THE CANADIAN PRESS
Team Miller scores another win as bantamweight Johnny Bedford wins a decision over diminutive Josh Ferguson on Season 14 of "The Ultimate Fighter."
The victory, which aired on Episode 3 Wednesday night, gives Jason (Mayhem) Miller a 2-0 lead over rival coach Michael (The Count) Bisping on the MMA reality TV show.
"Two fights. Still a long way to go yet," says Bisping when Miller taunts him after the loss. "Don’t get too cocky yet."
Despite a sore right hand, the five-foot-10 Bedford makes the most of his five-inch height and seven-inch reach advantage — not to mention a 17-9-1 record compared to 7-3 — in the clinch with knees and strikes at the fence.
A scrappy Ferguson pays for an attempt at a flying knee when Bedford takes him down in the final round.
Ferguson riles Beford at the fight announcement by pulling out a piece of paper with Bedford’s name and a curse word.
The previous week, the Bisping fighters poked fun at Miller’s selection via a chant at the weigh-in.
"They just keep on with the disrespect," says an incredulous Miller.
Fuelled by that disrespect, featherweight Bryan Caraway chokes out Bisping’s Marcus Brimage in the first fight.
The latest episode starts with Miller injecting some fun into his training session with an impromptu battle using foam pipes.
"Today we’re going to learn the first rule of the Octagon — defend yourself at all times," says Miller before bashing bantamweight John Dodson.
Says featherweight fighter Steven Siler: "I didn’t think Mayhem cared as much about us as he does. It makes us want to fight more for him. But yet we’re still having fun on the side, and joking around and having a good time."
Meanwhile, the Bisping team takes revenge for Miller filling their dressing room with tires by stripping the wheels off Miller’s ride and stashing them in his changing room.
"Son of a bitch," Miller says with a smile as he sees the tires from his Dodge Charger indoors.
"It has just begun," he adds.
Bisping has his hands full in the cage as featherweights Diego Brandao and Marcus Brimage go at it during training.
"Before my mommy cry, his mommy’s going to cry fast," says Brandao in his broken English.
"Let’s leave the mothers out of this," says a smiling Bisping.
The two fighters eventually shake hands and make up.
"Diego, he’s definitely a bit of a ticking time bomb," Bisping says of the high-strung Brazilian.
After just three episodes, the show is lacking entertainment other than the fights.
Bisping calling Miller, whose hair is dyed blond, "toilet brush head," hardly makes for witty repartee.
Outside the cage, Bisping featherweight Akira Corassani is fast emerging as the early season clown.
"I think I make the days goes by faster for everybody in the house," says Corassani, who entertains teammate by sitting on the pool table while wearing a metal cup and having teammates fire billiard balls at his nether regions.
The maturity levels plummets further when Corassani elects to prank Miller featherweight Dustin Neace for having three testicles.
Neace responds and the two engage in a verbal battle that makes kindergarten antagonists sound like the Yale debate club.
The show also hints of Miller bantamweight Dodson getting too close to the Bisping team.
This season is the first to feature the UFC’s two lightest weight classes.
The rival coaches are slated to square off on the live finale on Dec. 3.
