LAS VEGAS – Juliana Miller’s first move as a Season 30 “Ultimate Fighter” winner was to crotch-chop her opponent, Brogan Walker, before referee Keith Peterson shoved her away.
The move came after a third-round submission and was the result of a culmination of factors, Miller (3-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) said at a news conference Saturday after UFC on ESPN 40. Sure, she felt disrespected by Walker (7-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) mean-mugging and trash-talking. But more than that, a love for pro wrestling was the catalyst for Miller’s MMA career – and even runs in her bloodline.
“So the thing is, my grandma, when she moved here from Brazil, she didn’t speak any English,” Miller told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “She was learning English from TV shows. … Pretty much, I was raised by her from 6 months to 5 years old. As she was starting to learn English, she said she loved wrestling because she didn’t need to understand the words to see what was happening. It was all through the action. Honestly, when I came to my team, I was like, ‘I want to be a pro wrestler one day.’ My coaches were like, ‘Let’s give you a shot in the cage and see how you do.’
