Prediction: Ivana Petrovic via Decision
Ivana Petrovic is a tough stylistic ask for Miller, and unless she’s made major strides since her last outing, this is a fight where Petrovic should be able to control the pace and outcome from start to finish. Miller’s path to victory has always centered around her physicality and relentless pressure, but those strengths tend to evaporate when she can’t get the fight into her wheelhouse—and against someone like Petrovic, that’s going to be a serious challenge.
Miller’s striking has been her most glaring weakness from the start. It’s stiff, robotic, and full of holes. She throws with heart, but not with technique. Her entries are predictable, and her head is almost always on the centerline, making her an easy target for counters. That’s been a consistent theme across her UFC performances—she’s hittable, and when the shots come back at her, there’s no real defensive layer to stop them. Add to that a lack of footwork and poor shot selection, and you get a fighter who gets stuck between ranges: not clean enough to strike at range, not fast enough to close the distance without getting tagged.
That’s a dangerous profile to bring into a fight with Ivana Petrovic. Petrovic may not be flashy, but she’s solid everywhere. Her striking is smoother, more measured, and built on good fundamentals. She doesn’t waste energy, keeps a composed guard, and is quick to find angles. Against someone like Miller, who leaves herself wide open on the entries and gets desperate when she can’t impose her game early, Petrovic will have plenty of chances to land clean counter hooks and check knees when Miller rushes in.
The bigger issue for Miller is that even her go-to game—the grappling—isn’t guaranteed to give her a foothold here. Miller loves to bully opponents in the clinch, drag them to the ground, and overwhelm with pressure, but Petrovic isn’t the kind of fighter who just folds to that kind of pace. She has a strong base, knows how to pummel for position, and has good instincts when it comes to defending takedowns or creating scrambles. And once it hits the mat, Petrovic is more than competent. She’s shown solid top control, slick transitions, and the ability to stay safe while working methodically. Even if Miller gets her down, maintaining control or finding a submission won’t be easy, especially with Petrovic’s ability to stay calm and work her way back up.