Michael Bisping: Jason Miller didn’t gas at TUF 14 Finale, 'The Count' beat him up

Fresh off of his three round beat down of Jason Miller last night (Dec. 3, 2011) at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 Finale in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Palms Hotel and Casino, Michael Bisping doesn't want to hear any excuses about "Mayhem's" cardio, or lack thereof.

"The Count" picked part "Mayhem" on the feet and the ground for the most part, en route to a third round technical knock out victory over the "Bully Beat Down" star.

Miller looked visibly tired after the first round and couldn't get anything going from there, telling his corner after the fight that he was too tired, which led fans and media to question Miller's endurance and preparation leading into one of the most important fights of his career.

One can attribute ring rust to Miller's performance, having last seen action almost 15 months ago when he defeated Japanese legend Kazushi Sakuraba at DREAM 16 back on Sept. 25, 2010. You can also say he had had an early adrenaline dump because of the fact that Miller came out aggressive and swinging for the fences in the first round, a round which he may or may not have won.

If you ask Bisping, however, it was neither of those reasons.

Speaking to Heavy.com, "The Count" declared that Miller didn't gas, but rather his sub-par performance was because of a good 'ole fashion butt whoopin' courtesy of England's favorite mixed martial artist:

"He didn't gas, I beat him up. His cardio is always good, he knows how to train for a fight, he's got a good team around him, I beat the living day lights out of him. I hit him in the body, sever, several, many, many times, I punched him in the face; yeah, he didn't gas, I beat the shit out of him and trust me it has an effect on your cardio."

The win over Miller marked Bisping's fourth consecutive win, inching him closer to his long desired title shot against Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight Champion, Anderson Silva. Bisping believes he has done enough during his time in the UFC to warrant a title shot:

"Oh, I'm definitely one of the best in the world. You know, I've fought in the UFC a long time. I've only got one proper loss on my record, so yeah I am one of the best it's as simple as that. I am fighting for the title soon. I keep fighting guys and I keep beating them, you know and seven out of eight of my last opponents have gone to the hospital, you know, that's the actual statistic. 80 percent of my UFC fights are stoppages, so I am one of the best and I want to fight for the title."

Bisping actually has three proper losses on his record; Rashad Evans at UFC 78, Dan Henderson at UFC 100 and Wanderlei Silva at UFC 110. Nonetheless, Bisping has made a strong case for himself to be mentioned among the top contenders for "The Spider's" 185-pound strap.

Regardless of his current four-fight win streak, Bisping may need to wait in line, or take another fight in the interim, as possibly the winner of Mark Munoz vs. Chael Sonnen -- who are scheduled to lock horns at UFC on FOX 2 on Jan. 28, 2012 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois -- are the front runners to get the next shot at Silva.

Who does Bisping think will prevail in a battle between two of the best wrestlers in the middleweight division?

"Mark Munoz is such a nice guy, a sweet guy. Chael Sonnen lives on another planet, but he seems like a nice guy, I am sure he is. I'll probably lean toward Chael Sonnen though."

Bisping has made a case for himself to be considered one of the best middleweight mixed martial artists in the world; however, personal feelings aside, has Bisping done enough in his last four performances to convince you of such high praise and is he ready to compete for the UFC's middleweight title?

Opinions, please.