Jason “Mayhem” Miller Banished from Showtime and CBS, Led to UFC Signing

The UFC signing of Jason “Mayhem” Miller came as a surprise to some and was met with elation by others.

The always colorful middleweight has been out of action since last September when he defeated legendary Japanese fighter Kazushi Sakuraba. After several fights that would have landed him back on a Strikeforce card seemed to have fallen through, everyone began to wonder where is Mayhem?

With the announcement he signed with the UFC, the question was answered, but not the full story behind why he signed.

UFC president Dana White revealed on Wednesday that Miller was actually banished from both Showtime and CBS for his part in the April 2010 melee involving then Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields and his entourage, which included Nick and Nate Diaz, as well as lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez.

After that time, Miller was issued a suspension from the Tennessee Athletic Commission and didn’t fight again until facing Sakuraba in Japan.

“Mayhem Miller he had a contract with those guys, he wasn’t being fought because he couldn’t fight on Showtime, he couldn’t fight on CBS, so he was in a bad position. So that’s why that happened,” White told MMAWeekly.com on Wednesday about Miller’s signing.

White wasn’t upset with Miller over the altercation that happened on CBS, but instead put the onus back on the promotion to control what happens in the cage after a fight is finished. The UFC president alluded back to the Paul Daley situation when he sucker punched Josh Koscheck after their fight, and was then booted from the UFC for life.

“Mayhem, he’s banished from CBS for life. In my opinion, he was a guy that’s put into a position. First of all, we control what happens inside that Octagon, the fighters do not. In our organization, you don’t see melees break out and huge fights. You see what happens when somebody does cross the line and do stuff like that,” White stated.

“I think Mayhem was put in a bad position. I don’t know, I haven’t talked to Mayhem about this, this is just what I believe and conversations I’ve had with Joe Silva. I think he was put in there to promote a fight and anyone who would throw Mayhem Miller in there when the Diaz brothers are in there, it’s a (expletive) big melting pot for disaster. I don’t blame Mayhem for the whole situation.”

Regardless of past standing with Showtime and CBS, Miller has a new home with the UFC, and will make his return to action this July in a middleweight fight against Aaron Simpson.

“Joe (Silva) wanted him, so he got in here,” White said in closing.

Damon Martin is the lead staff writer and radio host for MMAWeekly.com.

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