Veteran Jim Miller has a well-earned reputation as one of the lightweight division’s slickest grapplers, to which his 13 career submission victories attest.
Twenty-five-year-old Beneil Dariush (11-1) doesn’t quite yet have the same rep, but after performances like the one he put on Saturday night at UFC on FOX 15, he’s on the map for his sweet jiu-jitsu skills as well.
Dariush and Miller put on a ground clinic for 15 minutes in Miller’s hometown Prudential Center. But while Miller got the best of the first round, Dariush was stronger over the final two, which was enough to earn Dariush the biggest victory of his career.
Miller (24-6, 1 NC) got off to a strong start in the first round, as he sunk in a Kimura and later a triangle from the bottom.
Over the final 10 minutes, though, Dariush got the best of things, as he spent much of the time working for a rear-naked choke from Miller’s back. It’s to the crafty Miller’s credit that he was able to successfully defend against the submission, but he was never able to get any offense untracked as Dariush pushed forward to victory.
Dariush, who has six career submission wins, improved to 5-1 in the UFC. Miller has dropped his past two fights.