Ross Pearson file photo: Dave Mandel | Sherdog.com
After bemoaning the supposedly boring style of wrestling-centric fighters, Miller gets his chance to flex what I can only assume he considers real MMA against fellow “Ultimate Fighter” alumnus Pearson. The Brit may not share his American counterpart’s penchant for boasting, but his three UFC bouts have revealed a fighter who meets anyone’s definition of a true mixed martial artist.
Sound boxing technique is a rarity in this sport, and the reason Pearson stands out is that he brings it in spades. A proper jab, footwork and combinations go a long way. Considering Miller got dinged up by Dan Lauzon, he’d do well staying focused on his grappling against Pearson.
Despite having the reach of Reed Richards and quality striking instruction with American Top Team, Miller is not a technical striker. He tends to drop his hands low, move backward and doesn’t use his reach. Pearson has already picked apart quality strikers such as Dennis Siver, and Miller doesn’t pose an equal challenge on the feet.
The obvious out for Miller is on the mat, where his Brazilian jiu-jitsu game is beautifully suited to MMA. Equal parts aggressive and technical, “Magrinho” is one of the few grapplers around who can both chain together submission attempts and effectively advance position. The tradeoff is that he often leaves himself exposed to ground-and-pound, which proved to be his death knell against Jeremy Stephens. Like most submission-minded fighters, he also lacks proper wrestling technique.
Most any prospect in the lightweight division has to prove his wrestling chops sooner or later to advance toward title contention. It’s the looming challenge in Pearson’s career, but Miller is not the guy who’s going to throw him that Uncle Charlie. It would be surprising if Miller went for any takedowns beyond outdated guard flops, and his tendency to get too loose on the floor won’t play well against Pearson’s tight, composed ground-and-pound.
For all of Miller’s obvious talent, he couldn’t tap out Jeremy Stephens when he had the chance and was getting outwrestled by Jorge Gurgel -- a natural featherweight with two bum knees -- before catching him. Compare that to Pearson, who has a fight IQ that grows with every outing, as evidenced by his strategically brilliant wins of late. A decision nod for the Team Rough House product is the obvious choice, but I don’t think Miller will stand up to 15 minutes’ worth of punches.