UFC on FX: What's Next For Jim Miller? Florian Touts Barboza; Is Nate Diaz A Better Match?

Jim Miller was on point tonight, displaying everything that we have come to expect from him: Chin, Heart and Jits. Joe Lauzon rocked Melvin Guillard before he choked him out; Jim Miller got rocked by Melvin, then choked him out. Ben Henderson or Frankie Edgar might be a task too tall for Miller but he is a perfect guardian to the door leading to the title.

Nathan Diaz was on point over the holidays, bringing the classic Diaz mind games to Donald Cerrone; enticing the Cowboy to play the roll of the bull, Diaz played the matador, sticking him relentlessly with 258 arm strikes. Since his return to the lightweight division, he has put together two wins and is the second highest ranked fighter currently on a win streak of two or more (Gleison Tibau has won 3 straight, but is a notch lower on the consensus rankings).

During the UFC post fight breakdown on FX, Kenny Florian & Jon Anik expressed a desire to see Jim Miller and Edson Barboza, with the reasoning being that the fight would be guaranteed excitement for the fans.

Jon Anik: Who would you like to see next for Jim Miller at a buck 55?

Kenny Florian: I'd love to see him go against Edson Barboza. I think that's an exciting fight, between Edson Barboza, who really has catapulted himself especially with that amazing knockout win and Jim Miller, this just wasn't a win over a top guy in Melvin Guillard, it was a submission win, very impressive win that shows how tough this guy is and I think that'd be a great fight for the fans. Without a doubt.

I'm not so sure. Miller is easily the most adept wrestler Barboza will have ever faced. His last two fights were at home, in Brazil, against fighters who just aren't close to Miller's level. Barboza is a spectacular talent but then again so was Charles Oliveira, whom Miller kneebarred in under two minutes when they met at UFC 124. Tony Ferguson has three wins and is an Ultimate Fighter winner. Barboza can headline a Fuel show with him, build some recognition on American soil.

Miller deserves to fight a big time fighter, not an up and comer. Nate Diaz is exactly that. No one on the winning side of the ledger at lightweight is ranked higher than Nate Diaz and available to fight; Anthony Pettis and Joe Lauzon are fighting, Clay Guida, Cerrone and Gray Maynard are coming off losses and after tonight there is Miller, who just skipped over Nate as the highest ranked fighter coming off a win that is free.

I can't really see a reason why they wouldn't fight. Miller can't really get a title shot against Henderson and even Frankie Edgar has already beaten him so he's definitely out of the question to fight the champion next. Why not use him in a classic no lose situation: If Nathan can't beat Jim Miller, he won't have anything for either of the two men fighting for the title in Japan. On the other hand, if he does beat him in classic exciting Diaz fashion, the hype around Diaz as a legitimate title contender would only heighten.

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