Editor’s note: The article was updated at 6:30 PM ET to reflect Klein’s reason for withdrawing.
Ultimate Fighting Championship vet Jim Miller has a new opponent just weeks before his fight.
Underground Story broke Friday that Jim Miller (35-17, 1 NC) will no longer take on Ludovit Klein at UFC on ESPN 46. Instead, he’ll be taking on grizzled lightweight Jared Gordon (19-6, 1 NC) in about two weeks. from notification. according to
MMA junkie, Klein out of the match due to illness. Gordon has since confirmed the pairing which takes place on June 3 at UFC Apex
Instagram.
It will be over a month since Gordon’s last appearance, which ended in the first round when he and Bobby Green battled the Chiefs to force a no-compete. Instead of booking an immediate rematch, Green had a fight in July against Tony Ferguson. “The Flash” is aiming to get back in the win column after two winless bouts that include Green no contest and a controversial decision loss to Paddy Pimblett that many considered the “steal of the year” of 2022. All of Gordon’s last six wins dating back to 2017 have featured on scorecards, with his only appearance in the octagon coming in his debut against Michel Quiñones at UFC Fight Night 112.
Miller is looking to recover from his first loss in a few years, as he fell short against Alexander Hernandez in February by decision. That defeat snapped a winning streak for the 39-year-old New Jersey player, who had made three stops over Eric Gonzalez, Nicholas Mota and Donald Cerrone in less than nine months. Miller plans to continue competing until UFC 300, an event not currently on the books but expected to take place in May or June of 2024. The “A-10” currently leads the promotion in fights (41) and wins (24), although that Andrei Arlovski could tie the last count should Miller fail while Arlovski prevailed that same night.
The UFC will be held on ESPN 46 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on June 3, with the 125-pound barnburner title fight between Kai Kara France and Amir Albazi slated for top billing. The main attraction will see co-star Alex Caceres do battle with Daniel Pineda. Additional main card matches besides Miller-Gordon include a flyweight scrap between Tim Elliott against Victor Altamirano, a women’s flyweight contest where Karine Silva faces Ketlen Souza and a lightweight jab between Jamie Mullarkey and Guram Kutateladze.