Jim ‘F*cking’ Miller: His 13 greatest UFC fights of all time, ranked
April 10, 2024 8:00 am ET
UFC 300 is currently being touted for the depth it offers regarding the number of former champions on the card, but the fighter whom Iâm looking forward to seeing most is Jim Miller.
Aside from the admitted bias of Miller being one of my favorite MMA fighters of all time, the New Jersey native has been delivering non-stop action in the octagon since 2008, amassing win records and submission accolades in what has long been considered the UFCâs deepest weight class, the lightweight division.
In fact, Miller currently sits atop the board as the all-time wins leader in UFC history (26) regardless of weight class.
Longevity is difficult to achieve in any career, much less as a professional fighter in the lighter-weight classes of MMA. With Miller being the only fighter to be booked on all three of the UFCâs historic numbered events, the man should be treated like royalty from the fans to the promotion alike.
For that reason, I thought it would be appropriate to revisit some of Millerâs most memorable fights, ranking my favorites from his catalog.
Without further adoâŠ
13
Jim Miller vs. Duane Ludwig at UFC 108 (Jan. 2, 2010)
Earning the No. 13 spot is Millerâs club-and-sub win over Duane âBangâ Ludwig at UFC 108.
With that card, in particular, being one of the more injury-riddled cards in UFC history, Ludwig â who previously held the fastest knockout record for the promotion â was given another shot in the octagon when he stepped in for Tyson Griffin. Unfortunately for Ludwig, Miller proved to be more than a submission wrestler by dropping the Dutch-style kickboxer with a sneaky right hook.
Jim Miller vs Duane Ludwig
UFC 108 (2009)
Submission (armbar) Rd. 1
The classic striker vs grappler match up. But the grappler used strikes to get the fight to the ground pic.twitter.com/BZ4ZnxVdgd
â hopsman. (@HopmansLiam) January 16, 2024
In classic fashion, Miller jumped all over his opponent in the scramble and eventually secured a submission finish via armbar.
12
Jim Miller vs. Clay Guida at UFC on ESPN 5 (Aug. 3, 2019)
Aug 3, 2019; Newark, NJ, USA; Jim Miller (red gloves) fights Clay Guida (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Notching the No. 12 spot is a veteran vs. veteran matchup that felt like it was destined to happen.
Despite Clay Guida stinging Miller early on the feet, New Jerseyâs finest was able to fire back and counter to great effect.
One lightweight legend endures at anotherâs expense, as Jim Miller (31-13, 1 NC) clubs and subs Clay Guida to end an action-packed minute! Back in the lead for most UFC bouts (33), âA-10â is 3-1 in his last four (all wins by first-round sub). He has subbed 17 overall. #UFCNewark pic.twitter.com/35YkQBUC7W
â Kyle Johnson (@VonPreux) August 3, 2019
Giving it right back to Guida by landing a hard left hand, Miller was quick to take advantage of the opportunity by jumping on his patent guillotine choke.
11
Jim Miller vs. Jason Gonzalez at UFC on ESPN+ 8 (April 27, 2019)
Coming in at No. 11 is a feel-good performance from a post-prime Miller.
Despite closing as a slight favorite on the betting lines to Jason Gonzalez, Miller was thought to be close to toast at this stage of his career considering that he lost four of his last five fights prior to this point. To make things even more nail-biting for âA-10â fans, Miller â who never brought his entire family to a fight before â had his wife and children sitting cageside (as UFC commentator Jon Anik nervously noted).
Jim Miller vs Jason Gonzalez
UFC FN: Jacare vs Hermansson (2019)
Submission (rnc) Rd 1
If you couldnât tell by now, you shouldnât let Jim Miller take your back
Thereâs nothing like strangling a man in front of your family pic.twitter.com/lObeX82HNn
â hopsman. (@HopmansLiam) January 16, 2024
However, once the bell sounded, it was classic Miller from Jump Street. Getting on the younger man early, Miller was able to get Gonzalez down and immediately get to his back to close the show. You can hear the elation in Anikâs voice during his call of the finish, and the image of Millerâs family celebrating cageside was about as wholesome as it gets in this crazy sport.
10
Jim Miller vs. Gleison Tibau at UFC Fight Night 22 (Sept. 15, 2010)
Making the top 10 is an underrated fight from Millerâs early career catalog.
Amid one of the more impressive winning streaks in lightweight history, Miller was tasked to take on fellow longtime wins-leader Gleison Tibau. Not only did Tibau quietly hold some impressive standings at 155 pounds as one of the only men to come close to defeating Khabib Nurmagomedov, but the Brazilian was arguably the biggest lightweight to ever step foot in the octagon (at least according to Joe Rogan).
Although Tibau tended to be a bit of a neutralizer, Millerâs aggression brought out the best in his Brazilian counterpart, making for a fun back-and-forth affair.
9
Jim Miller vs. Thiago Alves at UFC 205 (Nov. 12, 2016)
Speaking of hulking Brazilians, Iâd be remiss if I left off the time that Miller purposefully gained weight in order to keep a fight alive with UFC welterweight title contender Thiago Alves.
The fight was initially booked as Alvesâ lightweight debut, but the Brazilian bruiser had a bad weight miss on the scales, which put the bout in jeopardy. With Miller being a man of his word when it comes to âanywhere, anytime,â New Jerseyâs own was able to keep the contest intact for what was a historic fight card.
Joe Rogan explaining how Jim Miller missed weight willingly in order to save his fight with former welterweight title challenger, Thiago Alves, who grossly missed the lightweight limit at UFC 205âŠ
Reason no. 1,214 why Jim Miller is a badass. pic.twitter.com/uoJ2jTXGaX
â Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) April 8, 2024
Miller, despite being the much smaller man, was able to dust off his wrestling chops in order to take down and tire out a monstrous Alves down the stretch.
8
Jim Miller vs. Takanori Gomi at UFC 200 (July 9, 2016)
Taking the No. 8 slot is Millerâs curtain-jerking UFC 200 appearance opposite PRIDEâs former lightweight champion, Takanori Gomi.
Gomi may have been in the deep end of his post-prime career, but those who know their MMA history understand just how big of a deal the Japanese fighter is when it comes to the lightweight division.
First Fight of The Night â Jim Miller defeats Takanori Gomi via TKO.
Quick and decisive! Perfect way to start the card! With almost 7 hours of octagon time itâs no shock Jim is about to be the only man to fight on all three major marquee events. Win or lose, Jim is a legend. đșđž pic.twitter.com/MyurNfqJor
â Mixed Martial Aus đŠđș (@MixedMartialAus) March 18, 2024
Miller was able to make quick work of the MMA legend, adding another impressive name to his lengthy resume.
7
Jim Miller vs. Melvin Guillard at UFC on FX 1 (Jan. 20, 2012)
Sliding in at No. 7 is Millerâs one-round barnburner with Melvin Guillard.
Despite closing as a slight favorite, there was still a sense of worry for Miller fans given how dangerous Guillard was â particularly at 155 pounds. However, after suffering some brief scares and near-knockdowns on the feet, Miller was able to get things to the ground and get on top of Guillard.
Jim Miller vs Melvin Guillard
UFC on FX: Guillard vs Miller (2012)
Submission (rnc) Rd 1
Jim rebounds from a loss to future UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson, by submitting KO artist Melvin Guillard in round 1 pic.twitter.com/VC7lVdP2Ax
â hopsman. (@HopmansLiam) January 16, 2024
From there, Miller displays a beautiful, systematic step-by-step on how to close the show from a rear mount position.
6
Jim Miller vs. Yancy Medeiros at UFC 172 (April 26, 2014)
Coming in at the No. 6 slot is Millerâs unforgettable finish over the hard-hitting Hawaiian, Yancy Medeiros.
Miller, who was initially scheduled to face Bobby Green for the first time, ended up having that matchup pulled and instead met Medeiros on short notice.
Jim Miller vs Yancy Medeiros
UFC 172 (2014)
Submission (guillotine) Rd 1
Funny end to the clip here. Jim chokes Yancy into the afterlife, tries to get up to celebrate (canât), so he celebrates with Yancyâs lifeless corpse on top of him đ pic.twitter.com/XMnRUxplq5
â hopsman. (@HopmansLiam) January 16, 2024
After some brief back-and-forth on the feet, Miller utilizes a slick de-basing hip bump from the clinch to encourage Medeirosâ head downward into his front-headlock grasp. With a couple of key adjustments, Miller soon found himself celebrating victory with Medeiros sound asleep on top of him.
5
Jim Miller vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC 208 (Feb. 11, 2017)
Jim Miller and Dustin Poirier
Even though Miller comes out on the losing end of this one, his epic battle with Dustin Poirier is more than worthy of making this listâs top five.
Despite being at a point in his career where he was struggling with Lyme disease, Miller still found himself amid a three-fight winning streak and, of course, was only requesting to fight the best. Poirier entered the contest coming off a knockout loss to Michael Johnson, and was determined to demonstrate more defensive responsibility at UFC 208.
âThe Diamondâ Dustin Poirier vs Jim Fuckin Miller | UFC 208
Underrated war where Miller and Dustin takes lumps out of each other, with Dustin being a 1-legged fighter and both guys showing unreal heart throughout the fight #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/0Iut4A7V7F
â Underrated MMA Performances (@MMAUnderrated) January 15, 2024
However, after some heated exchanges in Round 1, Poirier found himself in the fully-fledged war that Miller was accustomed to. In fact, Miller was able to get the better of Poirier in Round 3 by continuing to eat up the lead leg of his fellow southpaw via calf kicks (a tactic Poirier would credit for his future wins over famed lefty Conor McGregor). Miller ended the fight grappling with Poirier, not realizing that he had a one-legged fighter who couldnât even stand underneath him. It was an instant and underrated classic thatâs worth going back to rewatch.
4
Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalarous at UFC 128 (March 19, 2011)
Notching the No. 4 spot is a Miller fight that doesnât get brought up often.
Despite riding an insane six-fight winning streak at the time, Miller sadly found himself having to stay busy while Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard settled their series at the top of the division. Stepping in to face Miller was a debutant from the WEC, Kamal Shalarous.
Jim Miller vs Kamal Shalorus
UFC 128 (2011)
TKO (knee and punches) Rd. 3
Shalorus was a WEC standout making his UFC debut. Not the first time (or last) someone paid for debuting against Jim
This was Millerâs 7th win in a row pic.twitter.com/qv0adM0bJf
â hopsman. (@HopmansLiam) January 16, 2024
Shalarous was a world-class Iranian wrestler with heavy hands who was able to put on some entertaining fights in his short MMA career, but Miller proved to be a tall order to debut against.
3
Jim Miller vs. Donald Cerrone 2 at UFC 276 (July 2, 2022)
Jul 2, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Jim Miller (red gloves) and Donald Cerrone (blue gloves) fight in a bout during UFC 276 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Coming in at No. 3 is Millerâs rematch with Donald Cerrone at UFC 276.
The first frame featured a ton of fun exchanges between these two, whether they were trading on the feet or swapping submission attempts on the floor. That said, it was ironically a Cerrone head kick that led to his demise as Miller was able to opportunistically grab his neck amidst this chaos.
Not only did Miller avenge his first knockout loss, but this victory also put him ahead as the all-time wins leader in UFC history.
2
Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira 1 at UFC 124 (Dec. 11, 2010)
Taking the No. 2 slot is Millerâs first meeting with Charles Oliveira back at UFC 124.
Despite riding an impressive five-fight winning streak and out-ranking Oliveira in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (at least at that time), Miller still found himself as the betting underdog opposite âDo Bronx.â Even though Oliveira was far from what ended up becoming his championship form, the young Brazilian was garnering a ton of hype due to his undefeated record and finishing prowess. Unfortunately for Oliveira, opportunistic finishes are a two-way street when facing Miller.
Not only did Miller remind the masses that he was the top contender in the division, but the humble fighter from Sparta, New Jersey jumped on the mic and respectfully demanded the title shot that he so dearly deserved (and sadly never got).
1
Jim Miller vs. Joe Lauzon 1 at UFC 155 (Dec. 29, 2012)
Taking the top spot is none other than Millerâs unforgettable war with Joe Lauzon back at UFC 155.
When people talk about UFCâs âgolden era,â they often focus on the big names like Brock Lesnar, Anderson Silva and so on. I, however, believe that the UFC also owes a huge thanks to fighters like Miller and Lauzon, whose exciting performances they built off the backs of.
Though cards are starting to trend more top-heavy these days, the UFC was long able to tout the entirety of their cards as top-notch entertainment value, largely in part to people they could count on like Miller and Lauzon. So, with that in mind, it shouldnât have surprised anyone that this pairing was a barnburner from the jump.
Miller, who quietly helped carve out the MMA meta for calf kicks, demonstrates excellent use of them in the open stance opposite Lauzon in Round 1. Despite their rematch also being a fun fight that deserves a shout, this first meeting features everything from slicing up elbows to flying scissors takedowns into leg locks. If you want to see a true blood-and-guts war with some poetic imagery to end a fight, then pop in a replay of this legendary lightweight showdown.
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