Preview: UFC 258 Prelims

Thirty-five fights into his UFC career, @JimMiller_155 is still snatching arms #UFCVegas3 pic.twitter.com/TFtZiNI4rw

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 21, 2020

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While the main card for UFC 258 on Saturday in Las Vegas feels thin, this slate of prelims looks fairly solid from top to bottom. Veterans like Jim Miller and Bobby Green provide a certain comfort when they climb into the Octagon, and they will collide in the featured prelim, with decent support behind them. Top middleweight prospect Rodolfo Vieira looks to continue his winning ways against Anthony Hernandez, and Belal Muhammad faces Dhiego Lima in a clash of quietly successful welterweights. Beyond those bouts, a deep undercard affair between Ricky Simon and Brian Kelleher might be one of the best fights on the entire card. Throw in an intriguing Gillian Robertson-Miranda Maverick pairing, and you have all the makings of a good time.

Now to the preview for the UFC 258 “Usman vs. Burns” prelims:

Lightweight

NR | Bobby Green (27-11-1, 8-6-1 UFC) vs. NR | Jim Miller (32-15, 21-14 UFC)

ODDS: Green (-260), Miller (+220)

Green’s luck somehow turned around in 2020—a generally terrible year for everyone else. Green got his UFC career off to a hot start with four straight wins, but basically everything went south after a 2014 loss to Edson Barboza. Injuries and personal tragedy held Green to limited appearances, and things usually did not go his way inside the cage, either. Beyond one-sided losses to the likes of Dustin Poirier and Rashid Magomedov, Green usually found himself on the losing end of close decisions that most felt he had actually won. That made it a shock when Green used the chaos of 2020 to rack up three wins in less than three months, showing all the veteran craft that has made him an entertaining watch whenever he has made it to the cage. A close loss to Thiago Moises in October prevented Green from making it four straight wins, but he looks to rebound here against a fellow vet in Miller. This will be Miller’s record-setting 37th fight inside the UFC, and while he has obviously slowed down, “A-10” has continued to defy age and remain a solid fighter. Some struggles with Lyme disease led to a few stretches in which Miller looked close to done, but he has been able to score first-round submissions in four of his last six fights, whether it was against fellow veterans like Clay Guida or an array of younger prospects. Unfortunately, that has never been a path to victory against Green, who still has not seen the type of athletic slippage that caused Miller’s last few losses. Both guys should be in this fight throughout, but Green should also have the edge in all phases. The pick is Green via decision.

Continue Reading » Vieira vs. Hernandez