Which UFC lightweight possesses the very best MMA-BJJ? I think it all boils down to Joe Lauzon, Jim Miller and Nate Diaz. On paper, the easy answer may seem to be Diaz (submitted Miller, 7 UFC submission victories, etc,.) or even Lauzon (6x Submission of the Night winner). But I'm going to go with Jim Miller. He would've survived Diaz's power guillotine had his tongue not been stuck between his teeth, he out grappled Lauzon, IMO (passed Lauzon's guard and mounted him for a good period of time, held him in position with a D'arce, and Lauzon was never able to get passed Miller's rubber-guard and butterfly's), better off his back, overall, than both Lauzon and Diaz (even won a round -- in one judge's eye -- off his back against Ben Henderson), and nothing Lauzon or Diaz have done in their careers can match what Miller did to the premiere grappler, Charles Oliveira. There's my pitch. Your thoughts?
Penn hasn't fought in the division for almost 3 years. And Diaz submitted talented grappler Pellegrino in incredible fashion -- but even that doesn't top what Miller did to Oliveira. After that, whose the best practioner Diaz has submitted? Robinson?
And you can clearly see his tongue. Had Cain Velasquez finished Junior dos Santos off of that huge bomb he landed in the first round of their second fight -- would that make Velasquez the division's best striker? I'm talking about these guy's entire body of work.
What does his tongue being stuck out have to do with anything? Nate subbed Pellegrino, too, who isn't a scrub on the ground. Assuncao, as well.
He tapped because he didn't want to bite his own tongue off. I acknowledged Pellegrino's pedigree; but Oliveira's talent on the mat is off the charts. And Miller is better off his back.
Still not sure how that takes away from it being an impressive submission. The choke was tight as ****, he wasn't getting out tongue or no tongue.
You have more time to fight out of it if you're only being choked, if your tongue is being ripped off -- you got to get out of there quickly. Is all I'm saying. I still think what he's done in the rest of his UFC career overshadows that loss.