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#5 Catchweight: Jim Miller vs. Roosevelt Roberts

Veteran Jim Miller will have his hands full this weekend with prospect Roosevelt Roberts

These two fighters usually compete at Lightweight, but this fight will instead take place at a 160lbs Catchweight, probably because Roberts only fought three weeks ago. It’s an exciting clash on paper between a high-level prospect on the rise and a real battle-hardened veteran, but who will take the win?

It’s hard to believe Miller is only 36 years old, to be frank. He’s been fighting in the UFC since 2008 and this will be his 35th appearance in the Octagon, making him one of the most experienced fighters of all time. It’s unsurprising that he’s past his prime, but the question is how far gone is he?

If you rewind a handful of years, then the answer seemed to be very far indeed. After bouncing back from lyme disease, Miller put three wins in a row together to get himself back on track in 2016. This was followed, however, by four straight losses. Since the start of 2017 in fact, Miller is 3-6.

The New Jersey native is still a dangerous and crafty grappler – as evidenced by his 2019 submissions of Jason Gonzalez and Clay Guida – but age has taken away the physicality and cardio advantages he once had over most opponents. And while he’s still tough, his durability has begun to wane too, although he’s only ever been stopped by strikes twice.

The question then is whether Roberts has the skills and ability to capitalise on Miller’s wane to pick up what would be the biggest win of his career.

He’s certainly got the physicality. ‘The Predator’ is a large 155lber, and at 6’1” he’ll enjoy a notable height and reach advantage over Miller. What’s more, Roberts is learning more and more how to use that length. He picked apart Thomas Gifford in their fight and also used his striking to beat up Brok Weaver en route to a submission win just three weeks ago.

On the ground meanwhile, Roberts isn’t a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt like Miller, but his long arms mean he’s a massive submission threat, particularly with chokes such as guillotine variants and the D’Arce.

2019 did see him lose a decision against a veteran in Vinc Pichel, but it’s worth noting that Pichel’s success in the UFC has always hinged on his immense physical strength, something Miller can no longer call upon.

To win this fight then, Miller’s going to have to force Roberts into a scramble and hope he can catch him with a submission during it. It’s just not likely that he’s going to be able to strike with ‘The Predator’ without getting hurt, and nor is he likely to be able to take the younger man down and hold him there.

The issue for the veteran is that scrambles sap cardio more than anything else in MMA, and Miller’s gas tank has looked suspect in his recent losses to Francisco Trinaldo and Scott Holtzman. Add in the fact that Roberts probably knows that scrambling with Miller could be a mistake, and I think this is a really tough match for the New Jersey native.

Can Roberts finish Miller? It’d be a huge feather in his cap if he can, particularly if he can tap the veteran out, but I actually think he’ll finish him with a TKO from top position after muscling him down. Given the fight is taking place at 160lbs, ‘The Predator’ will likely be bigger and stronger than ever, and I think that’ll play massively to his advantage.

The Pick: Roberts via second round TKO