Another major MMA event has come and gone, and it’s time for my unofficial “Best Performance of the Night” award. And when you have an event like UFC on FX 1, it’s tough to pick just one finish out of all the great ones the night provided.
Of the 10 scheduled bouts, only two went to a decision. So which finish stood out above all the rest? Here’s why Jim Miller took home “Best Performance of the Night.”
Let’s begin as we always do, fans and friends—by putting the situation into context.
Heading into this fight, Miller had lost for only the third time in his professional MMA career. His record stood at an overwhelmingly positive 20-3. To date, only Benson Henderson, Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard have ever beaten Miller.
Henderson is set to challenge for the UFC lightweight championship, Maynard is a two-time UFC lightweight championship challenger and Edgar is the current reigning and defending UFC lightweight champion.
Before losing to Henderson, Miller was on a seven-fight winning streak that included four stoppage victories, two of which occurred in the first round.
I’ve been saying that Miller is underrated and one of the best lightweights in the UFC since 2010, so hopefully that background gives you a better idea of why I find it puzzling that Jim Miller isn’t a major star right now.
Miller’s opponent for this event, Melvin Guillard, was dealing with his own humbling loss coming into the UFC on FX 1 event. With a gigantic record of 29-9-2 with one no contest, Guillard had most of the fame that had eluded Miller.
At times both famous and infamous, Guillard has been known for his wild style, his self-destructive personal problems and his ability to dramatically finish opponents. Before losing to Joe Lauzon at UFC 136, Guillard was on a five-fight winning streak with three wins by (T)KO and with all three of those wins occurring in the very first round of action.
Even with both men coming off of losses, this was a fight between two top-10 fighters, and it seemed destined to deliver an entertaining finish.
And it fulfilled its destiny.
Guillard is known for his early-round onslaughts, and that’s exactly what he brought against Miller. The ability of Miller to take a punch and survive Guillard’s blitzkrieg is every bit as impressive as his ability to turn the situation around and submit Guillard.
With this win, Miller moves his record to 21-3 with 12 wins by submission. He’s won three out of his last four, and all three wins have been stoppages.
At this point, I don’t know what else I can do. I’m not just in the bandwagon, I’m not just at the front of it, I’m practically jumping up and down screaming my lungs out into a megaphone.
Everybody, please! Start paying attention to Jim Miller, because he’s awesome. This fight proved that, and that’s why he gets my “Best Performance of the Night” award.
Oliver Saenz, also known as PdW2kX, is a freelance journalist, opinion columnist, hardcore MMA fan, and lifelong video game nerd. For more news, views, previews, and reviews on all things Mixed Martial Arts as well as video games, be sure to visit FightGamesBlog.net.
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