In MMA news this week, veteran fighter Jim Miller is returning to the Octagon in a lightweight matchup against Ludovit Klein at UFC Fight Night 42. Additionally, heavyweight Walt Harris will make his return after an extended period away from the sport when he faces Josh Parisian at UFC Fight Night 43.
Jim Miller (32-15), one of the longest tenured active fighters on the UFC roster with 33 Octagon appearances, will welcome debuting Slovakian fighter Ludovit Klein (16-2) to America’s premier mixed martial arts promotion in May. The 36-year old New Jersey native last fought in December of 2019 and is looking for back-to-back wins for the first time since 2017 when he defeated Jason Gonzalez via KO/TKO and took home Performance of Night honors. His opponent, Klein, brings a six fight win streak into his promotional debut that includes four finishes by submission or knockout as well as three Submission of the Nights awards under his belt from promotions such as Cage Warriors and Oktagon MMA.
Heavyweight Walt Harris (13–8), who has been out of action since January 2020 due to personal reasons outside of fighting, returns to face off against upstart Josh Parisian (13–4). Harris was originally scheduled to face former champion Fabricio Werdum at UFC 249 but needed more time away for personal issues regarding his stepdaughter Aniah Blanchard who was tragically killed last year during an abduction gone wrong. He now looks forward towards getting back his career on track while also honoring her memory inside and outside of competition. Meanwhile, Parisian heads into this matchup having won nine out of 10 bouts including three straight victories over opponents like Parker Porter via knockouts or submissions securing both Knockout and Performance bonuses along with them respectively leading up to this showdown with “The Big Ticket” which could potentially secure him a place amongst top contenders if victorious here next month.
Fight fans will be excited by both matchups especially those featuring veterans Jim Miller and Walt Harris plus newcomer Ludovit Klein all making their respective returns within weeks apart from each other thus further adding momentum heading into two highly anticipated cards slated for late May 2021 showcasing some exciting fights between experienced veterans versus rising stars eager to show what they got inside The Octagon sooner rather than later as always stay tuned!