The Miller brothers made their respective UFC debuts with a pair of performances which saw them dominate from start to finish. In his second fight in less than a month, Dan saw a stiffer test from Matt Horwich, but with superior striking and damaging ground and pound in the fight’s opening and closing frames, and tremendous fortitude in the middle stanza, Dan garnered a well-earned unanimous decision victory.

Dan looked as if he might put away his second early win inside the Octagon in the fight’s opening seconds, as he led-off with a superman punch before segueing into a takedown. From on top he threw heavy punches down on Horwich as the Team Quest fighter attempted to attain guard.

“I hit him hard and I could see his eyes starting to roll back in his head,” Dan said.

But Horwich, renowned for his durable chin, was able to withstand the assault and keep fighting.

“I knew he would keep coming,” Dan said. “I didn’t know he would be that tough though.”

Once on the mat, Horwich attempted an omoplata, but Dan spun out, delivering some shots to Horwich’s face in the process. Dan continued to control the round, scoring solidly on his feet with several strong strikes, as well as taking Horwich down on more than one occasion.

In the second round, following another takedown by Dan, Horwich again looked for the omoplata, using the maneuver to eventually take Dan’s back where he looked to apply a rear naked choke. While things looked bleak for Dan with the submission veteran on his back, Dan arched off the mat to allow himself room to breathe and, in a phenomenal display of heart, fought off the attack.

“I wasn’t tapping [in that situation],” Dan said. “I heard there was 1:14 left, and I was like ‘Alright, I’m going to let him choke me out if I have to.’

“I rolled until he was on his back, and I was able to get a little bit of a breath and I was able to sit there until I felt his arms loosen and peeled it off.”

As Dan pried Horwich’s arms off, the crowd roared its approval. Dan knew however that the second had evened the fight heading into final round, and came out for the third knowing that the fight was on the line.

Dan left no room for debate in the third round however, as he quickly scored the takedown and rained punches down on Horwich for the duration of the round. Horwich repeatedly looked for the omoplata sweep, but each effort was met with Dan pulling the arm free and landing a shot to the Team Quest fighter’s face.

“He’s got a tough omoplata,” Dan said. “He kept coming with that. The third round I was able to pick that up and stop it. The kid’s got a great guard.”

As the fight reached its dying minutes, with both fighters tired from the up-tempo battle, Dan turned up the pace one last time, with a barrage which left Horwich battered and bleeding from a large gash beneath his left eye. When the horn finally blew, with Dan standing over a bloody Horwich, Dan had walked away with a hard-earned victory, upping the Miller Brothers to 3-0 in the UFC.

NOTE: Dan’s fight is currently being featured for free on UFC.com. The entire fight can be watched in the front page’s primary video window.

Coming into his UFC debut against David Baron, Jim felt he had his Octagon jitters behind him after cornering Dan against Rob Kimmons. While Jim may have gotten more time in the cage to savor his first fight on the world’s biggest stage, he was no-less dominant than his big brother en-route to a rear naked choke victory of his own, and a well-earned Submission of the Night bonus.

At 16-2 entering the contest, and fresh off a submission victory over Hayato “Mach” Sakurai, Baron came into the fight highly touted, and labeled the best fighter to come out of France. While his high-level ground skills were evident, Jim’s relentless assault was too much, and the Judo black belt succumbed to Jim’s constant submission attempts at 3:19 of the third frame.

Jim left no doubts about whose ground game was better however, as he used takedowns to attain and keep positive position in every round, and constantly forced the French fighter to be on the defensive.

“[The takedowns] were there so I went for it,” Jim said. “He was leaving it open. He really wanted to bang with me -- I’d heard that in his interview.

“His hands were kind of high, his hips weren’t where they were supposed to be to defend the takedown, so I was able to do it.”

Once on the mat, Baron showed the craftiness of a veteran in working to keep the dangerous Jim in his half-guard.

“He was really strong,” Jim said. “I was very impressed with how strong the kid was. I was in his half-guard and it was like rolling with a 205-pounder, he just pinched his legs together and stuck my leg where it was.”

Still, it could only delay the inevitable as Jim attained mount and took Baron’s back on multiple occasions, including a beautiful reversal of an attempted Judo throw in which Jim leapt onto the black belt’s back.

Even when Baron bucked and briefly attained top position in the dying seconds of the second round, Jim slapped on a triangle from guard. While having his back to the cage prevented Jim from gaining proper position to finish the triangle, he was able to lock-on a rarely-seen arm triangle from guard, though with time expiring Baron was able to ride out the round.

While Baron showed tremendous heart and defense in surviving Jim’s early attacks, Jim showed he still had plenty in the tank for the final round as he came out with the same intensity he had in round one, with similar results.

Again finding himself on Baron’s back, Jim dragged the French fighter’s left arm away from defense, before using his left hook to pin the arm at Baron’s side. With two hands to attack against Baron’s one defending appendage, Jim quickly sunk in the choke to elicit the tap and the Submission of the Night award.

Much like his brother before him however, Jim will have little time to rest on his victory or think about his next fight, as Dan is fighting this Saturday against Matt Horwich at UFC 90.

“First thing’s first,” Jim said, “I’ve got to fly to Chicago for the fights next weekend to help Dan out, and then we’ll see what Joe [Silva, UFC Matchmaker,] has for me.”

NOTE: Jim’s fight is currently being featured for free on UFC.com. The entire fight can be watched in the front page’s primary video window.

It took Dan three years to find his way to the UFC cage, and less than two minutes to earn his first victory. He had little time to savor fighting in the Octagon, as he earned the tapout after just 87 seconds with a rear naked choke.

Despite the short duration, the importance of the fight was not lost on Dan.

“I kept telling myself it was like any other fight,” Dan said, “but I knew in the back of my mind it wasn’t. For me, it was do-or-die.”

Despite the enormity of the fight, Dan remained calm once the action was underway.

“I was actually really, really relaxed,” Dan said. “I just took what he gave me, and luckily it was a rear naked and it was pretty quick.”

The fighters tied up almost immediately and moved to the cage, where Kimmons attempted to score the takedown.

“We engaged and he locked up like he wanted to the ground,” Dan said, “so take it to the ground.”

Dan reversed the attempt, and tried for a hip-toss of his own. The throw sent Kimmons to all-fours, while Dan was able to remain upright, allowing Dan to hop onto Kimmons’ back.

“Once I got his back I just took my time and worked it out,” Dan said.

Kimmons drove back into the cage in an effort to impede Dan’s efforts to secure his position, but Dan remained calm, and sunk in his hooks, freeing him up to go for the finish.

“He was doing a good job tying to peel that first hook off,” Dan said. “It took me a little time to get that other leg through against the cage, but I was able to sneak it in, and once I got it in, fight’s over.”

With his second leg in place, Dan snaked his right arm across Kimmons’ throat and arched back, dragging the black belt to the canvas where Kimmons quickly tapped, extending Dan’s unbeaten streak to eight fights.

Dan doesn’t have long to bask in his victory however, as his next challenge comes in preparing Jim for his UFC debut. Jim will be taking on French welterweight-turned-lightweight David Baron at UFC 89 in Birmingham, England on October 18.

After years spent facing, and submitting, the top competition the East Coast had to offer, the Miller Brothers are ready to take their games to the world’s premiere mixed martial arts organization -- the UFC. Fittingly enough, the brothers, who have been instrumental in helping each other develop as fighters, were signed together, as both Dan and Jim have earned four-fight exclusive contracts.

Dan, the elder of the two brothers, enters the UFC riding a six-fight winning streak. In addition to becoming the Cage Fury Fighting Championships Middleweight Champion in October 2006, and defending again the next April, Dan had a successful run with the International Fight League.

In his IFL debut, Dan (8-1) was tapped as a late replacement for Renzo Gracie’s Pitbulls in the 2007 Team Semi-Finals. Fighting against an experienced jiu jitsu player in Dave Phillips, Dan got things started on the right foot for the Pitbulls, authoring one of the most brutal guillotines in MMA history, a move later dubbed “the guillotine from hell” by The Rear Naked Choke. (Check out the full fight online here.)

In his follow-up performance with the IFL, Dan took on reigning Middleweight Champion Ryan McGivern. Despite being the underdog heading in, Dan quickly showed he belonged in the ring landing a hard left to the Champ’s chin. After a brief time standing, Dan took the wrestling standout to the ground, secured a knee, and took home the IFL Middleweight Title.

Jim, also on a six-fight tear, spent his time on the East Coast acquiring a complete collection of belts from the area’s top promotions. In total, his work earned him five straps from Reality Fighting, Cage Fury Fighting Championships, Battle Cage Xtreme, United States Kickboxing Association and Ring of Combat.

National audiences first were introduced to Jim (11-1) when he fought on the Pay Per View CFFC 5 card, where he successfully defended his belt against Anthony Morrison with a relentless submission assault. He followed that performance at Battle Cage Xtreme III, where he took on an opponent who missed weight by 13 pounds. Despite being severely outsized, Jim secured the win with a move dubbed “a flying rear naked choke” by play-by-play of the event, and “a superman choke” by his older brother Dan, diving horizontally onto his opponent’s back and securing the neck all in one move.

Jim then moved to a pair of Ring of Combat fights with EliteXC’s Chris Liguori, and again showed national audiences what he brought to the table. After stopping Liguori with a cut in their first meeting, Jim offered a rematch and left a definitive mark, stunning Liguori with a straight left, then sinking in a guillotine to earn his fifth title.

The win earned Jim the attention of both the IFL and the UFC, but ultimately his contract with the IFL garnered him another short camp for a fight with IFL standout Bart Palaszewski. Jim used his explosive ground game to earn a dominant decision, and it was only the extreme fortitude of Palaszewski that stretched the fight to decision victory for Jim for the first time since his debut.

No dates or opponents for the brothers have been named as yet, but stay tuned to MillerBrothersMMA.com for the latest information on the brothers’ impending debuts.

In his first fight for the International Fight League, Dan handed in a Submission of the Year candidate against Dave Phillips. In his second, he picked up where he left off with another first round submission victory to capture the IFL Middleweight Title, locking in a tight kneebar on Miletich Fight Systems’ Ryan McGivern just 3:36 into their championship tilt.

“I wasn’t looking for the kneebar,” Dan said. “I wasn’t fishing for it, but it presented itself so I took it. I have been working hard on my leg locks.

“It’s just the way it was. I went for a toe hold to try to get it, but then he straightened it out so I went for the kneebar.”

McGivern is renowned for his cardio, and many expected a long bout between the two, including Dan.

“I always look to end the fight,” Dan said. “I never want to go the distance, but I train to go the distance.

“I expected the first few rounds to be a stand up war.”

The fight held to expectations with both trading leather, and tough shots, early. After several minutes of trading, McGivern left his ankle exposed and Dan took it to secure the takedown against the collegiate wrestling standout.

“I knew once it hit the ground it was my advantage,” Dan said. “So going into that fight I was going to try to stand with him for a bit then work for the takedown but it actually came a bit earlier than I expected. That kid hits hard.

“Once it hit the ground I was comfortable.”

Once on the ground McGivern worked to tie-up in an effort to return the fighters to their feet. Dan broke his hold however and stood over McGivern, who fired off a pair of upkicks. The second strike grazed off Dan, but he used the attack to secure McGivern’s leg.

After working for a heelhook, McGivern straightened his leg to counter and Dan locked on the kneebar to earn the tap.

The fight was shocking to many who were less familiar with Dan, making only his second appearance with the organization, than they were with the former Title-Holder McGivern, who has been with the IFL since its inception.

“I love being the underdog,” Dan said. “I like going into fights where people think I’m going to lose because I like to prove myself.”

Dan may not have the luxury of being the underdog next time he enters the ring, this time with the IFL Middleweight Title on his resume.

Fighting before a hometown New Jersey crowd, and a national TV audience, Jim knew his IFL debut against Bart Palaszewski was his biggest fight to date, and a chance to establish a name for himself in the lightweight division. With a seemingly unending chain of submissions, Jim, now 11-1, seized the opportunity, and the unanimous decision victory.

“It was one of my best fights,” Jim said. “I went in with nothing to lose and fought well. Bart is tough as hell, and I have a ton of respect for him.”

Jim worked throughout the fight to extend his fight-finishing streak, but the tough Palaszewski refused to tap, handing Jim his first decision victory since his debut in 2005.

Jim looked to have Palaszewski in deep trouble in the first round, securing a takedown and locking the veteran fighter in a tight anaconda choke.

“It was pretty tight,” Jim said, “but my angle wasn't ideal.

“I was surprised he [escaped] though -- he started wheezing and I thought he was going out”

Jim again secured an anaconda in the second round, though with the choke less secure, opted instead to use the position to toss Palaszewski, sending him cart wheeling to his back.

“I just pulled that one out of my hat,” Jim said. “I was on tonight. I wasn’t hesitating.”

In the final round, both men came out strong, with Jim always looking to finish, and Palaszewski, trailing on all score cards, needing to.

The two found themselves against the ropes where they worked briefly before Jim spun behind Palaszewski and launched himself onto Palaszewski’s back before dragging the fight to the canvas. Once on the ground, Jim again began looking to secure a choke, and after snaking an arm under Palaszewski’s chin, appeared once again to be headed for the submission victory, this time by rear naked choke.

Palaszewski however, again gutted out of the hold.

“The adrenaline of sinking in a choke kicked in and [my arms] weren't that tired [from the previous chokes] until he got out,” Jim said. “Then I could barely make a fist.

“I wasn't surprised this time after he fought out of earlier chokes”

The fight not only marked Jim’s IFL debut, but also saw him fight with the legendary Renzo Gracie in his corner for the first time.

“It's great to have someone with so much experience in the corner,” Jim said of the eccentric Brazilian. “It's weird that talking to him in other places, I have trouble with his accent, but when he's yelling in the corner, I can understand everything he says.”

The fight caps off a busy month for Jim, which saw him submit Chris Liguori at a Ring of Combat event and receive contract offers from not just the IFL, but also the UFC. Jim was signed to fight for the UFC at an event just two days prior to the IFL event, but the UFC was unable to broker an agreement with the IFL for his services. While Jim took this fight on short notice, he wasn’t concerned he’d be entering under-prepared.

“I had just fought a month earlier,” Jim said, “then with the UFC fight I just kept right on training after, so I was in good shape and quite ready to fight.”

Jim’s brother Dan was also in attendance at the event, to corner his brother as well as to promote his upcoming title fight at the IFL’s next event, when he will battle current IFL Middleweight Champion Ryan McGivern.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to fight a tough guy like Ryan,” Dan said. “He's a good wrestler with good hands which will make for a good fight”

While he may be excited and ready to go for his fight, when it comes to nerves, Dan said it’s no-contest between fighting and cornering his younger brother.

“Cornering Jim makes me much more nervous, because I can't control the outcome of the fight.

“It means just as much to me if he wins as it does when I win.”

Dan has seen a lot of both lately, as Jim’s victory matched his older brother’s six-fight unbeaten streak.

Jim will be making his IFL debut April 4 against Bart Palaszewski at the Izod Center, filling in on short-notice for the injured Deividas Taurosevicius. Jim will be representing Renzo Gracie Academy in their match-up against Midwest Combat, which will also feature match-ups between Delson Helano (RGA) and Brad Blackburn (MC) and Jamal Patterson (RGA) and Vladimir Matyushenko (MC).

The event will be carried live on HDNet beginning at 8:30 PM EST. It will mark Jim’s third consecutive fight on MMA’s premiere network, following two victories over Chris Liguori at Lou Neglia’s Ring of Combat 17 and 18.

Jim enters the match riding a five-fight winning streak to improve his record to 10-1. He has finished the fight in his last nine victories. Palaszewski (28-10) is one of the IFL’s most recognizable fighters, and a must in any conversation about the organization’s top lightweights. He will be looking to rebound from consecutive losses to Taurosevicius at the 2007 IFL Team Finals and Chris Horodecki at the 2007 Grand Prix Semi-Finals, the only men to hold victories over Palaszewski in the IFL.

In a coincidental twist, not only will Jim be making his debut in front of a home crowd at the New Jersey arena, but he will debut in the same building his older brother debuted in last August when he fought for Renzo’s Pitbulls in the IFL Team Semi-Finals. Jim will be looking to repeat his brother’s success, as Dan earned Submission of the Night, as well as recognition on many Submission of the Year lists, for his guillotine victory over the Tokyo Sabres’ Dave Phillips, helping the Pitbulls en-route to the 2007 IFL Team Championship.

UPDATE (3/31/2008) - Dan to Face McGivern For IFL Middleweight Championship

Dan will be returning to the IFL ring for the first time since the victory over Phillips May 16 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CN, when he challenges Miletich Fight System’s Ryan McGivern for the IFL Middleweight Championship.

Dan enters the fight riding a five-fight winning streak of his own, and on a six-fight unbeaten streak. In addition to the victory over Phillips, the stretch has seen Dan earn a victory at Ring of Combat 17, as well as three victories with the now-defunct Cage Fury Fighting Championships, which included winning the CFFC Middleweight Title, which he successfully defended prior to the Phillips fight. In his last fight, Dan fell victim to an accidental head-butt by Mike Guerin leading to a first round No-Contest. Dan was scheduled to make his return to the IFL at the 2007 Grand Prix Finals against Rory Markham, another Miletich fighter, but was forced to withdraw due to injury.

McGivern (12-5) has won six of his ten IFL fights, and earned the Middleweight Belt with a unanimous decision over Matt Horwich in February. The victory is McGivern’s second consecutive in the promotion, as McGivern scored a KO victory over Fabio Leopaldo at the 2007 Team Finals.

Following his TKO victory over Chris Liguori at ROC 17 via a doctor’s stoppage, Jim was looking to put a decisive end to questions about who the better fighter was. At Ring of Combat 18 he got his chance, and refused to let it, or Liguori’s neck, out of his grip.

Following a close first round which saw the men exchange strikes as well as time on top, Jim landed a punch straight down the pipe, which rocked Liguori. Shooting for the take-down, the dazed Liguori left his neck available, and Jim locked in an arm-in guillotine to elicit the tap at 2:22 of round two, and earn Jim the ROC Lightweight Title.

The victory is Jim fifth-consecutive, and improved his record to 10-1, with the lone blemish coming in a decision defeat to Liguori’s teammate, and UFC veteran, Frank Edgar. Liguori had been riding a four-fight streak of his own prior to the fights against Jim.

While Jim earned the conclusive victory he was after, it was Dan’s turn to suffer an unsatisfying doctor’s stoppage. Dan came out throwing against the Bombsquad’s Mike Guerin, landing several strikes in the process. However, following a strike by Dan, Guerin attempted to counter and accidentally head-butted dan, breaking his nose and leading to a No-Contest at :34 of round one.

The Millers are returning to action at Lou Neglia's Ring of Combat XVIII at The Tropicana in Atlantic City March 7, 2008 .

Jim (9-1) will be headlining the event with a rematch against Rhino Fight Team's Chris Liguori (7-6). The two first squared off at Ring of Combat XVII, where Jim snapped Liguori's four-fight winning streak. After a dominant first round by Jim, which saw Liguori fighting off a string of submissions, Jim opened a deep gash over Liguori's right eye with an elbow from the bottom in the second. As the fighters returned to their corners, the doctors examined Liguori's cut, and determined that the fight could not continue.

Photo by MMA Photography

In his corner, Jim was outwardly unhappy with the stoppage. "Chris is a great fighter," Jim said after the fight. "You don't want to win the fight like that."

Jim will get his chance to finish Liguori in the rematch, which again promises to be a strong candidate for fight of the night.

Jim will also be looking to claim his fifth championship belt, as he and Liguori will be battling for the Ring of Combat Lightweight Title. Jim already holds the Reality Fighting Featherweight Title and holds Lightweight Titles from Cage Fury Fighting Championships, Battle Cage Xtreme and United States Kickboxing Association.

Following his decision victory over John Howard (7-2) at Ring of Combat XVII, Dan (7-1) will look to extend his winning streak to six against Mike Guerin (2-0). Dan will be returning to the ring following an injury sustained in his victory over Howard. The injury to his jaw forced Dan to withdraw from his scheduled bout against Rory Markham at the IFL Grand Prix Finals.

The winning streak, which began in June of 2006 against Dave Perez, has seen Dan earn the Cage Fury Fighting Championships Middleweight Title, as well as earn a spot on 2007 Submission of the Year lists with his standing guillotine victory over Dave Phillips. The fight will mark his third consecutive appearance before a national audience.

While a facial injury has forced Dan to withdraw from his scheduled bout against Rory Markham at the IFL Grand Prix Finals, December is still proving to be a busy month of publication for the Miller Brothers.

Shortly after their victories at Ring of Combat XVII Dan spoke with Joe and Ted of The Rear Naked Choke. They discussed Dan’s withdrawal from the Grand Prix Finals card as well as Dan’s victory at the IFL Team Semi-Finals over Dave Phillips, which Joe and Ted have labeled “The Guillotine from Hell.” Check out the interview for yourself.

The standing guillotine is still drawing attention months later, as the IFL has recently uploaded the submission to their youTube channel, complete with slow motion and a reverse angle (check it out here) and Sherdog has listed it as a Submission of the Year candidate.

The brothers can also be found away from the computer in the latest Ultimate Grappling Magazine. Derek Constable and Zack Lynch took a look at the best Northeast talent that the casual fan may not yet know, and featured Jim and Dan in thier article Breeding Grounds.

The Miller brothers got their busy weekend off to a good start with a pair of victories at Lou Neglia’s Ring of Combat in Atlantic City at the Beasts of the Northeast Tournament Finals.

Dan (7-1) took to the ring first when he faced off against John Howard. The two had previously been scheduled to fight for the CFFC Middleweight Title before a hand injury forced Dan out of the defense. Dan made up for that missed fight with a unanimous decision victory at Ring of Combat, just two days before his wedding.

After taking the first round by controlling Howard from on top, Dan dropped the second round. Knowing the fight was on the line, Dan came out in the third and scored a takedown, and worked from on top of Howard for the duration of the round to earn the judge’s nod.

Jim (9-1) faced off against Rhino’s Chris Liguori in one of the event’s Superfights in what turned out to be the fight of the night.

Jim took the first round, though both men showed tremendous skill on the ground, leaving the crowd standing with applause following five minutes of transitions and submission attempts.

Liguori earned top position in the second round, but Jim landed a powerful elbow that split the UFC veteran. As the two returned to their corners between rounds, the ring doctor determined Liguori’s cut merited a stop to the fight. In his corner, Jim was noticeably upset about the decision to stop the fight.

“Chris is a great fighter,” Jim said after the fight, “you don’t want to win like that.”

Elsewhere on the card, Gregor Gracie earned a second round victory over Eric Henry in the card's second Superfight, and Tim Troxell, a teammate of the Millers at AMA Fight Club, earned a unanimous decision over Vasilica Goian.

For Jim and Dan it seems only fitting that Dan’s wedding weekend will begin in the ring. The brothers will be in action together for the first time since CFFC 4 at the Beasts of the Northeast Finals at Ring of Combat in Atlantic City, NJ on Friday, November 30.

Jim (8-1) will take on a welterweight-turned-lightweight for the second consecutive fight as he take’s on Rhino’s Chris Liguori. In his last fight, Jim submitted Nuri Shakir, who weighed in at 168 pounds for the lightweight match.

Liguori, like Jim, was scheduled to fight on the CFFC 6 card in October before the event was cancelled just a week before the fights. Looking across the ring to see Rhino in the opposing corner is becoming a familiar experience for the Millers, as this will mark the fourth opponent from the gym that Jim has faced (as well as two matches between Dan and Rhino fighters.)

Liguori (7-5) is a UFC veteran, and has held welterweight titles with Reality Fighting as well as Combat in the Cage. Liguori enters the match on a four-fight win-streak, the last of which came via choke at CFFC 5 against The Ultimate Fighter 6’s Dorian Price.

Dan (6-1) will enter the ring for the first time since his submission victory of Dave Phillips at the IFL Semi-Finals against John Howard. Dan was scheduled to defend his belt against Howard at CFFC 5 before being forced to withdraw from the fight due to a hand injury.

Howard (6-1) faced Nick Catone at CFFC 5, and lost a decision, but has since rebounded with a victory over Mandela Kponou by armbar at Combat Zone 23.

With the Friday fights behind them, the brothers will return home, where Dan will marry his fiancée Kristin on Sunday.

Fresh off a crowd-pleasing finish, Dan will be back in the IFL December 29 when he takes on the Silverbacks’ Rory Markham at the IFL Grand Prix Finals in Uncasville, Conn. The fight will take place at a catchweight of 175 pounds.

Markham is a sprawl-and-brawler out of Miletich Fight Systems, and is one of the IFL’s most recognizable stars. While Markham missed the IFL Team Finals, he fought for the Silverbacks in the IFL Team Semi-Finals, and registered a TKO victory over the Anacondas’ Chris Clements.

Markham has been plagued by injuries of late, but has amassed an impressive 6-1 record for the two-time champion Silverbacks, and is 12-2 professionally.

Dan (6-1) made his IFL debut at the Team Semi-Finals in August, earning submission of the night and getting things going early for the Pitbulls with a guillotine choke on the Sabres’ Dave Phillips in just ninety seconds. Phillips did not tap, and was rendered unconscious standing. The win helped the Pitbulls top the Sabres 3-2 en-route to the 2007 IFL Championship.

Elsewhere on the card, Pitbulls teammate Delson Helano will take on the Anacondas’ Jay Hieron for the IFL’s Welterweight Title.

When Nuri Shakir weighed in 13 pounds overweight for his USKBA Lightweight Title fight against Jim at Battle Cage Xtreme III, there was little doubt for those who knew Jim as to whether or not he would take the fight – Jim had trained, and Jim wanted to fight, even if meant taking on a welterweight.

Jim accepted the fight, and got more than a fair challenge from Shakir. Entering the third round needing a strong showing to earn the split decision from the judges, Jim took matters into his own hands and cut out the middlemen, securing a belt-winning rear naked choke at 2:17 of the final round.

While Jim earned the USKBA Lightweight Title when Shakir failed to make weight, the submission earned him the BCX Lightweight gold as well.

After a hard-fought first two rounds, Jim and Shakir came out hard for the third. With the decision on the line, Jim secured a takedown, and Shakir kicked off in an attempt to regain his feet. As Shakir scrambled up, Jim dove onto his back, locking in the choke in the process.

The win improves Jim’s record to 8-1, with his last seven victories coming by way of submission. The new belts increase Jim’s title-count to four, joining belts earned in Cage Fury Fighting Championships and Reality Fighting.

Jim will be back in the cage this Saturday at Battle Cage Xtreme III, when he takes on Nuri Shakir for the USKBA Lightweight title.

Jim last saw action in June at Cage Fury Fighting Championships 5, where he successfully defended his CFFC Lightweight Title against Anthony Morrison. He was scheduled to defend the title again on October 13 at CFFC 6 before financial issues forced the cancellation of the event just one week prior to the scheduled date.

Having gone through fight preparations only to have the fight lost at the last minute, Jim is ready to roll one-week later thanks to BCX’s Gary Marino, who also served as match-maker for Cage Fury.

Nuri Shakir (12-13) rattled off an impressive seven-victory streak en-route to becoming the Reality Fighting Welterweight Champion with a victory over Nick Serra, and has faced numerous UFC veterans, including Drew Fickett and Thiago Alves. Following a brief string of losses, culminating in a defeat to the UFC’s Tamden McCrory, Shakir will be looking to make the transition to lightweight against Jim.

Elsewhere on the card, Kevin Jordan will be facing BCX Heavyweight Champion Carlos Moreno and Josh Spearman will take on former CFFC Champion Nick Cottone for the BCX Flyweight Title.

Dan's IFL debut lasted less than two minutes, but his efforts were sure to leave an impression on the 7,077 fans at East Ruthorford's Continental Airlines Arena. Dan secured a deep standing guillotine on Dave Phillips, rendering the Sabre unconscious just 1:30 into the fight. The finish ignited the crowd and earned Dan Submission of the Night honors.

Dan looked to take the fight to Phillips, throwing a quick strike before pushing in for the takedown. Dan picked Phillips up for the slam, and landed in side-control. Phillips was able to re-establish guard, attempting a razor armbar in the process. Dan pinned Phillips' right arm with his knee, but Phillips used the opportunity to attack Dan's right arm.

"I got careless," Dan said. "I got his arm pinned and I got overexcited at the opportunity for some free hammer-fists on his face. The razor hurt, but the armbar he didn't have the right angle."

Dan used the armbar attempt to his advantage, picking Phillips up and slamming him for the second time. As Phillips scrambled after the slam, Dan secured the choke and the 1-0 Pitbulls lead.

"It was almost more of a ten-finger choke," Dan said. "I could feel his throat crushing around my hand. It was pretty sick.

"I didn't know that he was out, but I knew it was deep. When I looked down, all I could see was neck. His entire head was caught."

Following the referee stoppage, Phillips slumped to the canvas as Dan was embraced by his teammates.

The Pitbulls lead was extended in the match's second pairing, when Brian Vetell earned a unanimous decision over the Sabres' Wayne Cole. Vetell used knees in the clinch to soften Cole up for takedowns to win the judges' favor.

Deividas Taurosevicius, who took the fight on short notice, secured the win for the Pitbulls as he topped Savant Young. The two fighters were back-and-forth throughout the fight, but ultimately Taurosevivius' efforts, highlighted by an extended ride on Young's back which led to an armbar attempt in the second round's waning seconds, were enough to earn the unanimous decision.

The early lead would prove to be crucial as the Sabres took the match's final two pairings.

Antonio McKee's wrestling was enough to earn a controversial split decision over the Pitbulls Delson Helano. The match was perhaps most memorable for an extended stoppage following a knee to McKee's cup in the second round. McKee took the full five-minute allotment he was entitled to, despite the displeasure of some of those in attendence.

In the night's final fight, Tim Boetch surprised many by staying with Vladimir Matyushenko throughout their light heavyweight bout. Boetch, who took the fight just days prior, and had fought the previous weekend, took the IFL's uncrowned light heavyweight champion the distance, and attempted several guillotine chokes. In the end Matyushenko was too much for Boetch, and earned the unanimous decision victory to make the final score 3-2 in favor of Renzo's Pitbulls.

The defending IFL Champion Silverbacks punched their ticket in the finals with a 4-1 victory over a depleted Anacondas squad in the night's first match. The Anacondas, who earned the tournament's top seed with their undefeated regular season, became the only team in IFL history to beat the Silverbacks in their season opener, but were done in by the absence of team stars Chris Horodecki and Jay Hieron.

Mike Ciesnolevicz faced Alex Schoenauer in a rematch of a controversial split decision, which went to the Silverbacks' Ciesnolevicz. Once again the two fought a close battle, and while Schoenauer earned a 30-27 win on one card, he failed to carry the other judges, losing another split decision.

Rory Markham and Bart Palaszewski took advantage of the Anaconda's absentees, earning a first round TKO against Chris Clements and guillotine over Harris Sarmiento respectively to seal the Silverbacks' revenge.

The Anacondas got on the board in the fourth pairing when middleweight Benji Radich downed Gerald Harris in the first round via TKO. The momentum was shortlived however as Ben Rothwell knocked out Krzysztof Soszynski in just thirteen seconds to make the final score 4-1 for the fourth-seeded Silverbacks.

UPDATE: Pitbulls Highlights

IFL.tv has a highlight of the Pitbulls' night, featuring interviews with Dan, his teammates and coach Renzo Gracie, as well as as-yet unaired video, including Dan's slam and submission.

Watch the Video

Dan will be in action again August 2nd at Continental Airlines Arena, representing Renzo Gracie and the New York Pitbulls in the IFL Playoffs. The Pitbulls will be facing the Sabres in one of two semi-final matches on the card.

Dan will be facing the Sabres’ Dave Philips (7-3) in the teams’ 185 lbs. match-up. Philips will be making his IFL debut in place of Kazuhiro Hamanaka, who struggled during the regular season.

The IFL is a team-based league, with one fighter per-team squaring off at each weight class from lightweight to heavyweight. The team which wins three or more weight classes wins the match.

Also on the card, the Anacondas will take on the defending champion Silverbacks. Tickets for the event can be purchased through Ticketmaster, and the fights will be televised in the weeks following the event on IFL Battleground on Fox Sports Network.

Jim successfully defended his CFFC Lightweight Title at CFFC 5 against Atlantic City MMA’s Anthony Morrison. Jim (7-1) extended his submission streak with a triangle choke at 4:56 of the first round. His last six victories have come by submission.

Morrison came out early looking to score takedowns, in a move opposed to the gameplan many expected from the heavy-handed fighter. The move backfired, as it brought the fight to the ground, where Jim’s superior grappling was evident.

Jim attempted a string of submissions from guard throughout the round, including a crowd-pleasing omaplata. Morrison fought off the submissions gamely, but Jim’s speed and wide array of submissions were too much, leading to the conclusive triangle.

CFFC 5 promises to be a show few will soon forget, with a card stacked with the best talent the east coast has to offer. Jim Miller will be looking to give fans plenty to remember as he takes to the cage to defend his CFFC Lightweight Title in one of the Saturday’s five championship matches.

Jim (6-1) will be looking to make his first defense of the title against Atlantic City MMA’s Anthony Morrison (3-2).

While Jim’s tenure with CFFC has been shorter than his older brother Dan, he has been impressing fans on the local scene for just as long, and he has been no less impressive in the cage. Jim made short work of former CFFC Lightweight Champion Al Buck to claim the belt in his CFFC debut.

Much like his older brother’s first title fight, Jim’s effort was highlighted by a thunderous slam which led quickly to the mount. When Buck turned away from Jim’s strikes, Jim applied the rear naked choke, and forced the Champ to tap just shy of the bout’s two-minute mark.

The victory was an impressive come-back bout from Jim’s lone setback, a three round war with the UFC’s Frank Edgar which Edgar won by decision.

Jim’s last five victories have come by submission, three of them in the first round, and he will be looking to continue that streak against Morrison.

Morrison (3-2) may be best known by CFFC fans for a post-fight altercation at CFFC II, in which Morrison entered the ring to call out Malachy Friedman. Friedman had lost to Buck earlier in the night, after being defeated himself by current NABC Lightweight Champion Deividas Taurosevicius. The crowd booed Morrison out of the cage, and he was involved in a scuffle on his way backstage.

Morrison was suspended for the incident, however when his suspension ended in time for CFFC IV, “Little Rampage,” who comes to the ring with a chain of his own, showed he has what it takes to put on a show in the cage as well.

Morrison battled Spencer Paige for three rounds, earning the unanimous decision.

The win was Morrison’s second with CFFC, as the setback at CFFC II came after an exciting knockout victory over Josh Loushin at CFFC’s debut event. Morrison’s hands and tempo were too much for Loushin, as the fight lasted only 57 seconds.

While brothers defending titles on the same card would have no doubt been an appealing prospect, Dan was forced to withdraw from his scheduled title defense against John Howard due to an injury to his hand. Howard (5-0) will be fighting against Nick Catone in a non-title fight instead.

Kimbo Slice will be making his highly anticipated MMA debut against former heavyweight boxing champion Ray Mercer in the card’s main event. Kimbo had been looking to get into MMA for some time now, and CFFC’s Gary Marino made it happen, lining up an interesting first test for the street fighting legend.

Kimbo has been training in MMA with the Freestyle Fighting Academy, and while there has been speculation that two will stand and throw, don’t be surprised to see Kimbo try to take the boxer to the unfamiliar territory of the canvas.

Elsewhere on the card, Taurosevicius will be taking on Kevin Roddy for the NABC Lightweight Title. Roddy will be making his CFFC debut, but he has a wealth of experience, including a defeat to Jim by way of rear naked choke in the first round.

Taurosevicius is no stranger to fighting on a big stage, having recently procured a win in the IFL over Zach George with an armbar in the first round. Following his win over Morrison, Taurosevicius earned the NABC title by defeating UFC veteran Dan Lauzon with a second round triangle choke.

Dante Rivera will be putting his NABC Middleweight Title on the line against Alexis Aquino, a CFFC fan favorite. Rivera, who also can claim IFL experience, won the belt at CFFC III by way of an arm-triangle choke in the second round against Erick Charles.

Aquino is the only fighter who can lay claim to holding victories on all four prior CFFC cards. He scored knockouts in his first two fights with the organization, before outlasting Nissim Levy to earn a decision victory at CFFC III. Aquino shored up his claim to a title shot with his rear naked choke victory over Charles at CFFC IV.

CFFC Light Heavyweight Champion Josh Rhodes will be making his much anticipated return to CFFC. Rhodes won the belt against Lamont Lister at CFFC II after Lister slid off of Rhodes back and onto his head.

Rhodes debuted with CFFC with a first round stoppage of Wayne Cole.

Taking on Rhodes will be the Ultimate Fighter’s Noah Inhofer. Inhofer won his first fight on the show, before withdrawing from the competition. Since TUF, Inhofer earned a second round TKO of David Kleckzkowski.

CFFC V will also feature Mike Varner as he looks to remain CFFC’s Welterweight Champion when he takes on former Reality Fighting Champion Nick Serra, UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Serra’s brother.

Varner won the belt against Carlos Nieves with a second round TKO.

Serra likewise holds a Championship win over Nieves, having won his Reality Fighting title with a second round triangle choke.

The card’s remaining non-title fights still promise plenty of fireworks.

Anytime a Gracie steps into the cage, there is going to be excitement, as is the case with Gregor Gracie’s debut fight against Josh Lydell. While Gracie has yet to compete in an MMA match, by virtue of being a Gracie alone, expectations will be high.

Buck will also be appearing on the card, squaring off against Brian DeMuro in one of the night’s three non-title welterweight matches, the last of which will feature Doug “Flash” Gordon and Lyman Good.

In just five events, CFFC has risen to the top of the ranks in east coast MMA. The fights will be beginning at 8 p.m. in Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall, and will also be available to those who cannot be in attendance on Pay-Per-View with inDemand.

Jim and Dan have been highlighted in the latest issue of Full Contact Fighter Magazine. Full Contact Fighter is the United States' premiere Mixed Martial-Arts magazine.

Derek Constable, of MMA Photography, sat down with the brothers for an interview and wrote an excellent full-page feature story. The brothers' recent victories at CFFC 4, in which Dan defended his Middleweight Title and Jimmy won the Lightweight Title, are also covered in the issue in a two-page spread on the event.

Full Contact Fighter Magazine can be purchased through FCFighter.com.

Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall was packed for Cage Fury Fighting Championships’ much anticipated fourth event, and the fighters did not disappoint. Brothers Jim and Dan Miller highlighted the night with impressive victories, becoming the first brothers to hold titles in CFFC.

Jim won the CFFC Lightweight Title with an efficient victory over former champion Al Buck, of Evo Fight Club. After an early break, caused by an accidental knee to Buck’s groin out of the clinch, the fighters squared off, and Jim took the fight to the mat with a thunderous slam. After working to advance his position, Jim took Buck’s back and sunk in a rear naked choke.

Buck is known by CFFC fans for his toughness, having survived in a rear naked choke against Malachy Friedman for over a minute before winning the title by strikes, but Jim’s ground skills proved to be too much as Buck was forced to tap just 1:58 into the first round.

In the main event, Dan took on Rhino Fight Team’s Jose Rodriguez for the CFFC Middleweight Title. With many Rhino fighters on the card the crowd showed strong support for Rodriguez, but it would be Dan who would ultimately control the fight. Utilizing smooth takedowns Dan got the fight to the ground in all three rounds.

Using his strong base in jiu jitsu and wrestling Dan worked from on top for nearly the entire fight, and attained the mount in both the first and third rounds. Dan attempted to lock up an armbar late in the third round, but Rodriguez was able to escape and force one last stand up. While Rodriguez landed a strong knee, Dan was again able to take down the Rhino fighter, allowing him to throw punches from on top as the third round ended. With the final bell the scores came back a unanimous 30-27 for Dan.

Two other titles were on the line as defending NABC Welterweight Champion Tamdon McCrory maintained his title with a submission victory over Nuri Shakir, and challenger Clint Godfrey dethroned CFFC Bantamweight Champ Nick Cottone with an armbar.

Elsewhere on the card, Jonathan Helwig, a training partner of the Miller Brothers, opened the night with a unanimous decision victory over Ken Owens in an absolute war. CFFC III Shelby Walker Heart of a Lion Award recipient Alexis Aquino of Rhino improved to 4-0 with his rear naked choke victory over Erick Charles, after his teammate Chris Ligouri gave similar treatment to Team Severn’s Dorian Price with a quick guillotine.

Kimbo Slice and Ray Mercer, set to square off at CFFC 5, were both in attendance, as were UFC and Pride veterans Ricco Rodriguez and Nick Diaz, who presented the champions with their belts.