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Contender Series Week 1 continues with a fight between Jimmy Drago and Ty Miler in the welterweight division on Tuesday. Check out our Contender Series odds series for our Drago-Miller prediction and pick.
Jimmy Drago (7-2) comes into this Tuesday’s Contender Series fight against Ty Miller with impressive finishes, including a unanimous decision over Alonzo Turner in September 2024 and back-to-back KO/TKO wins against Tyler Stewart and Myles Robinson earlier in 2024. Drago aims to showcase his striking power this week.
Ty Miller (5-0) enters this Tuesday’s Contender Series with solid wins, including a first-round KO over Ryan Charlebois in June 2024 and a unanimous decision against Miguel Tovar in March 2024. After a no-contest in December 2024, Miller looks to prove himself against Jimmy Drago with aggressive striking and resilience.
Here are the Contender Series Week 1 Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Contender Series Odds: Jimmy Drago-Ty Miller Odds
Jimmy Drago: +140
Ty Miller: -166
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Why Jimmy Drago will win
- Last Fight: (NC) Junior Melo
- Last 5: 3-1 (1 NC)
- Finishes: 5 (4 KO/TKO/1 SUB)
Jimmy Drago comes into his shot on the Contender Series riding three wins in his last four fights. Most recently, he came off a No Contest due to an accidental clash of heads in a fight against Junior Melo, whom he was dominating up until that point.
He is the ROC Welterweight Champion, and he has finished five of his seven with four of those coming by knockout. Drago is a tough-nosed fighter who has some heavy hands and kicks in which he puts on full display in his fights.
He likes to batter the lead leg, which then opens up his combinations to the body and the head, which will serve him well in this matchup against the much taller and longer Ty Miller.
While Drago isn’t much of a grappler, he has enough grappling chops to make this a tough fight for Miller, who has shown to be susceptible to takedowns in previous fights.
This is a fight where Drago can’t stay on the outside, or he’s going to get peppered to death from straight shots from Miller. He must take away that length by chopping down Miller’s lead leg, land some body shots, and mix in the grappling. From there, he can start to land his heavy strikes, potentially putting Miller away and securing the UFC contract.
Why Ty Miller will win
- Last Fight: (NC) Arthur Barros
- Last 5: 4-0 (1 NC)
- Finishes: 2 (2 KO/TKO)
Ty Miller comes into this matchup with an unblemished record, winning five out of his six fights. His most recent fight ended in a No Contest due to an eye poke in a fight he was seemingly taking over in that first round.
Miller is very tall and long for the welterweight division, standing at 6’2”, and he utilizes his reach to his advantage very well. His boxing is very crisp, all of his combinations start with his jab, and from there where he will pop off 2-3 strike combinations at distance.
Also, Miller is always looking to press forward and get in the face of his opponent, which is very reminiscent of the way Ignacio Bahamondes utilizes his reach with his pressure. He will back up his opponent to the cage and cork out 2-3 combinations and vicious elbows in close to land some devastating damage.
Against Drago, Miller is going to put the pace and pressure on him. Miller has shown he can take a punch, but he will need to roll with them and defend against the calf kicks. If Miller can counter the naked calf kicks of Drago, press forward, and land his strikes, he can certainly get his third knockout of his career and secure his UFC contract.
Final Jimmy Drago-Ty Miller Prediction & Pick
This should be a fun scrap between these welterweight hopefuls. Jimmy Drago will surely be the fan favorite who has overcome immense adversity during his time; meanwhile, Ty Miller will be looking to play spoiler and notch the biggest win of his career and secure his spot on the big show.
Drago is no pushover and will not go down without a fight, but it seems he will be a bit outmatched here on the feet. While the calf kicks will be worrisome for Miller and the takedowns might cause some problems, his ability to adjust and scramble back to his feet will be the difference maker in this fight.
Miller is going to go out there and outpace and outstrike Drago over the course of the fight, taking the unanimous decision victory and potentially landing him a spot in the UFC’s welterweight division.
Final Jimmy Drago-Ty Miller Prediction & Pick: Ty Miller (-166)
