» Fighter: Matt Wiman

“Mongoose” Jim Miller (13-1) defeated Matt Wiman (10-4) via unanimous decision Wednesday night at Fort Bragg during the UFC’s “Fight for the Troops” event.

Round one began with a swarm of punches from both fighters. Miller came out on the better side of the exchanges before Wiman shot for a takedown. During the takedown attempt, Miller caught Wiman in a powerful guillotine choke. Rolling eventually into mount, Miller put pressure on the choke but Wiman escaped. Miller followed with a flurry of punches that were answered by a left hook to his chin from Wiman. At round’s end, a body kick hurt Wiman before he was saved by the horn. 

The second round started more intense than the opener with both fighters swinging furiously. After a pause, Miller caught Wiman with another hurtful body kick. Sensing reward, Miller backed Wiman into the cage with a flurry of punches followed by a strong knee. Wiman displayed a respectable chin under the barrage of shots from Miller but ended up in guard only to take on more punishment before the end of the round. 

The final round stayed in theme as the previous two with Miller unleashing a flurry of punches upon Wiman. Miller continued forward with a strong left hand punch and a knee that visibly hurt his opponent. Miller pushed continuously forward with a takedown and side control. Following Miller’s dominance of the round, Wiman briefly took top position before Miller transitioned into a rear naked choke attempt. At the sounding of the final horn, Miller’s overall performance was impressive and dominant.

Jim Miller officially won via unanimous decision. 

“The Answer” Frank Edgar (9-1) and “Handsome” Matt Wiman (10-3) will fight in a lightweight match-up 10 December at UFC Fights for the Troops at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, south of Raleigh, NC, according to MMA Junkie Thursday.

Edgar suffered his first career loss in April, a unanimous decision that went to “Bully” Gray Maynard  (5-0), but rebounded to win a unanimous decision over Hermes Franca (18-7) in July.

Wiman, a TUF 5 alum, is coming off four consecutive wins, the last one being a second-round KO of Thiago Tavares (13-3) in June.

Watching Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes(42-7) TKO’d at 1:02 of the second round by younger, stronger, faster, and more complete (currently) sixth-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3) last night at UFC 85 in London, I couldn’t help but recall the country boy whoopin’ Hughes put on the original Ultimate Fighter Royce Gracie (14-3-3) two-years ago.

Hughes stalked Alves for a takedown at the first bell, settling for bottom position by pulling guard, but never finding the submission opportunity he thought he could force.

Again, Hughes took the Brazilian to the mat mid-way through the first and smothered the kickboxer; but, Alves utilized butterfly guard to neutralize Hughes’s offense.

The only damage done on the mat in round one was after the confident “Pitbull” bulldogged the veteran to the mat and hammered a crevice in Hughes’s nose with an elbow strike.

Hughes, like Gracie at UFC 60, was impotent. Alves wasn’t falling for the tried and true tricks, wasn’t physically overwhelmed by the stocky farm boy from rural Illinois, and wasn’t intimidated by the future Hall of Famer’s legacy.

The second round was short; the end poignant.

Hughes ducked for the takedown that’s served as a sure-shot for ten years; and, Alves flew the distance between him and Hughes, colliding into Hughes’s right jaw with his left knee.

One punch later and referee Herb Dean waved off the fight, and, officially, the Matt Hughes era.

Alves never doubted the outcome, but remained humble while pleading from the Octagon, “Mr. Dana White, I’ve been a good boy, please give me a title shot!”

“He got me, no doubt,” Hughes admitted.

For Hughes, there remains a grudge match with fourth-ranked “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5), then a lot of prayer and consultation with his family for the proudly Christian husband and father of two.

Read More About Alves Amazing, Werdum Top Heavyweight Contender…