What does Jim Miller have to do to get noticed?
He’s currently riding a seven-fight win streak that includes wins over a former TUF winner and one of the most hyped prospects in the division, he’s finished his last two fights in highly impressive fashion, and he’s sporting a 20-2 record with his only losses coming at the hands of the current champion and No. 1 contender.
Yet, somehow his fight with former WEC champion Ben Henderson has been subjected to co-main event status behind a fight between two guys coming off losses who are nowhere near title contention. Huh?
Not taking away anything from Dan Hardy and Chris Lytle, as they are both tremendously entertaining and will almost certainly provide us with a memorable fight on Sunday, but it makes no sense to have a potential No. 1 contender get second billing on a free TV card.
If Miller was a boring fighter, a case could be made to stick him behind some well known names, but he has done nothing but improve all aspects of his game as of late and his last couple fights have been highly entertaining.
If the UFC wants to build up contenders and marketable fighters in the lighter weight classes, this would seem like the perfect opportunity to do so. The fight is on free TV, there are plenty of other marketable names on the card (including Hardy and former TUF winner Amir Sadollah), and throwing a guaranteed slug-fest like Hardy-Lytle on before the main event would entice viewers to remain tuned in.
It seems like the UFC has dropped the ball with Miller so far, but if he wins this weekend, he deserves his shot at redemption against whoever comes out of the UFC 136 title fight.
He is a completely different fighter than the guy who lost to Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, and a win over a former WEC champion would add a huge amount of credibility to an already good resume.
Jim Miller has proven he belongs inside the Octagon with the best in the division. If he wins on Sunday, let’s hope he steals Joe Rogan’s microphone and demands a title shot from Dana White and Joe Silva.
Maybe the world will notice him then.
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