Recent Strikeforce import Jason "Mayhem" Miller (24-7 MMA, 0-1 UFC) hasn't set foot in the UFC octagon in more than six years, but with a win over rival "The Ultimate Fighter 14" coach Michael Bisping (21-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC), he's ready to challenge middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva.
"I've got another guy on the radar: the guy with the damn strap, Anderson Silva," Miller told the crowd at this past weekend's UFC Fan Expo Houston 2011. "He's the best fighter in the world, and I want to stick my nose right to his nose and see what happens."
First, though, the former "Bully Beatdown" has a bit of business to handle, and he's ready to put his British counterpart to sleep.
"I would prefer [the rear-naked choke] because it's just so intimate when you get a rear-naked choke on somebody," Miller said when asked how he'd like to finish the Dec. 3 contest, which headlines The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale in Las Vegas. "You're behind them, and you're like, 'Yeah, I'm going to whisper a lullaby in your ear.' To me, that's awesome."
It's a lofty ambition but one perhaps not entirely out of reach. Silva is expected to rematch Chael Sonnen in his next outing, but Miller believes growing popularity from his "TUF 14" coaching gig and an impressive performance against an opponent such as Bisping could elevate him to top contender status.
It's a surprising shift of focus from a man who recently spent most of his energy trying to track down fights with Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu products Nick Diaz and Jake Shields. Miller said now that he's made the leap over to the UFC, he's honestly not interested in putting either of those bouts together.
"I don't have any interest in either of those fights," Miller said. "I was fighting Strikeforce at the time. Those were the choices I had. Now I've just got this whole plethora of awesome fighters to fight. I can't wait to start smashing heads."
Miller's lone UFC appearance came in an April 2005 loss to then-contender Georges St-Pierre. Miller has since put together a 12-3 record competing for Strikeforce, DREAM, WEC and the WFA, among others. He unsuccessfully bid for two other titles during that run, falling short against Shields under the Strikeforce banner and settling for a disappointing no-contest against Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza in a DREAM championship match.
But now, Miller has returned to the world's largest MMA promotion, and he's ready to challenge Silva, a man with 14-straight octagon wins and widely considered the world's best pound-for-pound fighter.
"I think he's a man," Miller said. "He bleeds the same blood that we do. If you put me in front of the champion, I'll be the champion. Just let me knock out the bloody wanker first."
Source: UFC's 'Mayhem' Miller prepping Michael Bisping lullaby, wants shot at Anderson Silva