting out of: Connersville, Ind. / Team Wolfpack
Record: 20-7-0
Age: 25
TATEKI MATSUDA
Fighting out of: Boston, Mass. / Team Sityodtong
Record: 6-2-0
Age: 25
PAUL MCVEIGH
Fighting out of: Glasgow, Scotland / Dinky Ninjas
Record: 18-6-0
Age: 29
BRANDON MERKT
Fighting out of: New Richmond, Wisc. / The Academy
Record: 11-0-0
Age: 27
DUSTIN PAGUE
Fighting out of: Centreville, Va. / MASE MMA
Record: 9-4-0
Age: 23
ORVILLE SMITH
Fighting out of: Indianapolis, Ind. / Integrated Fighting
Record: 11-3-0
Age: 30
FEATHERWEIGHTS
STEPHEN BASS
Fighting out of: Savannah, Ga. / Lloyd Irvin MMA
Record: 10-0-0
Age: 28
DENNIS BERMUDEZ
Fighting out of: Massapequa, N.Y./ Long Island MMA
Record: 7-2-0
Age: 24
DIEGO BRANDAO
Fighting out of: Albuquerque, N.M. / Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts
Record: 13-7-0
Age: 23
MARCUS BRIMAGE
Fighting out of: Coconut Creek, Fla. / American Top Team
Record: 3-1-0
Age: 31
BRYAN CARAWAY
Fighting out of: Sacramento, Calif. / Team Alpha Male
Record: 15-5-0
Age: 26
JOSH CLOPTON
Fighting out of: San Francisco, Calif. / Skrap Pack
Record: 4-0-1
Age: 29
AKIRA CORASSANI
Fighting out of: Gothenburg, Sweden / Team Kaobon
Record: 9-3-0
Age: 28
KARSTEN LENJOINT
Fighting out of: Nottingham, United Kingdom / Wolfslair Academy
Record: 7-1-0
Age: 30
ERIC MARRIOTT
Fighting out of: Independence, Mo. / Grindhouse MMA
Record: 20-5-0
Age: 25
MICAH MILLER
Fighting out of: Coconut Creek, Fla. / American Top Team
Record: 17-4-0
Age: 24
DUSTIN NEACE
Fighting out of: Granite City, Ill. / Hit Squad
Record: 22-17-1
Age: 24
JESSE NEWELL
Fighting out of: Ventura, Calif. / Knuckleheadz Boxing
Record: 6-1-0
Age: 24
BRIAN PEARMAN
Fighting out of: Springfield, Mo. / Springfield Fight Club
Record: 7-1-0
Age: 26
JIMMIE RIVERA
Fighting out of: Elmwood Park, N.J. / Team Tiger Schulmann
Record: 8-1-0
Age: 21
STEVEN SILER
Fighting out of: Ogden, Utah / Riven Academy
Record: 18-9-0
Age: 24
BRYSON WAILEHUA-HANSEN
Fighting out of: Honolulu, Hawaii / MMA Development
Record: 5-1-0
Age: 24

TUF 14: Team Bisping vs. Team Mayhem Official Video Trailer

Fourteenth season of The Ultimate Fighter is just around the corner.

First episode of TUF 14, two-hour special, will air on September 21st on SpikeTV starting 9PM CST. For the first time ever, TUF will feature Bantamweights and Featherweights, who will compete for their place in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. TUF 14 coaches will be Jason "Mayhem" Miller and Michael "The Count" Bisping (TUF 9 coach, TUF 3 contestant).
Our good friends at OrcBite suggest to keep an eye on 9-3 Hamid “Akira” Corassani. Fighting out of Gothenburg, Sweden, Corassani will look to become the first Swedish fighter to ever win The Ultimate Fighter, with sights on joining Alexander Gustafsson in the top ranks of the UFC.

TUF 14: Coming September 21st
Get More: Watch The Ultimate Fighter TUF+14/">TUF 14 Michael Bisping Jason "Mayhem" Miller bantamweights featherweights

On This Day in MMA History…June 21

(RIP Evan Tanner.)
Well, it wasn’t the most MMA history-steeped day, but there were a few noteworthy events that took place on this day in MMA.
The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale went down 3 years ago.

Evan Tanner Post Fight Interview
Tags: Evan Tanner Post Fight Interview

Why it Matters:
The event marked the final fight of former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner before his untimely death in the Paolo Verde, California desert. In spite of a close split-decision loss to Kendall Grove on the card, Tanner would give perhaps his last and most harrowing interview that provided an eerie foreboding soundbite that fans will forever make wonder if it was in reference to his career or his troubled life. “I’m feeling off, flat, can’t move. Maybe it’s…you know…Maybe my day is done.”
The event also saw the first TUF winner with no professional fighting experience crowned. Amir Sadollah, who has since racked up a respectable 5-2 record in the Octagon defeated the more seasoned former Arizona State wrestling standout CB Dollaway by first round submission.
One of the night’s winners, Diego Sanchez, would make an ill-fated decision he may now regret in retrospective. Following his win over Luigi Florvanti, Diego announced that he would be dropping to light weight to take a run at a title in the lighter class. After racking up a pair of wins over Joe Stevenson and CLay Guida, “The Nightmare,” as he was known back then, lost via decisive fifth-round TKO stoppage to then-lightweight champion BJ Penn at UFC 107. After a one-year stint as a lightweight, the TUF 1 middleweight winner decided to move back up to welterweight where he has since compiled a 2-1 record with a loss to John Hathaway and a pair of wins over Martin Kampmann and Paulo Thiago.
Iroquois MMA Championships went down 3 years ago.
Why it Matters:

The event, which took place just outside Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on native land saw Gary Goodridge fight at home in Ontario, Canada for the first and last time in his career before he retired. Although the bout didn’t go as planned for ”Big Daddy,” as he lost by unanimous decision, the fact that fans in his home province got to watch the Barrie, Ontario native compete live before he called it a career more than made up for it.
Ring of Fire 5: Predators went down 9 years ago.
Why it matters:

(Back before Diego proved he was more than just a pretty face.)

The otherwise un-newsworthy event saw a 20-year old fighter take the first step in an impressive career. Diego Sanchez defeated fellow MMA newcomer Michael Johnson (no, not the TUF 12 runner-up) at the event that took place at the Radisson North Graystone Castle hotel in Denver, Colorado. Thanks to his appearance on TUF 1 and his ferocious fighting Style, Sanchez (23-4) has grown to become a favorite of UFC fans.
Pancrase: Advance 8 went down 13 years ago.

Why it matters:

UFC 13 tournament winner Guy Mezger faced off with kickboxing juggernaut Semmy Schilt in a moneyweight bout. Although Mezger would lose via TKO at the 13:15 mark of the first round, the fight would go down as one of his most memorable (for those who have seen it) of Mezgar’s storied career.

“THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER: TEAM BISPING VS. TEAM MILLER” GOES INTO PRODUCTION IN LAS VEGAS

Middleweight contenders Michael Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller will serve as coaches for season 14 of Spike TV’s popular series, The Ultimate Fighter®. The series goes into production today in Las Vegas and premieres on Spike TV in September, with Bisping and Miller fighting to headline the show’s live finale in Las Vegas in December.

Michael Bisping is no stranger to The Ultimate Fighter, as he was the season three champion fighting as a light heavyweight in April 2006, and served as a coach in season nine opposite Dan Henderson. Fighting out of Los Angeles, CA by way of Manchester, England, “The Count” Bisping won his first five fights in the UFC at light heavyweight over such notable fighters as Matt Hamill, Elvis Sinosic, and Josh Haynes to win the aforementioned The Ultimate Fighter season 3 title. After a loss to Rashad Evans, he dropped down to the middleweight division, and has since emerged as one of the sport’s dominant fighters at 185 pounds. He has won seven of nine bouts at middleweight, and is currently on a three-fight winning streak.

Jason Miller is making a return to the UFC after fighting with Dream, based in Japan, and STRIKEFORCE. Fighting out of Huntington Beach, CA, Miller is one of mixed martial arts’ biggest personalities, with a lengthy resume of memorable bouts against the likes of Frank Trigg, Jake Shields, and Kazushi Sakuraba. The star of the MTV series, “Bully Beatdown,” Miller last fought in the UFC against Georges St-Pierre at UFC 52 in April 2005. Miller is currently riding a two-fight winning streak, most recently defeating Sakuraba last September.

The fourteenth season of Spike TV’s popular original series, The Ultimate Fighter, will feature 32 of the best up-and-coming mixed martial artists in the featherweight and bantamweight divisions competing for a six-figure contract with the preeminent mixed martial organization in the world, the Ultimate Fighting Championship®. This marks the first time these two divisions have been featured on the show. As in prior seasons, 16 of these competitors must win a preliminary bout to gain a place in the Ultimate Fighter House, one step closer to their ultimate goal, whereas the losers of these bouts are sent home.

Spike TV is available in 99.4 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV's press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.