UFC legend Jim Miller has inked a new, five-fight contract extension with the promotion after he beat Jared Gordon by submission at UFC 328.
Miller was a +225 underdog against Gordon, but he defied the odds when he choked his opponent out in the first round at UFC 328 with his patented guillotine choke. It was an incredible moment for Miller, who earlier this week revealed to Cole Shelton of BJPenn.com that his 14-year-old son recently beat cancer. His son and the rest of his immediate family were in attendance as Miller picked up his 20th finish in the Octagon, the second most in UFC history behind Charles Oliveira.
Miller, who has the most wins all-time in the UFC with 28, also earned a $100,000 Peformance of the Night bonus for his submission win over Gordon. That was his 16th post-fight bonus award in the UFC, which is tied for third-most in UFC history with Nate Diaz, just behind No. 2 Donald Cerrone at 18 and No. 1 Oliveira at 21.
Jim Miller Signs 5-Fight Extension With UFC
Following UFC 328, Miller signed a five-fight contract extension with the UFC. The announcement was made by UFC president Dana White, who told reporters at the post-fight press conference that the extension should take Miller past the 50-fight mark in the UFC. Right now, he has 47 fights, which is the most all-time, so the extension will take him past 50, if he wants it.
Who Should Jim Miller Fight Next?
Miller’s win over Gordon showed that he still has plenty left in the tank despite being 42 years old, which makes him one of the oldest fighters on the UFC active roster. Despite being a graybeard, Miller showed against a younger opponent in Gordon that he still has what it takes to not only win fights at the UFC level but devastatingly finish his opponents.
Taking a look at the UFC lightweight roster, it will be interesting to see who the promotion matches Miller up with next. It’s unlikely that they match him up with someone ranked, so he will likely serve either as a gatekeeper against a younger opponent or take on someone else who is an older fighter instead.
If Miller gets matched with someone who is on the older side, some of the potential opponents who made sense are Michael Johnson, Jeremy Stephens, Drew Dober, Mateusz Rebecki, or Diego Ferreira. These are all very intriguing matchups to make that haven’t happened yet, so the UFC could very well give Miller one of these fights if they want to give him an older opponent next.
If he fights someone who is a younger opponent, then you have to look at someone who only has a few fights in the UFC, but could use a real test against a tough vet like Miller. Fighters such as Kody Steele, Lance Gibson Jr., Gauge Young, Evan Elder, and Axel Sola are the types of younger fighters who could be matched up against Miller.
Regardless of who he faces next, Miller’s fight is going to be must-see TV like always.
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