Cole Miller vs. Matt Wiman
Odds: (-170 Miller /+140 Wiman )
Betting Pick: Miller
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In the opening bout of the evening, well-rounded Lightweight contender Matt Wiman will face a stiff challenge, as he must contend with the world-class submissions of Cole “Magrinho” Miller. Wiman is very well rounded and has never been submitted, but Miller’s jiu-jitsu is on a level he has never had to deal with before, so this should be an interesting and competitive fight.
Matt Wiman is a tough and scrappy veteran with a rather versatile skill set. Wiman is a formidable grappler, with solid wrestling and good submissions. He also has dangerous ground and pound, good positional control, and serviceable standup. To add to all that, Wiman is a very tough guy who has only been finished once in his career, by Spencer Fisher in a fight he took on short notice. Still, he has never faced a grappler of Miller’s caliber and he runs the risks of trying to impose his gameplan and playing right into Miller’s strengths, so he is going to need a great strategy and a career performance if he wants to score the upset.
Cole “Magrinho” Miller is one of the most prolific submission finishers in the UFC. He is not as wellrounded as a lot of the other top contenders in the Lightweight division, and his chin is capable of being exploited, but his prowess on the ground is undeniable and hardly any of his opponents have an answer for his jiu-jitsu. Wiman is not a world-class striker, but Miller should still be wary about standing with him. If Miller can force this into a ground war, he has the clear edge in positional control, sweeps, escapes, and especially submissions.
I think that this matchup favors Miller stylistically. The wrestling should be about even, but on the ground Miller is far more effective and Wiman’s standup is not dangerous enough for him to really take Miller off his game. Wiman is most effective going for takedowns and working top position, but that is going to backfire in a huge way against Miller. Miller by submission.
Prediction: Cole Miller via third round triangle choke.
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