LAS VEGAS – Juliana Miller met the media Saturday after her win over Ravena Oliveira at UFC Fight Night 284.
Miller (5-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) got the first finish of the card when she submitted Oliveira (7-5-1 MMA, 0-4 UFC) in the second round on the prelims at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. She also gave an impassioned callout for help in her new home area of Spokane, Wash., which is experiencing devastating wildfires started by a suspected arsonist.
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Miller has been training with the team at SikJitsu in Spokane, which has produced the likes of Michael Chiesa, an “Ultimate Fighter” winner like Miller, and Julianna Peña, who also won “TUF” and became a UFC champion. But she said making sure everyone who’s helped her to this point needs to be shouted out.
“I came from 10th Planet San Diego and they’ve worked with me on every ounce of my game. I will always appreciate my roots, San Diego, my home, and my new home, Spokane, Wash.,” Miller said at her post-fight news conference. “Training with SikJitsu has been a life changer for me. I’ve learned so much, from my striking and even to my submission game.”
Miller’s submission of Oliveira, a rear-naked choke, was significant for lots of reasons. But chief among them, she had a choke lined up earlier this year in Houston, but couldn’t finish. Carli Judice went on to take a unanimous decision.
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She said she’s bound and determined to not go through that again.
“I’ve gotten to that position every fight and I didn’t quite capitalize,” Miller said. “This time I decided no matter what happens when I get there, I’m finishing the fight. And that was something my coach said to me: ‘You remember Houston, what it felt like knowing that you were there and you lost that choke. Don’t let it happen again.’ So I looked at him and I said, ‘No, I won’t. I’m finishing this fight.’
“That’s just beautiful (getting the coaching). Every step along the way is important. In our sport, for how big it is, it’s very, very small. Don’t burn bridges. Always give respect and love to those who helped you along the way, and one day it’ll come back tenfold. That’s how I’m going to make a change in the world and in this sport one day.”
Check out Miller’s post-fight interview in the video above.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Reminder of past missed choke urged Juliana Miller to finish at UFC Vegas 120
