Matt Brown or Paul Felder? Jim Miller weighs in on UFC 300 opponent options

LAS VEGAS – Jim Miller and UFC 300 have been associated in hundreds of headlines in recent years and now it’s finally time for them to come together.

Prior to UFC Fight Night 234 on Saturday, Miller (37-17 MMA, 26-16 UFC) already had been promised a spot on the promotion’s upcoming event April 13. Against Gabriel Benitez (23-12 MMA, 7-7 UFC), however, Miller cranked the momentum and anticipation up another notch when he won by third-round submission.

The victory was Miller’s 26th in the promotion, which separated him even further than the rest of the pack on the UFC’s all-time wins leaderboard. Miller, who sits at No. 1, now has three more victories than Andrei Arlovski and Donald Cerrone, who sit at No. 2 with 23 victories each.

With the “when” and the “where” for his next fight already known, the attention turns to the question of “who.”

Jim Miller vs. Paul Felder at #UFC300? pic.twitter.com/9Q22aK0XLV

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) January 14, 2024

Immediately after his win, Miller jokingly called out Brock Lesnar – but two other names were mentioned in a more serious breath: Paul Felder and Matt Brown. Backstage after the win, Miller gave his thoughts on each matchup to MMA Junkie and other reporters at a news conference.

“Paul and I almost fought in 2015,” Miller said. “I think that fight would be brutal. I think that is a brutal fight, me and him, locked in a cage for 15 minutes. I also think that that Matt Brown fight is amazing, as well. I think it’s awesome, because one, I don’t have to cut weight – and two, he’s the guy with most finishes at welterweight. I’m the guy with the most finishes at lightweight. That’s a fight for (UFC) 300. Let’s put on a show. Let’s go out. Let’s entertain.

“I’m willing to move up in weight for that type of event. It’s not like I’m trying to get my rankings up or anything like that. Particularly at (UFC) 300, I’d hop in at any moment if Sean (Shelby) called me for those type of fights. Sean, if you’re watching, yeah, I want to put on an epic show with two badass dudes who have been around for a bit. I think Matt might be that guy.”

Felder (17-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) has not competed since November 2020 and had previously indicated he was retired. Felder recently reentered the promotion’s anti-doping test pool and has teased a return.

After UFC Fight Night 234, Felder spoke to reporters. While he would not definitively commit, Felder indicated the fight vs. Miller at UFC 300 would likely to bring him officially out of retirement.

Brown (24-19 MMA, 17-13 UFC) has also expressed interest in the matchup on X (formerly known as Twitter). Brown, 43, is 2-1 in his most recent three outings.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.