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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 16: Jim Miller of the United States of America reacts after his ...
More victory by Guillotine Choke against Damon Jackson of the United States of America in a middleweight fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) Surprisingly, very few people are giving Jim Miller a chance to win at UFC 314. The grizzled veteran is the biggest underdog on the stacked card set for Saturday night at the Kaseya Center.
Can Miller? I say yes, but obviously, that doesn’t mean he will. Let’s look closer at the matchup. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 18: Chase Hooper reacts after his submission victory against Jordan .
.. More Leavitt in a lightweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on November 18, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Hooper is no longer just the nerdy-looking journalist turned mixed martial artist that looks like he’s at a fantasy camp. Hooper is a real fighter with vastly improved striking to go with his world-class Jiu-Jitsu skills. He’s long and a bit awkward, but he has seemingly learned to use that to his benefit.
After an undefeated run on the regional scene, Hooper earned his spot on the UFC’s roster and he has gone 7-3 in the big show. Hooper is seemingly approaching his prime as a fighter. The 25-year-old is on a four-fight win streak with victories over Nick Fiore, Jordan Leavitt, Viacheslav Borshchev, and Clay Guida.
Hooper’s win over Guida and his matchup on Saturday position him to become something of a legend killer. Anthony Smith rode a similar run to a title shot in 2019. However, as we’ve learned, Miller is not one to go quietly into a good night.
The 41-year-old bounced back from a lopsided beatdown at the hands of King Green at UFC 300 in April with a first-round submission victory over Damon Jackson in November at UFC 309. Can he knock off a man 15 years his junior who is on a hot streak? Yes, and here’s why. While Hooper’s striking is certainly improved, he’s not Green, who enjoyed a massive speed advantage over Miller.
When Miller was unable to get Green in the necessary grappling exchanges, he became target practice on the feet. I do not expect to see Hooper enjoy the same kind of advantage in stand-up. Hooper has been fairly easy for opponents to hit in his career with a 37% striking defense.
He will have a massive length advantage at 6-foot-1, and Miller is 5-foot-8. However, Miller has fairly long arms for his height, and the reach advantage is just three inches. Miller is also likely the stronger man, and his boxing technique is solid.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 13: (R-L) Jim Miller punches Gabriel Benitez of Mexico in a lightweight ...
More fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on January 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Hooper is an absolute wizard on the ground, and very few men will have an advantage over him in grappling. While he is a bit more spry and creative chasing submissions, he will be hard-pressed to submit Miller.
In Miller’s 57-fight professional MMA career, he has only been submitted three times. The only fighters to defeat Miller by submission were Nate Diaz, Michael Chiesa, and Charles Oliveira. But no one has accomplished the feat in nearly seven years.
That’s a span of 14 fights. Hooper won’t submit Miller, and that will mean he’ll need to win this fight with top control or damage. I think Miller pulls off a shocker that shouldn’t be so surprising.
I like Miller to win by split decision in an upset. Here is a look at the entire UFC 314 card. Alexander Volkanovski vs.
Diego Lopes – UFC Featherweight Championship Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett – Lightweight Bryce Mitchell vs. Jean Silva – Featherweight Yair Rodriguez vs.
Patricio Pitbull – Featherweight Nikita Krylov vs. Dominick Reyes – Light Heavyweight Dan Ige vs. Sean Woodson – Featherweight Virna Jandiroba vs.
Xiaonan Yan – Strawweigh Chase Hooper vs. Jim Miller – Lightweight Darren Elkins vs. Julian Erosa – Featherweight Sedriques Dumas vs.
Michal Oleksiejczuk – Middleweight Sumudaerji vs. Mitch Raposo – Flyweight Tresean Gore vs. Marco Tulio – Middleweight Nora Cornolle vs.
Hailey Cowan – Women’s Bantamweight.
