The Breakdown: Without wanting to take anything away from Lopez -- a fine athlete who can prove his doubters wrong at UFC 103 -- he will have to put up with the criticism of having padded his record, at least to a degree. The toughest fight of his career, against journeyman Billy Stamp, ended in a split decision loss for the 25-year-old South Bend, Ind., native.
The reasons to like Miller in this fight are numerous. A well-rounded, strong offensive wrestler, he can more than hold his own on the ground as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt. If one aspect of his game needs more work than the others, it is his stand-up. So far, Miller has come through with his superb cardio, iron chin and excellent work rate.
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The Prediction: A fight against somebody like Miller represents a significant step up in competition for Lopez. Even if he manages to hang tough, expect a choke-related submission victory for Miller in one of the later rounds.