The MMA Daily

We have an excellent fight in the Lightweight division, as Jim Miller takes on UFC newcomer Nikolas Motta. The UFC record holder for most bouts, Miller, returns to the octagon looking to tie Donald Cerrone’s record twenty-three wins. Having debuted in the UFC in 2008, it’s a testament that Miller, with Lyme disease, has been able to stick around. Meanwhile, Motta will finally grace the octagon for the first time. A winner of three straight, Motta will look to keep the momentum going in the biggest fight of his career.

Originally, this fight between Miller and Motta was supposed to go down in September of last year. Unfortunately, Miller tested positive for COVID and the fight was scrapped. While Miller fought the following month, defeating Erick Gonzalez by knockout, Motta sat on the sidelines for an additional five months. Miller may be 38 years old, however he remains competitive. An excellent grappler, with good wrestling and durability, Miller is one of the toughest and scrappiest fighters on the roster. Motta looks to be a good addition to the roster. While his takedown defense and chin seem iffy, his hand speed, aggression, cardio and power are excellent. In what I expect to back-and-forth fight, I’m giving the nod to Miller. If he can manage to get this fight to the mat, he should be able to control Motta and find a submission. While I do worry about Miller gassing, I don’t think he’ll need long to find a fight ending submission once he gets the fight to mat. So with that said, I predict that Miller will win via submission.