Preview: UFC 286 Prelims

Women’s Flyweights

Juliana Miller (3-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Veronica Macedo (6-4-1, 1-4 UFC)

ODDS: Miller (-435), Macedo (+350)

For better or for worse, Miller was one of the standout personalities on “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2022, and it will be interesting to see how her UFC career unfolds after winning her season. California’s “Killer” is still obviously a work in progress—her win over Brogan Walker marked just her pro fourth fight—as she has mostly made hay through unshakeable aggression, typically in form of takedowns and submission hunting. Prior to her run on “The Ultimate Fighter,” she looked like a clear non-athlete who would quickly hit a ceiling against better competition, but her win over Walker was her best showing yet; the game remained much the same, but Miller has developed enough physicality that she should be able to find wins on the UFC roster as she figures things out on the job. To that end, this matchup against Macedo is a solid first test to potentially serve as a proof of concept for Miller. Macedo was signed just months into her pro career back in 2016, when that was much less the norm for the UFC, and her career has been a bit of a mess since. Beyond suddenly having to stay above water against much better competition, Macedo has hopped between weight classes while suffering multiple year-plus injury layoffs, including a three-year gap prior to this fight. When Macedo actually makes it to the Octagon, there are flashes of talent as part of an aimless game, as she can uncork some impressive striking and show off some vicious grappling, including a quick armbar of Polyana Viana to earn her lone UFC win. However, Macedo also tends to tire herself out over the course of her fights and struggles to overcome her short frame, particularly as the UFC has been content to pair her against taller fighters. There is a chance that Miller’s aggression leads her to charge right into a submission—that is what happened to Viana, who is also a solid grappler—but her relentlessness should serve her well over the long haul, particularly with Macedo being so out of practice. The pick is Miller via decision.

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