Author: Jordy McElroy

Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller Results: What We Learned About Miller

Jim Miller’s steep drop from upper-echelon UFC contender to barely a top-10 lightweight has been shockingly fast and unexpected.At UFC on Fox 3, the New Jersey native capped off a 1-2 stint with a second-round submission loss to Nate Diaz.”Nate control…

Jim Miller‘s steep drop from upper-echelon UFC contender to barely a top-10 lightweight has been shockingly fast and unexpected.

At UFC on Fox 3, the New Jersey native capped off a 1-2 stint with a second-round submission loss to Nate Diaz.

“Nate controlled the fight from bell to bell,” Miller said at the post-fight press conference. “He controlled the momentum and never let me get any significant shots in there. He fought a beautiful fight and had my number.”

Miller, who was finished for the first time in his career, was riding a seven-fight win streak around this time last year, but his title hopes were ruined by a decision loss to current UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson.

He later rebounded with a first-round submission victory over Melvin Guillard.

With the loss to Diaz, Miller finds himself at a crossroads in his career. He’ll either have to make the necessary adjustments to improve his overall game and get over the hump, or he could contemplate dropping to the featherweight division.

Here’s what we learned about Miller on Saturday night.

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Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller: Should Nate Diaz Wait for a Title Shot?

Nate Diaz no longer lives in the wide-cast shadow of his brother Nick.At UFC on Fox 3, the young Diaz brother became the No. 1 lightweight contender after submitting Jim Miller at 4:09 of the second round.UFC President Dana White has already set the wh…

Nate Diaz no longer lives in the wide-cast shadow of his brother Nick.

At UFC on Fox 3, the young Diaz brother became the No. 1 lightweight contender after submitting Jim Miller at 4:09 of the second round.

UFC President Dana White has already set the wheels in motion for Diaz to challenge the winner of the Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar rematch.

Is Diaz ready to compete against the upper-echelon sharks of the lightweight division, or should he wait things out and take a couple of more fights to be sure?

It’s always great for a young fighter like Diaz to keep taking fights to facilitate growth and all-around improvement, but the unpredictable nature of the sport could force his hand.

Fighters aren’t offered UFC title shots every day. Jon Fitch had to pile up eight straight wins before he was finally given an opportunity to challenge Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title. Miller was on a seven-fight win streak and still seeking a title shot before losing to Henderson in in August 2011.

Diaz happens to be in the right place at the right time. He is currently riding a three-fight win streak, and his last name is Diaz, a name that has become synonymous with entertainment and controversy.

At 27 years old, Diaz already has a ton of experience in competing on the big stage under the bright lights of the UFC.

The concern for Diaz predominantly stems from his subpar wrestling.

He was dominant in shutting down all of Miller’s takedown attempts, but Miller has never truly been considered a world class wrestler. His world class grappling skills are credited more to his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu abilities.

Diaz has been donkey-konged on in the past by strong wrestlers in Gray Maynard, Rory MacDonald, Dong-Hyun Kim, Clay Guida and Joe Stevenson. How do we know he’s made the necessary improvements to shrug off takedowns from Henderson and Edgar?

The simple answer to this question is that we don’t.

Still, a shot at a UFC title is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s better to cash in now and not risk losing somewhere down the road in a non-title bout.

Diaz needs to live in the moment and avoid any what ifs. This opportunity may never come around again.

 

Looking for some more MMA news, and perhaps a couple of laughs? Follow me on Twitter @JordyMcElroy.

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Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller Results: 5 Fights for Jim Miller to Take Next

Jim Miller is steadily slipping from contender to perennial lightweight gatekeeper.The New Jersey native was finished for the first time of his professional career by Nate Diaz in front of his hometown fans in East Rutherford at UFC on Fox 3 on Saturda…

Jim Miller is steadily slipping from contender to perennial lightweight gatekeeper.

The New Jersey native was finished for the first time of his professional career by Nate Diaz in front of his hometown fans in East Rutherford at UFC on Fox 3 on Saturday night.

Diaz used his reach and pinpoint accuracy to outland Miller on the feet. Takedowns were expected to be the key for Miller, but he was stuffed on every shot in the open and negated in all attempts from the clinch.

By the end of the second round, Miller was bloodied and battered, and in typical Diaz fashion, Nate began to open up with trash talk and a volley of punches.

Miller made a last-ditch effort on a telegraphed takedown attempt which proved to be his undoing, as Diaz countered with a modified guillotine choke to net the tap at 4:09 of the second round.

What’s next for Miller?

In such a stacked division, Miller has a long road ahead of him back to the top of the contender’s column.

Here are five fights he should take next.

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Jon Jones Reveals His Toughest Opponent, and It Isn’t Evans or Machida

Who is the toughest opponent Jon Jones has faced in his MMA career?If you answered Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida or Quinton Jackson, you would be wrong. Other than helping him break a good sweat, none of these fighters pushed Jones to the limit.There is …

Who is the toughest opponent Jon Jones has faced in his MMA career?

If you answered Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida or Quinton Jackson, you would be wrong. Other than helping him break a good sweat, none of these fighters pushed Jones to the limit.

There is one fighter that pushed Jones farther and harder than he’s ever gone. This man has never been a world champion or even a light heavyweight contender, but no one has ever questioned his heart and determination.

According to Jones, the toughest opponent he has ever faced is none other than The Ultimate Fighter Season One runner-up Stephan Bonnar.

“The toughest opponent, up to this point, would have to have been Stephan Bonnar,” Jones said in an interview on Spike TV’s MMA Uncensored Live. “He pushed me to the limits. I hit him hard, and he kept coming with relentlessness.”

Granted, Jones was still rough around the edges at the time, but Bonnar’s resilience and constant pressure made for an intriguing bout.

A couple of the judges even scored the third round for Bonnar.

It was a bout that really highlighted the cardio concerns about Jones, who could hardly stand in the final round. There is no question Bonnar was treated as a grappling dummy in the first couple of rounds, but his heart shined through in the end.

With that said, there really isn’t anything to take from that particular fight other than a gutsy performance from Bonnar. Since growing under the tutelage of Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn, Jones’ conditioning woes have become a distant memory.

Still, one can’t help but wonder.

Does Jones truly consider Bonnar his toughest foe to date, or could he be playing mind games in an attempt to psyche out the rest of the division?

 

Looking for some more MMA news, and perhaps a couple of laughs? Follow me on Twitter @JordyMcElroy.

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Ben Rothwell: I’ll Be the No. 1 Contender After I Beat Overeem’s Ass

Ben Rothwell wants UFC gold, and he is willing to go through anyone to get it.The former IFL champion believes his first-round knockout win over Brendan Schaub at UFC 145 pushed him into the contender’s column of the heavyweight division.Despite being …

Ben Rothwell wants UFC gold, and he is willing to go through anyone to get it.

The former IFL champion believes his first-round knockout win over Brendan Schaub at UFC 145 pushed him into the contender’s column of the heavyweight division.

Despite being an even 3-3 in his last six fights, Rothwell thinks he is a couple of wins away from realizing his dream of fighting for a UFC title.

“I’m willing to fight anyone the UFC wants me to fight in August,” Rothwell said on Sherdog Radio Network’s Savage Dog Show. “I’m going to beat whoever that is. I don’t care. Whoever it is, whoever you guys want to see me beat, I’m going to beat them in August.”

After that, I believe Alistair Overeem will be issued his license back December 27. That makes a perfect time for me to fight him New Year’s Eve, making me the number one contender after I beat his [expletive] ass. I’m going to beat him and then I’m going to fight whoever the champion is after that. That is my plan.

Rothwell certainly looked much improved against Schaub, a guy many considered a future contender in the division.

Still, it’s going to take much more than a win over Schaub to convince the masses that Rothwell deserves a crack at the heavyweight elite. In his last three outings, including his win over Gilbert Yvel, Rothwell has looked out of shape and sluggish in the Octagon.

He knew he would have to make the necessary changes in his life if he ever wanted to progress in the UFC.

“I changed who I am friends with. I changed my diet. I changed what I do when I have time off. I changed how I sleep. I changed everything,” Rothwell said.

The loss to Mark Hunt in September 2011 represented a turning point in Rothwell’s career. He trained hard and expected to have his hand raised at the end of the bout, but instead, he found himself constantly fending from his back in a lackluster decision loss.

“I trained hard. I thought I was going to win this fight and I didn’t,” said Rothwell. “It’s bad when you lose a fight, and you know you didn’t train hard. You’re sad, but you kind of knew you had it coming.”

“But when you train hard and lose, that’s harder to deal with. You think you’re supposed to win and you don’t. That [expletive] you up, and that happened to me.”

 

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Wanderlei Silva Warns Chael Sonnen

Unlike Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva has never been a passive person.Chael Sonnen has talked trash about Brazil and its fighters for two years now, and Wanderlei believes enough is enough.According to Tatame.com, Wanderlei thinks Sonnen has crossed t…

Unlike Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva has never been a passive person.

Chael Sonnen has talked trash about Brazil and its fighters for two years now, and Wanderlei believes enough is enough.

According to Tatame.com, Wanderlei thinks Sonnen has crossed the line with some of things he’s said about Anderson and Brazil. He complimented the UFC middleweight champion for staying composed and not playing into Sonnen‘s game.

I have nothing to say to [Chael Sonnen]. I won’t give him that kinda audience. I don’t care about what he says, I’m not interested, said Wanderlei.

If he wants to say those things looking me in the eye, come here. But that way, saying things when we’re distant, he’s an ass face. Only [expletive] say things at your back. If [he says it to my face] he’ll leave with a red burning scar.

There certainly isn’t any love lost between Wanderlei and Sonnen. The top middleweight contender has gone after the Brazilian several times on Twitter.

In an interview with MMAFighting’s Ariel Helwani back in July 2011, Wanderlei was more direct in his warning to Sonnen.

Sonnen, I kill him, I kill him fast. This guy talks a lot of [expletive]. This guy makes a wrong promotion. In the front, he talk one time, but on the computer, he talk a lot of [expletive] about our fighters. Don’t talk about me because that’s danger man. One day, we’re gonna see each other again.

At this point, warnings from “The Axe Murderer” won’t be nearly enough to quiet Sonnen, who recently sat in front of the Brazilian media in Rio de Janiero and continued his smack talk at the UFC 148 press conference.

How can one person instill fear in a man that’s bold enough to take on an entire country?

In the words of UFC President Dana White, “Sonnen has either got the biggest balls on Earth, or he’s crazy.”

 

Looking for some more MMA news, and perhaps a couple of laughs? Follow me on Twitter @JordyMcElroy.

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