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We continue our coverage of the UFC Vegas 84 Main Card as we'll bring you our betting prediction and pick for this next bout taking place in the Lightweight (155) Division. UFC Legend Jim Miller will make the walk once again to face off against Mexico's Gabriel Benitez. Check out our UFC odds series for our Miller-Benitez prediction and pick.
Jim Miller (36-17) has gone 25-16-1 during his wild UFC career and becoming the most active fighter in UFC history. He's had a career resurgence as of late and has won four of his last five bouts coming into this one. His ultimate goal is to finish his career at UFC 300 and he'll have another test to face in the meantime. Jim Miller stands 5'8″ with a 71-inch reach.
Gabriel Benitez (23-10) has gone 7-6 during his UFC tenure since 2014. He certainly hasn't been as active as his opponent and he's had a rocky go over the last few years, going 2-4 in his last six fights while missing weight twice. He'll hope to have a smoother camp and weigh-in ahead of this contest, however, as he feels he could beat the living legend in Miller. Benitez stands 5'8″ with a 71-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Vegas 84 Odds: Jim Miller-Gabriel Benitez Odds
Jim Miller: -142
Gabriel Benitez: +120
Over 1.5 rounds: -140
Under 1.5 rounds: +110
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Why Jim Miller Will Win
Jim Miller continues to push the boundary for what's possible in a fighter and he's dead-set on fighting on UFC 300 to round out his career. He's been as good now as he ever has been and he seems to be in some of the best shape of his life. He has a whole lifetime of fighting underneath him and his opponent will only be five years his junior, making this a more interesting fight than some of his previous bouts. Miller will also come in as the betting favorite for the first time in a while, a clear indicator that he's fighting in his best form ahead of Saturday.
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To win this fight, Jim Miller will be himself and walk towards the fire if this one gets hairy. The over/under is set rather low and there could be some indication that Miller will look to get to a fast start from the opening bell. His hand speed certainly isn't what it used to be, but he's still managing to hit the target with great accuracy and his chine hasn't shown many signs of wavering. Always be on the lookout for Jim Miller to hop on one of his patented guillotine attempts and hold on until he finds the submission. It could be the clearest path for him if he's able to catch Benitez with his head on the wrong side of a takedown attempt.
Why Gabriel Benitez Will Win
Gabriel Benitez has had some struggles on the scales in his previous fights leading into this one, but he was able to dial it in against his last opponent in Charles Ontiveros as he got the win. In that bout, Benitez was the far more aggressive striker and met Ontiveros' flashy striking with force of his own, quickly closing the distance and landing shots from the inside. Much of his success was due to the inexperience of his opponent, so he can't rest of laurels and expect Miller to make the same kinds of errors. Benitez should have the faster hands and is the slightly better striker heading in, a clear indicator he should keep this fight at kickboxing range.
To be successful against Jim Miller, Gabriel Benitez will have to utilize his movement and remain in constant motion throughout this fight. Jim Miller is very good about turning momentum to his side during a fight, so it'll be imperative for Benitez to mount his own meaningful offense and get Miller backing up against the cage. Optics will be a huge factor in the fight if either guy fails to do significant damage, so it'll be in Benitez' best interest to keep on the pressure and stay pressing forward throughout this one.
Final Jim Miller-Gabriel Benitez Prediction & Pick
With both fighters slated to face off earlier last year, it'll be great to see them finally meet in the cage. They're very similar in terms of a physical matchup, but Gabriel Benitez proves to be the slightly better athlete with faster handspeed. However, we've seen Jim Miller work through deficits most of his career and him being the betting favorite is very telling of how this fight may play out.
For our prediction, we're going to go with Jim Miller to get the win as he builds on his momentum ahead of UFC 300. He's the more skilled fighter in this matchup and he'll be able to find opportunities to score points if this becomes an eventual stalemate.
Final Jim Miller-Gabriel Benitez Prediction & Pick: Jim Miller (-142); OVER 1.5 Rounds (-140)
