February 18, 2022 12:05 PM
Ewan Lavender

MMA Preview – Jim Miller vs Nikolas Motta at UFC Fight Night 201

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JIM MILLER VS NIKOLAS MOTTA FACTS

When is UFC Fight Night 201? Saturday 19th February, 2022 - 22:00 start (UK)

Where is UFC Fight Night 201? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)

Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 201? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events

What channel is UFC Fight Night 201 on? BT Sport 1

Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 201? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website

For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!

JIM MILLER VS NIKOLAS MOTTA LOWDOWN

Jim Miller (33-16(1)) was originally scheduled to fight Nikolas Motta in September last year at UFC Fight Night 192. However, a positive COVID-19 result forced him to pull out for the first time in his 49-fight career. A month later, he welcomed Erick Gonzalez to the octagon with an unfriendly left hand to put him out cold. The perfect way to extend his UFC record for the most appearances (38).

At the opposite end of his UFC career, Nikolas Motta (12-3) finally walks out for his debut. He has only lost once in his last six which was a TKO courtesy of Robert hale in 2018. That was for 864 Fighting Championship, and he responded with two good wins for the Cage Fury Fighting Championships knocking out Cesar Balmaceda and outpointing Juan Gonzalez in 2019. This led to an audition on the Contender Series where he earnt another unanimous decision win, this time over Joseph Lowry.

JIM MILLER VS NIKOLAS MOTTA PREDICTION

With eight knockouts to his name, we can expect Motta to keep the fight standing and considering the submission prowess of the veteran, he will want to keep the distance. Miller will go toe-to-toe with the newbie uncorking that left hand and will pounce on a takedown if the opportunity presents itself.

We have not seen much of Motta’s ground skills and if the fight goes to the floor, he will be in trouble. Miller’s MMA grappling is as seasoned as it gets and with the pressure of a debut, he will be waiting for Motta to make a mistake.

The longer the fight stays on the feet the more you have to back Motta. If he can stay off his back in the first round, we fancy him to have a stronger second and third round to walk away with the win, but one mistake and he will get tangled up.

Prediction: Motta via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)

Value Bet: Miller via Submission

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