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Preview: UFC Fight Night 219 ‘Andrade vs. Blanchfield’

Hernandez vs. Miller


Lightweights

Alexander Hernandez (13-6, 5-5 UFC) vs. Jim Miller (35-16, 24-15 UFC)

ODDS: Hernandez (-230), Miller (+195)

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Miller has made clear for a while now that he intends to make it to UFC 300, which seemed like a bit of a pipe dream at various points. Miller’s career appeared to be on its last legs immediately before and after UFC 200 back in 2016, in part due to an undiagnosed case of Lyme disease. Somehow, Miller strung enough wins to stay above water and make it through some rough patches, and now he has the most momentum he has had in years. This marks his record 41st trip to the Octagon, and “A-10” is now riding a three-fight winning streak. The day of Miller as any sort of contender are long gone and he can still find himself in some tough moments against younger athletes, but it has been a pleasure watching him continue to hone his craft and remain a genuine danger. Straight-ahead strikers Erick Gonzalez and Nikolas Motta each got absolutely smoked for sudden knockouts, and Miller’s last fight saw him club-and-sub fellow 155-pound legend Donald Cerrone into retirement. At this point, there is honestly the question if Miller has enough in the tank to make it well beyond UFC 300, though that would overlook a tough test against Hernandez, who steps in on late notice for Gabriel Benitez. Hernandez was one of the UFC’s breakout stars in 2018, debuting with a shocking 42-second knockout of Beneil Dariush before outclassing Olivier Aubin-Mercier to mark himself as a potential lightweight contender. However, a 2019 bout against Cerrone wound up sending Hernandez’s career careening completely off the rails. Cerrone blew open all of the defensive holes in Hernandez’s aggressive approach, and “The Great Ape” has spent the last four years attempting to find a balance. First came an overly cautious win over Francisco Trinaldo that was one of ugliest victories you will ever see in terms of inactivity, after which a clear pattern has emerged. Hernandez can still completely run over a subpar athlete in quick and brutal fashion, but he obviously gets in his own head if his opponent survives, forcing things to the point that he usually implodes as a result. A December cut to featherweight seemed like an interesting gambit, though the UFC did Hernandez no favors in matching him against Quarantillo at UFC 282. Quarantillo’s entire game involves surviving early trouble to drown his opponent in deep waters later on, and that is exactly what happened. It is unclear if this is just a onetime step back up to 155 pounds on late notice or Hernandez fully abandoning his move down to featherweight, but it is still a big opportunity for him either way. Crafty veteran or not, Miller is still a 39-year-old fighter pitted against a prime athlete with plenty of horsepower. However, if this is not a quick win for Hernandez, Miller should take over fairly quickly come Round 2 with the level of timing and accuracy he has shown in getting his recent finishes. The pick is Miller via second-round knockout.



Jump To »
Andrade vs. Blanchfield
Pauga vs. Wright
Pogues vs. Parisian
Knight vs. Prachnio
Hernandez vs. Miller
The Prelims

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