Jim Miller looks incredible in late submission victory over Gabriel Benitez in UFC Vegas 84 co-main event
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to us for the first time in a month tonight, January 13, 2024, for UFC Vegas 84, going down live from the UFC Apex in Enterprise, Nevada.
Headlining the event is a light-heavyweight rematch between no. 3 ranked Magomed Ankalaev (18-1-1) and no. 7 ranked Johnny Walker (21-7).
Co-headlining the event was also intended to be a rematch, that one coming in the flyweight division between no. 5 ranked Matheus Nicolau and no. 6 ranked Manel Kape (19-6). However, Kape weighed in at 129.5 lbs yesterday, 3.5 lbs over the flyweight non-title limit, thus scrapping the bout altogether.
As a result, the feature fight of the evening between Jim Miller (37-17) and Gabriel Benitez (23-11) was bumped up to the co-main event slot.
Miller came into the bout having gone 4-1 over his latest five appearances, all four wins coming via finish, while Benitez came in having gone 4-4 over his last eight, sharing each three knockout wins and three knockout defeats in that time.
Continue reading to see how our co-main event of the evening went down:
Official Result: Jim Miller def. Gabriel Benitez via submission (neck crank) at 3:25 of round one
Benitez lands a good one-two once the bout begins, Miller unfazed by it. Benitez then lands a good leg kick before Miller immediately returns with a heavy leg kick of his own. Miller begins to press the pace and throws a good combination that lands in a beautiful body shot.
Miller is winning the physicality battle as well, he looked good through the opening five minutes.
Miller’s striking continues to impress into round two before he bullies Benitez down to the mat; he reigns down some heavy elbows from top position, and is able to take Benitez’ back in a scramble, holding position until the end of the second.
Miller continues to batter the lead leg of Benitez in the third and final round, he’s really been controlling the whole fight since the start. He times another beautiful takedown and sits in Benitez’ half guard before eventually taking his back again.
From here it didn’t take too long and Miller secures the neck crank finish.
JIM MILLER STILL GOT THAT DAWG IN HIM AS HE CHOKES OUT BENITEZ #UFCVegas84
NEXT STOP UFC 300 pic.twitter.com/1Hnuja23h9
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) January 14, 2024
There were a couple different times there where we thought Jim Miller was done; from his 1-4 span during 2014 to 2016 or his four-fight losing skid from 2017 to 2018, which turned into a 1-5 span in his last six by the end of 2018, add onto that he had a long and miserable bout with Lyme disease and so on. Things weren’t looking great for him for a time there.
Now Miller is 5-1 in his last six since 2021, all five wins via finish and the lone defeat via decision. At 40 years of age, it’s just incredible what he’s been able to do. The career resurgence he’s had is remarkable; he’s durable again, his striking is better than ever, though it was always good, and his wrestling and physicality also look as good as they ever have.
Miller has called out Matt Brown, who holds the second-most knockouts in UFC history, second to only Derrick Lewis, and a man that has the most knockouts in UFC welterweight history, for a UFC 300 bout.
For Miller being potentially the only talent to ever compete at UFC 100 (UD win over Mac Danzig), UFC 200 (TKO win over Takanori Gomi), and UFC 300, a win here was very important, almost as important as him not getting injured in tonight’s bout.
Brock Lesnar is the only other to have competed at both UFC 100 (TKO win over Frank Mir) and UFC 200 (UD win over Mark Hunt, later overturned to a NC)
Considering all of the records Miller has, him against another longtime veteran and record holder like Matt Brown would be a truly epic fight to add to UFC 300.
I love Jim Miller. Would be an honor. https://t.co/OZ1TqnfTap
— Matt Brown (@IamTheImmortal) January 14, 2024
Jim Miller’s career accomplishments:
- 14-time Performance bonus winner
- Most wins in UFC history (26)
- Most wins in UFC lightweight history (23)
- Most fights in UFC history (43)
- Most fights in UFC lightweight history (40)
- Most finishes in UFC lightweight history (16)
- Second-most finishes in UFC history (18) – second to former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, who he’s 1-1 against
- Second-most submission wins in UFC history (12) – also second to Charles Oliveira
And to think Miller had a seven-fight win streak from 2009 to 2011, accumulating to a 20-2 record overall, and didn’t get a title shot.
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