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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Jason "Mayhem" Miller is on his way back to the UFC.
MMAFighting.com reports that Miller has signed a new multi-fight contract with the organization, and will once again fight in the Octagon more than six years after his lone appearance in the organization.
Miller, a ten year MMA veteran and host of MTV's "Bully Beatdown," made his sole appearance in the UFC back in 2005 at UFC 52, where he was defeated by now UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre. Since that loss, Miller has posted a 12-3 record with one no contest, with losses coming to Frank Trigg (in 2006), current Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and that title's former owner in UFC 129 title challenger Jake Shields.
Miller's previous contract with Strikeforce expired, opening the door for this signing by Strikeforce's new owners. Miller had not appeared in the Strikeforce cage since April of last year, where he was jumped by the Diaz brothers and Cesar Gracie's camp after interrupting Shields' post-fight interview after that night's main event on CBS.
He had been angling for a fight with Nick Diaz, but nothing ever came to fruition, and he's been out of action since a win over Kazushi Sakuraba in DREAM last September. He'll now join the UFC's middleweight roster, though there's no word on when or against whom he'll make his return.
Penick's Analysis: This is a great signing for the UFC and for Miller. Though he may never make his way to a title shot in the division, he's a very tough and talented fighter that will make for a great opponent for a lot of guys in the upper echelon at 185 lbs. That's not to mention that Miller has a personality and is capable of selling a fight, and with the UFC's backing will have a chance to definitely make an impact. I'm not sure what his ceiling in the UFC is, but he'll be a formidable test for anyone. If the UFC wanted an option for TUF against Michael Bisping that wasn't Chael Sonnen, Miller could certainly be an option for that. All in all, good signing, great opportunity for Miller, and I look forward to seeing who he's matched up with first.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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