San Diego, CA — “It feels incredible,” Juliana Miller said of winning The Ultimate Fighter 30 just over a week ago. “I love teaching people a lesson, and I got to do just that very humbly.”
At home in San Diego for UFC on ESPN 41 this past weekend, Miller caught up with Cageside Press about her TUF 30 finale with Brogan Walker, and where she goes from here.
Miller is currently taking her Ultimate Fighter trophy on a small tour, so her family, including her grandma, and sponsors can see it. “Really just a thank you to everyone who helped me get here. It’s going to find its new home in my gym at 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu in San Diego, and then one day when I can finally buy my own house, I’m going to create a nice little shelf for it in there. But until that day, it’ll live in my second home, 10th Planet San Diego.”
In the fight itself, Miller soon realized that Walker didn’t want to trade with her — and was just fine when her opponent put her against the fence, a position she excels at. When it came to the ground game, Miller was savouring it.
“I was actually taking my time, just enjoying every elbow to the face from every single bit of hate that she had thrown my way throughout the entire Ultimate Fighter house, and then all the talk leading up to the finale,” Miller recalled. “She kind of made it worse for herself, because at the end of the first round, she was whispering my ear, being like ‘oh get another hit on Miller. Let’s see you do it.’ Just like, talking sh*t to me. And I literally grabbed my hand on her eye that was swollen, and shoved it down. I’m like ‘do you not realize how poofy your eye is right now? How are you able to see, and you’re still talking sh*t?'”
Miller then opened up with a bit of trash talk herself, dedicating a few shots to her grandma. “I actually do appreciate Brogan for kind of bringing out that spicy side of me, because I’m normally very respectful, and I stand there pretty quiet,” she told us. “But this time, I learned that it actually is kind of fun to talk a little. I do want to keep my respectful attitude, but Brogan, thank you for pulling the killer out of me, because I had a lot of fun.”
Miller is taking a few weeks off to travel, and will then look at getting back to action. “I’m looking to fight late November or early December. Look at these muscles. My guns are ready and I’m ready to unleash a beast. I’m improving all the time. As soon as the UFC would like to get me a few names, we’ll choose one and get this show on the road.”
Watch our full interview with The Ultimate Fighter 30 winner Juliana Miller above.
