The UFC Fight Night series continues this week, on July 16th in Atlantic City, New Jersey with a card featuring a Lightweight main event between Donald Cerrone and Jim Miller. Right now at the sport books, Cerrone is a favorite at (-250) with the return on Miller at (+210). Both men are looking to return to the top of the division, a spot both once had but lost.
For Cerrone, he has quietly won 3 in a row after a run that saw him go 3-3 over the course of six fights. Cerrone appeared to regain that fire and meanness in his last few outings. When Benson Henderson was the titleholder in the Lightweight division, Cerrone looked poised for a title shot and a third match with Henderson. He stumbled, but a win over Miller would leave him looking at a fight with one of the top 5 in the division, possibly the aforementioned Henderson.
Miller also has not officially lost in a while, though his April 2013 loss to Pat Healy was overturned. Since then, he too has two first round submissions, and for this fight with Cerrone, the New Jersey native will have the added motivation of fighting in his hometown area. Miller was once heading towards a title shot reeling off seven dtraight UFC wins, but he followed that with a stint where he went 1-2 and saw his trajectory flatten.
The fight is pretty even on paper, with both fighters at similar records and experience, and both fighting at a high level for a very long time. Right now, Cerrone seems to have gotten himself back on track, while Miller is truly lost in the pack in the Lightweight division and in need of a signature win. It seems that the intangibles would favor Cerrone, who has always remained at the forefront of the fan’s eye, as he is on track to fight 4 times for the second year in a row.
Look for Miller to have a hard time fending off an aggressive Cerrone. If Miller can keep from getting finished, he benefits from a longer fight where Cerrone has lost some if his starch. The difference may come down to who has the most strength over the long haul of the fight, as Miller can be very tricky on the ground and could catch Cerrone, especially if the ‘Cowboy’ is tired.
