Miller plans to ‘blow out’ Lauzon

Jim Miller’s first, bloody fight with Joe Lauzon at UFC 155 on December 29, 2012 was the Fight of the Night; many considered it the fight of the year. Both fought at the epic UFC 200, with Lauzon stopping Diego Sanchez and Miller stopping Takanori Gomi in a combined time of 3:44. Both were in great shape, and barely got hit, so UFC match maker Joe Silva talked them into rematch on Saturday on the main card of UFC on FOX 21 in Vancouver, BC.

Lauzon does not want another going-the-distance war.

If it’s up to me, it’s not that bloodbath where we’re both exhausted and like dying,” said Lauzon. “A nice quick one. Either way. Let him knock me out, I’ll knock him out – something.

Miller agres.

“I train to make myself as dangerous and explosive as possible,” said Miller to Steve Feitl for Asbury Park Press. “I try not to get lulled into that idea that it’s going to be 15 minutes of a war.

“I’m looking to dominate him. I’m looking for a blowout on Saturday night.”

Miller didn’t travel to a far off camp. Instead, like Lauzon, he prepared at his own gym, in this case Miller Brothers Mixed Martial Arts, owned with brother Dan, a former UFC fighter.

“There were times that I was in the car for three hours a day and it takes a lot out of you,” said Miller. “And I try to spend as much time with my family as possible, so it was difficult to get in as many sessions as I could. I try to get it in during the day – I’m a 9-to-5er type of guy – and have my nights with my family. So it’s really been nice.”

This only the second rematch in Miller’s career. The other was vs. Chris Ligouri, back to back at Ring of Combat cards in 2007 and 2008. Neither fight went to the third round, with Miller taking both. However, in the first fight, the doctor stopped it, and in the second Miller got the tap.

“What sticks out is I went out in the second fight and did what I had set out to do in the first fight,” said Miller. “I set out to finish him just like I set out to finish everybody. In the first fight, I clipped him with an elbow, and he bled on me pretty good for the majority of the second round, and the doctor ended up stopping it. In the second fight, I was able to lock in a submission and choke him out.”

“Now I’m looking to finish [Lauzon]. That’s what I was looking to do in the first fight. Now’s my opportunity to put him away like I know I can.”