He's about as unimposing as they come in the world of mixed martial arts, but anyone who's watched Jim Miller these last few years knows it's a mistake to underestimate the kid from Northern New Jersey.
Kamal Shalorus was one tough cookie, but he eventually fell victim to Miller's composed attack at UFC 128 Saturday night. In the third round, the Iranian was stunned by a left uppercut and then floored by a left knee to the side of the head. Miller jumped on top and unloaded 15-plus punches, forcing a TKO stoppage at the 2:15 mark in Newark, N.J.
The 27-year-old Miller has now ripped off seven straight wins and is clearly in line for a title shot. One problem, that line is pretty long with Gray Maynard and Anthony Pettis in front of him.
Shalorus (7-1-2, 0-1 UFC) was game the entire way. After an excellent amateur wrestling career, he's made a nice transition to MMA and the standup game. He throws his kicks and punches with massive power, but he was dealing with a different animal in a veteran like Miller.
Miller (20-2, 9-1 UFC) never got crazy with his attack. While Shalorus fired vicious shots, Miller picked his spots and landed plenty of counterpunches with both hands. He was very effective in the opening round with the counter right hook. By the end of the round, there was significant bruising below Shalorus' left eye.
Miller was dynamite in the second. With 3:20 left, he scored a single-leg takedown and transitioned in a split second to take Shalorus' back. Miller worked for a choke until the end of the round. The best he could do was squeeze the heck out of the Iranian's chin and jaw on several occasions. That was a lot of work without producing a finish, yet Miller got up between rounds and looked like he was ready to go three more rounds. He even refused to sit on the stool between rounds.
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