Friday, January 20, 2012, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will go live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, for UFC on FX 1, featuring a lightweight showdown between top contenders Melvin Guillard (29-9-2) and Jim Miller (20-3-0).

Melvin Guillard (29-9-2, 10-5 UFC) vs. Jim Miller (20-3, 9-2 UFC)
Both competitors in the evening's main-event are coming off tough losses in match-ups that were always going to be hard on them stylistically. Prior to those outings, they had won five and seven consecutive bouts respectively and can still make a considerable impression and/or bid for a title shot with an impressive victory on Friday night.

It has been repeated many times before that Melvin Guillard is perhaps the most athletically gifted fighter in the lightweight division. His combination of speed and explosive power can overwhelm any man that waits for the fight to come to him, and his steadily improving take-down defense makes him all the more feared as a striker.

But "The Young Assassin" is not without an Achilles heel; whether it's anxiousness or a lack of focus, the newly declared Blackzilian representative has found himself in precarious positions several times throughout his career and is particularly vulnerable to submission practitioners as he has forfeited eight of nine career wins by submission stoppage.

Guillard should refrain from coming forward as he normally likes to do, opting to circle his man instead, controlling the distance, while keep this fight on its feet. A quick knockout is never out of the question in a Melvin Guillard fight, but it's not probable against a tough veteran like Miller.

Miller knows he has to take this fight to Guillard, and his best chance at a victory is without question on the mat. He will look to close the distance whenever the opportunity presents itself and the clinch will be his best friend throughout the contest as shooting for doubles against the sprawl and brawl style of "The Young Assassin" without high-level wrestling is asking for all sorts of trouble.

Benson Henderson could easily have been the worst possible match-up for Jim Miller's skill set, but there aren't many others in the division that will present the same problems Henderson did. The calmer of the two under fire, Miller will make this a dog-fight and the bout will hit the ground with increasing frequency as it wears on playing to the AMA Fight Club representative's advantage.

There are no guarantees at this level of competition, but it's likely this fight will not see the judge's cards as both of these combatants are effective finishers when they smell blood. The winner of this bout will make a strong case for a title-contention eliminator, and it's a fight you don't want to miss come Friday.

MAIN CARD (FX)

Melvin Guillard vs. Jim Miller
Duane "Bang" Ludwig vs. Josh Neer
Mike Easton vs. Jared Papazian
Pat Barry vs. Christian Morecraft

PRELIMINARY CARD (FUEL TV)

Jorge Rivera vs. Eric Schafer
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Kamal Shalorus
Charlie Brenneman vs. Daniel Roberts
Fabricio Camoes vs. Tommy Hayden
Daniel Pineda vs. Pat Schilling
Nick Denis vs. Joseph Sandoval


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