Jim Miller was able to remain within title contention at 155 pounds, and he did it in impressive fashion.
After getting stunned early on in the opening minutes of the first round, Miller was able to regain his composure and apply a rear-naked choke on Melvin Guillard to get the victory at UFC on FX 1.
Both competitors were entering their lightweight bout in search of a win, in order to stay within reach of a title shot in the lightweight division. Miller previously lost to Benson Henderson at UFC Live 5 last year, while Guillard was coming a submission loss to Joe Lauzon at UFC 136.
Guillard came out and attempted to press the action, as he utilized his striking and speed. He landed a flying knee that hurt Miller, and continued to attack his opponent, who was visibly wounded. Shortly after, Guillard repeatedly tried to land a flying knee, before Miller countered and landed a double leg takedown, securing top position.
Miller would utilize his superior ground game, as he immediately passed Guillard’s guard, and ended up in full mount. “The Young Assassin” tried to reverse the position, but gave up his back in the process, allowing Miller to lock in a rear-naked choke and forcing Guillard to tap.
The victory was a huge moral boost for Miller, considering his personal problems as of late, and it has launched him back amongst the elite competitors in the division. The win was Miller’s twelfth submission victory, and he has now won eight of his ten UFC bouts, extending his overall record to 21-3-0.
Meanwhile, Guillard has now dropped back-to-back fights for the first time in nine bouts, owning a professional of 29-10-2.
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