UFC lightweight contender Jim Miller (20-2) recently spoke to MMAmania at AMA Fight Club in Whippany, New Jersey. He is working towards his 10th victory in the UFC when he takes on Ben Henderson (13-2) at UFC on Versus 5, August 14.”He’s definitely got…
UFC lightweight contender Jim Miller (20-2) recently spoke to MMAmania at AMA Fight Club in Whippany, New Jersey. He is working towards his 10th victory in the UFC when he takes on Ben Henderson (13-2) at UFC on Versus 5, August 14.
“He’s definitely got a good guillotine,” said Miller, who is currently on a seven-fight win streak. “He’s dangerous with it. He hits it pretty quickly. I consider myself difficult to choke. If you ask any the guys on the mat, I typically don’t get choked. We’ll see.”
“Anything can happen in a fight and he’s a dangerous fighter, so that’s what makes it exciting for me that knowing he can beat me,” he continued. “The 20 guys that I’ve beaten all could have all beaten me, but I was just the better fighter that night and at that time.”
Jim’s brother, Dan Miller, talked about Henderson as an opponent. Dan fights in the UFC in the middleweight division.
“Ben’s a really good fighter,” said Dan, whose next fight comes against Rousimar Palhares at UFC 134. “I think it’s going to be a tough fight for Jim, but I think Jim can beat any 155-pounder in the world. There really isn’t anyone out there that he can’t beat, so I think it’s a very winnable fight for him.”
Miller also spoke on the upcoming bout between UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard at UFC 136 and who he would like to fight more. His only losses were to both of them. Only the Maynard loss took place in the UFC.
“I’m friends with Frankie. He’s a great guy,” said Miller. “We’ve trained together. It’s been a little over a year since we were training together regularly. He made me a better fighter when we trained together.
“I’d like to see him (Edgar) win. I’d like to see him beat everybody except me if we get a rematch. It’s just one of those things. It’s nothing personal with him. If we have to fight, we have to fight.
“As a contender, I’m a little bit more bitter about the fight I had with Gray,” said Miller, who lost a decision to Maynard at UFC 96. “I made some mistakes that I should not have made leading up to that fight so personally, I’d rather fight him.”
While suffering through The Change-Up this weekend, I started thinking about the hypothetical situation of MMA fighters switching bodies. Obviously, one fighter would get the short end of the stick, like in all relationships, but other than that, it’s all good news from there. Imagine the man with a warrior spirit and broken body upgrading for a newer model. Imagine the heavy-duty gas-guzzler being replaced by a tiny, eco-friendly, electric car. Imagine experience and youth joining forces to reign terror on anything that steps in its way. So who most deserves a cinematic body-swap? Read on and find out…
BJ Penn and Brock Lesnar
Advantage: Baby Jay
For years, Penn has been criticized for his lack of self-discipline and willingness to stay in shape. Switching bodies would solve that problem and create what might be the best heavyweight in UFC history. A Nova Uniao Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with explosive striking and a granite chin, Penn has everything that Lesnar wishes he had. The Prodigy would be a wrecking ball at heavyweight if he had Brock’s body — as long as the viking took the diverticulitis thing with him. If he had to keep the illness during the switch, then I guess we could all agree that we’d like to see Josh Koscheck trade bodies with Brock.
(Unlike the rest of us, the eye candy in the back decided to open her eyes for Cyborg.)
While suffering through The Change-Up this weekend, I started thinking about the hypothetical situation of MMA fighters switching bodies. Obviously, one fighter would get the short end of the stick, like in all relationships, but other than that, it’s all good news from there. Imagine the man with a warrior spirit and broken body upgrading for a newer model. Imagine the heavy-duty gas-guzzler being replaced by a tiny, eco-friendly, electric car. Imagine experience and youth joining forces to reign terror on anything that steps in its way. So who most deserves a cinematic body-swap? Read on and find out…
BJ Penn and Brock Lesnar
Advantage: Baby Jay
For years, Penn has been criticized for his lack of self-discipline and willingness to stay in shape. Switching bodies would solve that problem and create what might be the best heavyweight in UFC history. A Nova Uniao Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with explosive striking and a granite chin, Penn has everything that Lesnar wishes he had. The Prodigy would be a wrecking ball at heavyweight if he had Brock’s body — as long as the viking took the diverticulitis thing with him. If he had to keep the illness during the switch, then I guess we could all agree that we’d like to see Josh Koscheck trade bodies with Brock.
Roy Nelson and Clay Guida
Advantage: Nelson
The TUF 10: Heavyweights winner is in a slump following back-to-back losses against JDS and Frank Mir. You remember seeing ‘Big Country’ sucking wind and basically collapsing after the final horn, right? I can’t remember another fighter looking worse in the Octagon besides Kimbo. We know from the JDS fight that Nelson is capable of eating punches and asking for more while his black belt in BJJ is evident when the fight hits the mat. Question: Why doesn’t he win more? Cardio? Heart? Answer: Both.
Wrap up Roy’s knowledge, passion, and skill inside the body of Clay Guida and you’ve got yourself a force to be reckoned with. The Carpenter is the most fuel efficient guy on the roster, and his thick neanderthal-esque skull will provide the x-factor in Nelson’s game. Wishing you had Mo Lawal’s oxygen supplier in your corner will become a thing of the past as a “new” lightweight makes a mad dash for Edgar’s title. The only question that comes to mind when pondering this swap of bodies is whether Roy will keep Guida’s famous hair or go for a mullet.
Gina Carano and Cristiane ‘Cris Cyborg’ Santos
Advantage: Fans
Not to take anything away from the budding Hollywood actress, but Cyborg is a genetic freak and the more skilled female fighter. But what Carano lacks in MMA dominance, she more than makes up for in beauty and star-power. Gina Carano is hotter than a Tezpur Chili on the Scoville Scale and because Cyborg would get Carano’s body while keeping her wicked awesome skills, Chyna would have to give the title of ‘9th Wonder of the World‘ to Santos. Makes perfect sense to us. Honestly, this one actually should be a movie.
Jim Miller and Chael Sonnen
Advantage: Miller
The 20 and 2 AMA product is overdue for a title shot. (You could argue that Clay Guida deserves one first after defeating former #1 contender Anthony Pettis, but you could also argue that Strikeforce won’t be swallowed up by the UFC next year.) Jim Miller is riding an incredible seven-fight win streak, leaving behind a pile of game competitors. So why no shot at the belt yet? Consider this: walk around your local mall or sports bar and ask random dudes who Jim Miller is. “Isn’t he that ‘Bully Beatdown’ guy?” is probably how most would respond.
Apparently top-notch technique and continued success just aren’t enough. What’s missing? The personality to make people want to see you compete — and remember when you do — and the charisma to captivate an audience both in and out of the cage. Enter Chael Sonnen, aka Senor Chael. Problem solved. The only downside is that if we do get to see Silva vs. Sonnen 2, the pre-fight hype will be downgraded from AAA to AA+.
Wanderlei Silva and Jon Jones
Advantage: Wandy
Of all the fighters who we’d love to see switch bodies, this might be our favorite. We are unabashedly huge fans of ‘The Axe Murderer’ and wish he could somehow drink from the mystical Fountain of Youth to prolong his storied career as one of MMA’s coolest/scariest dudes.
Jon Jones has the largest reach of active UFC fighters. Do you even understand the possibilities of what that kind of wingspan could do when combined with one of the sport’s most lethal strikers? This would literally be the second coming of Wanderlei Silva! Look, we know he’s still got the itch to fight. New body, fresh outlook, old scores to settle.
Is Jonny Bones getting the short end of the stick? Absolutely. But look on the bright side — at least he won’t have to duck Rashad anymore.
UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle will take place Sunday August 14th in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The main event will feature two of the UFC’s most exciting welterweights fighting to get back in the win column. Also featured on the card is Jim Miller and Ben…
UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle will take place Sunday August 14th in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The main event will feature two of the UFC’s most exciting welterweights fighting to get back in the win column.
Also featured on the card is Jim Miller and Ben Henderson, two lightweights who hope a win will bring them a title shot.
Also featured on the main card are former WEC title contender Donald Cerrone taking on top prospect Charles Oliveira and TUF season 7 winner Amir Sadollah taking on Duane Ludwig.
Although this card doesn’t feature some of the bigger names in the UFC, it does feature stars in the making, top fighters fighting for title shots and for their jobs.
Here are some predictions for another exciting main card.
Filed under: UFC, NewsTo say Jim Miller fights under the radar is a bit of an understatement. With seven straight wins in the octagon, the New Jersey lightweight boasts the third-longest active win streak in the UFC. Yet due to the division’s depth, he…
To say Jim Miller fights under the radar is a bit of an understatement. With seven straight wins in the octagon, the New Jersey lightweight boasts the third-longest active win streak in the UFC. Yet due to the division’s depth, he is often forgotten when it comes to the title picture.
On Sunday, he fights former WEC champ Ben Henderson in the co-main event of UFC Live 5: Hardy vs. Lytle. And perhaps he’ll finally get his chance for a big moment. Because after UFC 133 was over, UFC president Dana White turned to future matters. Asked if Miller would earn an opportunity to fight for the belt if he beat Henderson, White nodded.
“Jim Miller is right there,” he said. “He probably will.”
Miller (20-2) has finished each of his last two fights, earning a TKO over Kamal Shalorus at UFC 128, and earning a submission win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 124. His only career losses are to the UFC’s current champ (Frankie Edgar) and the No. 1 contender (Gray Maynard). Both fights went the distance.
For his part, Miller is extremely pragmatic about the waiting game. He says the UFC has not guaranteed him a title shot, and that if he considers himself the best (he does), he should be able to beat anyone in front of him regardless of weather he has a belt around his waist or not. So until he gets it, he’ll continue to fight whoever the UFC puts in front of him.
He noted that there have been some strange situations at the top of the division recently, like BJ Penn‘s immediate rematch with Frankie Edgar, followed by Edgar’s draw with Maynard, and Anthony Pettis forgoing a title shot and then losing out on his chance. With everything swirling around him, Miller hopes to stay the course and let his performances speak for themselves.
“There is just so much going on that to get frustrated by it would just be silly and just lead to more stress,” he said on a recent teleconference. “So I just relax and take the fights as they come and just try to fight the best and beat them.”
Once thought of as a grappling specialist, Miller has opened eyes with his improved striking, putting a beating on Shalorus that was punctuated by a left uppercut and knee to the head that led to the finish. The skills would serve him well in a rematch with either Edgar or Maynard, who both have strong standup skills.
Of course, he’ll have to get there first, and defeating the 13-2 Henderson will be no easy task. He recently bounced back from a loss to Pettis to defeat Mark Bocek by decision at April’s UFC 129. It was a decisive win for Henderson, who has won six of his seven fights under the Zuffa banner.
Given Henderson’s resume, Miller may be able to finally earn the chance to fight for gold. While White wouldn’t fully commit to the idea, he agreed that with eight wins in a row, Miller will have proven everything he needs to prove before getting his opportunity.
At UFC 132, Melvin Guillard handled another opponent with ease when he knocked out Shane Roller. Guillard has now won his fifth straight fight, and is hoping to face better competition. At last night’s post-fight press conference, Guillard c…
At UFC 132, Melvin Guillard handled another opponent with ease when he knocked out Shane Roller.
Guillard has now won his fifth straight fight, and is hoping to face better competition.
At last night’s post-fight press conference, Guillard called out Jim Miller.
Is Guillard ready for a step up in competition? Here are four fights that could test him.
Charlie Brenneman got the opportunity of a lifetime when he accepted a fight with top prospect Rick Story on just two days notice.He won the fight by unanimous decision, upsetting the favorite and launching himself into the long list of the most impres…
Charlie Brenneman got the opportunity of a lifetime when he accepted a fight with top prospect Rick Story on just two days notice.
He won the fight by unanimous decision, upsetting the favorite and launching himself into the long list of the most impressive fighters of 2011.
The list of the most impressive victories of the year includes newcomers, title challengers and underdogs, all overcoming the odds, winning big and setting the stage for what’s to come in their UFC careers.
These are the top 10 most impressive victories of the first half of 2011, and they won’t be the only ones.
UFC lightweight contender Jim Miller (20-2) recently spoke to MMAmania at AMA Fight Club in Whippany, New Jersey. He is working towards his 10th victory in the UFC when he takes on Ben Henderson (13-2) at UFC on Versus 5, August 14.
To say 
