According to a Jan. 3 post from Bleacher Report, UFC 155's Jim Miller is finally at the point where standing elbows come naturally.
"Standing elbows are something I've been working on for a couple of years now," Miller said. "It's just one of those things where you have to get the reps in. I've done thousands of standing elbows now, and when I'm sparring with guys and we aren't throwing elbows, I have to prevent myself from elbowing them. Which is what I want. I want it to come automatically and it has finally reached that point."
Miller caused plenty of damage with standing elbows during his UFC 155 fight against Joe Lauzon.
"It does become a factor," Miller said of the blood that streamed off Lauzon's face after he caught him with a standing elbow that opened a wide gash above his opponent's eyebrow. "It really makes it hard to get a hold of somebody. When we were tied up and I had him on the mat, I really wanted to use more of a pressure game and not let him bump me up or scramble. I wanted to use a tighter style of grappling I figured would work.
"It was hard as hell to hold onto him, and it definitely made my job harder trying to keep him flat," Miller continued. "The blood changes the way fights can go and what you have to do. You definitely don't want to be on the bottom if you are bleeding or have the guy who is bleeding on top of you."
Miller earned a unanimous decision victory over Lauzon at UFC 155, which instantly put him back into title contention.
"I'm looking to constantly improve," Miller added. "I'm working to be the best fighter I can be, and I don't believe I've scratched the surface on that yet. I'm in the gym trying to learn everyday, and things are starting to come out in the fights that I've been working on for some time now. I'm creating those opportunities, and there is a lot more in store."
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