Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
I may be one of the weird fans of mixed martial arts, but I would rather see a submission over a knockout. I just think the whole grappling area, in general, is a beautiful combination of strength, skill and intelligence. The idea that a person can stay calm enough to look for submissions, while getting punched in the face, is absolutely fascinating to me. No one did it better at UFC 168 than Jim Miller. Miller was able to submit Fabricio Camoes with a very technical arm bar in the first round. The really impressive thing about it was that Miller was able to do it off of his back.
Miller was able to bait his opponent to giving up his opposite arm and was able to contort it to a way that he did not have to straighten it all the way out. It was gorgeous, but this also speaks volumes about Miller. Miller has shared the Octagon with the best of the best in the Lightweight division. He is always a scrappy guy and really gives his heart in the fight, but lately he has had a penchant for brawling. While it is great for the fans, it can wear on the body. Instead of engaging in a dogfight, Miller took the fight where he was confident. He was the better fighter and proved that he was.
This has got to raise Dana White’s eyebrows. Not only White’s, though, but the division as well. Miller just sent out a notice that he will submit guys off of his back, and with that sort of confidence booster, I would not be surprised to see it again. Miller just let everyone know that he has a brand new weapon, and he will use it as he sees fit.
